“... In the above texts the repository of the souls of the dead is not mentioned as being in the proximity of the heavenly throne, although, as mentioned above, the image of God’s throne appears in that text. However, the author of Sefer haheikhalot (also known as 3 Enoch), a later Hebrew apocalyptic text written in post-talmudic times, does connect these motifs; it places the souls near God’s throne and describes their attempt to intercede before God. In this work the angel Metatron shows R. Ishmael the souls of the righteous, ‘which fly above the Throne of Glory before God’. Here the souls include not only those righteous who have died ‘and have returned [to their heavenly abode]’, but also unborn righteous souls.23 Another passage in 3 Enoch describes the ‘brilliant right hand of God’, which is ‘drawn back’ because of the destruction of the Temple, alluding to the text of Lamentations 2: 3: ‘He has drawn back His right hand from before the enemy; He has burned up Jacob like a flaming fire, consuming all around.’ This image symbolizes God’s decision not to use his ‘outstretched arm’ to deliver his people during this period. The author of 3 Enoch relates further that ‘all the souls of the righteous, those who are worthy to see the joy of Jerusalem’, appear before this divine arm with praise, and ‘ask for mercy from before it [her]’ three times every day: ‘Awake, awake, clothe yourself with splendour, O arm of the Lord’ (Isa. 51: 9).24 Thus, in this later apocalyptic text the souls of the righteous serve an important intercessory function: they request mercy for Jerusalem during the period of God’s wrath. ...”