Michael (archangel)
Michael, also called Archangel Michael or Michael the Taxiarch, is an archangel and the warrior of God in Judaism, Islam and, additionally a saint, in Christianity. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in third- and second-century BC Jewish works, often but not always apocalyptic, where he is the chief of the angels and archangels, and he is the guardian prince of Israel and is responsible for the care of the people of Israel. Christianity conserved nearly all the Jewish traditions concerning him, and he is mentioned explicitly in, where he does battle with Satan, and in the Epistle of Jude, where the archangel and the devil dispute over the body of Moses.
Old Testament and Deuterocanon
The Book of Enoch lists Michael as one of seven archangels, who in the Book of Tobit "stand ready and enter before the glory of the ". The fact that Michael is introduced implies the knowledge of him and the other named angels. He is mentioned again in the last chapters of the Book of Daniel, a Jewish apocalypse composed in the second century BC, in which a man clothed in linen tells Daniel that he and "Michael, your prince" are engaged in a battle with the "prince of Persia", after which, at the end-time, "Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise".Enoch was instrumental in establishing the pre-eminent place of Michael among the angels and archangels, and in later Jewish works, he is said to be their chief, mediating the Torah, and standing at the right hand of the throne of God. In the traditions of the Qumran community, he defends or leads the people of God in the eschatological battle. In other writings, he is responsible for the care of Israel and acts as commander of the heavenly armies; he is Israel's advocate contesting Satan's claim to the body of Moses; he intercedes between God and humanity and serves as High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary; and he accompanies the souls of the righteous dead to Paradise.
New Testament
The seven archangels were associated with the branches of the menorah, the sacred seven-branched lampstand in the Temple as the seven spirits before the throne of God, and this is reflected in the Book of Revelation . Michael is mentioned explicitly in Revelation 12:7–12, where he does battle with Satan and casts him out of heaven so that he no longer has access to God as accuser. The fall of Satan at the coming of Jesus marks the separation of the New Testament from Judaism. In Luke, Jesus tells Peter that Satan has asked God for permission to “sift” the disciples, the goal being to accuse them, but the accusation is opposed by Jesus, who thus takes on the role played by angels, and especially by Michael, in Judaism.Michael is mentioned by name for the second time in the Epistle of Jude, which is an impassioned plea for the believers to engage in battle against the incursion of the error. In verses 9–10, the author denounces the heretics by contrasting them with the archangel Michael, who, in disputing with Satan over the body of Moses, “did not presume to pronounce the verdict of 'slander' but said, 'The Lᴏʀᴅ rebuke you!'”
Judaism
According to rabbinic tradition, Michael acted as the advocate of Israel, and sometimes had to fight with the princes of the other nations and particularly with the angel Samael, Israel's accuser. Their enmity dates from the time Samael was thrown from heaven and tried to drag Michael down with him, necessitating God's intervention.The idea that Michael was the advocate of the Jews became so prevalent that in spite of the rabbinical prohibition against appealing to angels as intermediaries between God and his people, he held a place in the Jewish liturgy: "When a man is in need he must pray directly to God, and neither to Michael nor to Gabriel." Jeremiah addresses a prayer to him.
The rabbis declare that Michael entered into his role of defender at the time of the biblical patriarchs. Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob said he rescued Abraham from the furnace into which he had been thrown by Nimrod. Some say he was the "one that had escaped", who told Abraham that Lot had been taken captive, and who protected Sarah from defilement by Abimelech.
Michael prevented Isaac from sacrifice by his father by substituting a ram in his place. He saved Jacob, while yet in his mother's womb, from death by Samael. He later prevented Laban from harming Jacob..
The midrash Exodus Rabbah holds that Michael exercised his function of advocate of Israel at the time of the Exodus and destroyed Sennacherib's army.
Christianity
Early Christian views and devotions
From the 2nd-century onwards there exists evidence attesting early Christian identifications of Michael as identical with the Christ particularly in works concerned with or by non-proto-orthdox groups such Pseudo-Cyprian's De Centesima, Epiphanius' description of the Ebionites and the sect of the Elcasaites, Tertullian's attack on Valentinian Christology, and certain magical texts, especially the Testament of Solomon. The Shepherd of Hermas, possibly Oxyrhynchus Papyrus 1152, the Gospel of the Hebrews, the pseudo-Clementine writings, and Epiphanius' Panarion appear to share this view. Other 2nd- and 3rd-century texts show that identifying Christ with an angel was not uncommon at the time—these include the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Nicodemus, the Testament of Dan, and the Epistle to Diognetus. These beliefs likely derived from similar pre-Christian Jewish beliefs, such as those found in the Prayer of Joseph and the beliefs of the Magarites.Epiphanius of Salamis in his Coptic-Arabic Hexaemeron additionally referred to Michael as a replacement of Satan. Accordingly, after Satan fell, Michael was appointed to the function Satan served when he was still one of the noble angels.
Byzantine tradition attributed two Bosporus-shore sanctuaries of the Archangel Michael to Constantine. The first at Hestia/Anaplous—plausibly in the area of modern Arnavutköy, about 35 stadia by sea and over 70 by land from Constantinople. The second at Sosthenion, commonly identified with modern İstinye. Sozomen is the earliest witness for the Hestia site, while John Malalas places a Michaelion at Sosthenion and embeds it in a foundation legend that repurposes a pre-existing pagan shrine tied to the Argonauts. Later sources often use "Anaplous" for the wider western Bosporus shore, which helps explain why Hestia/Anaplous and Sosthenion are sometimes conflated in the literature. He was syncretically identified with the attributes of the god Attis in Phrygia and thus associated with pre-Christian healing springs in Phrygia, his main cult site was in.
A painting of the Archangel slaying a serpent became a major art piece at the Michaelion after Constantine defeated Licinius near there in 324. This contributed to the standard iconography that developed of the Archangel Michael as a warrior saint slaying a dragon. The Michaelion was a magnificent church and in time became a model for hundreds of other churches in Eastern Christianity; these spread devotions to the Archangel.
In the fourth century, Saint Basil the Great's homily placed Saint Michael over all the angels. He was called "Archangel" because he heralds other angels, the title Ἀρχαγγέλος applied to him in Jude 1:9. Into the sixth century, the view of Michael as a healer continued in Rome; after a plague, the sick slept at night in the church of Castel Sant'Angelo, waiting for his manifestation.
In the sixth century, the growth of devotions to Michael in the Western Church was expressed by the feasts dedicated to him, as recorded in the Leonine Sacramentary. The seventh-century Gelasian Sacramentary included the feast "S. Michaelis Archangeli", as did the eighth-century Gregorian Sacramentary. Some of these documents refer to a Basilica Archangeli on via Salaria in Rome.
The angelology of Pseudo-Dionysius, which was widely read as of the sixth century, gave Michael a rank in the hierarchy of angels. Later, in the thirteenth century, others such as Bonaventure believed him to be Prince of the Seraphim, the first of the nine angelic orders. According to Thomas Aquinas, he is Prince of the last and lowest choir, the Angels.
Catholicism
s often refer to Michael as “Holy Michael, the Archangel” or “Saint Michael”. He is generally referred to in Christian litanies as “Saint Michael”, as in the Litany of the Saints. In the shortened version said at the Easter Vigil, he alone of the angels and archangels is mentioned by name, omitting Saints Gabriel and Raphael.In Roman Catholic teachings, Saint Michael has four main roles or offices. His first role is the leader of the Army of God and the leader of celestial forces in triumphing over the powers of Hell. He is viewed as the angelic model for the virtues of the “spiritual warrior”, his conflict with evil taken as “the battle within”.
The second and third roles of Michael in Catholic teachings deal with death. In his second role, he is the angel of death, carrying the souls of Christians to Heaven. Catholic prayers often refer to this role of Michael. In his third role, he weighs souls on his perfectly balanced scales, a common object he holds in art.
In his fourth role, Saint Michael, the special patron of the Chosen People in the Old Testament, is also Guardian of the Church. Saint Michael was revered by the military orders of knights during the Middle Ages. The names of villages around the Bay of Biscay reflect that history. Moreover, doubtless for the same motive he was considered the patron saint of a number of cities and countries.
Catholic tradition includes also elements such as the Prayer to Saint Michael, which specifically asks the saint to “defend” the faithful from evil. The Chaplet of Saint Michael consists of nine salutations, one for each choir of angels.