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In the Apocalypse of Abraham, Yahoel protects Abraham from an angel who threatens his ascent. In 3 Enoch, Metatron similarly protects Ishmael, allowing a human visitor into heaven despite the angels' opposition.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Apocalypse of Abraham 13:7
Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
4 And the unclean bird spoke to me, and said: "What are you doing, Abraham, upon the holy Heights, where no man eats or drinks, neither is there upon them (any) food of man, but these consume everything with fire, and (will) burn you up. 5 Forsake the man, who is with you, and flee; for if you ascend to the Heights they will make an end of you. 6 And it came to pass, when I saw the bird speak, I said to the angel: "What is this, my lord?" And he said: "This is ungodliness, this is Azazel." 7 And he said to it: "Disgrace upon you, Azazel! For Abraham's lot is in heaven, but yours upon the earth.
3 Enoch 1:3
Hebrew Book of Enoch
Pseudepigrapha, Apocalypses
"Lord of the Universe, I pray you, that the merit of Aaron, the son of Amram, the lover of peace and pursuer of peace, who received the crown of priesthood from Your Glory on the mount of Sinai, be valid for me in this hour, so that Qafsiel, the prince, and the angels with him may not get power over me nor throw me down from the heavens". At once the Holy One, blessed be He, sent to me Metatron, his Servant ('Ebed) the angel, the Prince of the Presence, and he, spreading his wings, with great joy came to meet me so as to save me from their hand.
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Notes and References
“... One of the common features in both traditions is the angels’ distinctive role
as guardian against the hostile angels who attempt to impede the seers’ entrance
into the upper realm. Thus, in Synopse § 3 when the angelic hosts oppose the
elevation of R. Ishmael, Metatron intercedes on behalf of this visionary, intro-
ducing him as one from the nation of Israel. This deed of Metatron in protecting
R. Ishmael against ʿUzzah, ʿAzzah, and ʿAza’el is clearly reminiscent of Yahoel’s
role in safeguarding Abraham against the fallen angel Azazel. As we have al-
ready noted, in both cases the names of angels are remarkably similar, as they
bring to memory peculiar names of the fallen angels found in the early Enochic
booklets. ...”
Andrei A. Orlov
Yahoel and Metatron: Aural Apocalypticism and the Origins of Early Jewish Mysticism
(p. 191) Mohr Siebeck, 2017
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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