Samael the lightbringer

Who is Samael

Samael is good and evil.  It is the real name of Lucifer morningstar the lord of hell. He is a major demon in Jewish lore and Christian  (in the bible) demonology. He is an archangel in talmudic lore and the partner of Lilith

Also, he plays important roles within occultism. He is in the heavenly hierarchies as well as he is among the fallen angels.

Its name meaning is the angel of death and destruction, seducer and severity of god. Another names closely related to him are: beelzebub, seraphim, gabriel, azazel, belial, metatron.

In the Chronicles of Jerahmeel he is the “chief of the Satans“. This work depicted him as one of the most wickest angels. He is an angel in the service of the Lord.

Etymology

  • In Arabic سمسمائيل, Samsama’il or سمائل, Samail
  • In hebrew סַמָּאֵל, Sammāʾēl, “Venom/Poison of God”
  • Other names: Smal, Smil, Samil, or Samiel)

 

In Religion

Samael is a figure in various religions and mythologies, including Christianity, Judaism, and Gnosticism. In these traditions, its role can vary.

In Judaism, it is a fallen angel and the accuser or adversary of humans. He is the angel of death and one who tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden.

In Christianity, it is Satan or other demons. Some texts describes him as a powerful and malevolent force who seeks to lead humans away from God.

In Gnosticism, it is the Demiurge, a false god who created the material world and keeps humans trapped in ignorance and suffering.

 

 

The symbolism of Samael

Samael is a symbol that represents different things:

  • Death, darkness, and evil which are often represented by the color black.
  • It is also linked to the element fire, which can mean passion, transformation, or destruction.
  • In some traditions, it is seen as the angel of death, who judges and ends life.
  • It can also be associated with temptation and sin, and sometimes represents power and authority, especially in occult traditions.

Samael is a complex  figure with many symbolic associations and meanings. The specific references can vary depending on the tradition or context.

The angel of death Samael

The evil side of Samael is depicted in Jewish lore with a crown in his head. He is the angel of death, and collector of Moses’ soul. In the Haggadah he is the guardian of Jacob’s brother Esau.

This presents him as a wicked angel. It is because Esau is wicked only thinking of worldly things and drawn to worship in places of idolatry.

In the Zohar he is associated with Amalek, the god of the physical world. The text describes Samael as Amalek’s occult name. The Zohar describes his name meaning “poison of God.”

  1. E. Waite in his work The Holy Kabbalah defines Samael name as the “severity of God”. And also equates him with Satan and the Serpent, Lilith being his bride.

In Moncure Daniel Conway’s Demonology and Devil-Lore, he is the left hand of God. He is the consort of both the voluptuous maiden Naamah and the arch-she-devil Lilith.

In the Gnostic text Apocryphon of John discovered amidst the Hag Hammadi manuscripts, Samael is another name for the demiurge. He created the material world associating him with the Zohar text. It links him to the physical world.

Later in the grimoiric tradition the name is spelled Sam-ael, for magickal purposes. In the Heptameron he is described as an angel. He reign over Monday and Tuesday.

He appears in the 1505 version of “Faustbuch” entitled Magiae Naturalis et Innatural. There he is identified with the element of fire.

Henry Cornelius Agrippa associated him with Urieus, a form of Oriens, guardian of the East. Mathers makes the same association in his edition of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage.

The Fallen Angel

Samael also appears in Mathers’ translation of the Grimoire of Armedal. And in this volume the spirit’s character remains confused since he is both a fallen angel and a heavenly being.
 As a fallen angel he teaches magic, necromancy and occult sciences. He also teaches jurisprudence.

The archangel Samael

Some think that it is almost inconceivable that Gregory I (90-604), Saint Gregory, named Samael among the seven archangels.
Even though it is possible that Gregory I might not have know all of the Jewish lore surrounding Samael his declaration may not be as inconceivable as it appears.
 
Before he fell may have been an archangel, the Chronicles of Jerahmeel described him as being “chief of the Satans“. It indicates he was an angel of great status. And also one of the most wickedest.

Samael and lilith

In Moncure Daniel Conway’s Demonology and Devil-Lore, Samael, as the left hand of God, is consort of both the voluptuous maiden Naamah and the arch-she-devil Lilith.
 
This gives Samael and Lilith a commonality: both are renegades of God. A. E. Waite in his work The Holy Kabbalah defines him as the “severity of God” and also equates him with Satan and the Serpent.
Satan and the Serpent are synonymous with the Devil.
God cast out the Devil for his pride by not honoring man. Lilith was cast out for about the same reason. As the wife of Adam she demanded equality.
 
But the association of Lilith and Samael is described further in Hebrew lore. In the Song of Songs (1:7) one reads that God created both the Sun and Moon and they burned equally brightly. But the Sun and Moon argued over their brightness.
So to dismiss this argument God sent the Moon away. When the Moon was separated from the Sun she did not shine as brightly.

In the Zohar

 
According to the Zohar the Sun rules the day and the Moon rules the night thus creating two luminaries. The luminaries descending from above are the “luminaries of light”. While the luminaries from below are the “luminaries of fire.” (Zohar I 20b)
 
In further Zoharic myths the Moon did not voluntarily separate and diminish herself. He was commanded to do so by God which caused a k’lifah (or the husk of evil) the birth of Lilith.
 
Thus Lilith is depicted as a beautiful woman from the naval up but as a flame of fire from the naval down. This is Lilith’s energy represented by the diminishment of the Moon causing the dark and fiery side of night.
 
In both Jewish and the occult lore Lilith represents sexuality. She is the seducer of men. According to Jewish lore this is evil. Lilith is the evil. But her evil in occultism becomes an asset. This is in The Rape of Eve where the filth of Lilith can be used.

the zohar

The Zohar associates Lilith and Samael when speaking of the quaternion marriage. The quaternion marriage involved two couples:

Following the destruction of the temple Shekina descended to be with her flock or people. While her handmaiden Lilith ascended to become the consort of God. Thus showing her importance.

 

In the Kabbalah

Samael (Hebrew SMAL, “The Liars”). In Kabbalistic tradition are the Qlippoth or demonic powers associated with Hod, the eighth Sephirah of the Tree of Life.
 
In their traditional appearance is that of dull-coloreddogs with demon-like heads. The cortex is Theuniel, Kingdom of Shells, under the archdemon Adramelek.
 
He is a demon and the Desolation of God or the Left Hand. He is the very opposite of Hod, the absolute will of God, in that the Qlippoth represents the complete desolation of a fallen or failed creation.
The outer form Theuniel is the Filthy Wailing Ones of God. Adramelek, name means is a powerful king or demon.
 
Some say he is more ambitious than Satan. Adramelek was synonymous to the Hebrew god Moloch (see to whom human sacrifices . A.G.H.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Samael in the bible?

In Jewish texts, Samael is seen as a powerful angel with a dark and destructive role. He is often described as the head of satans and the main angel of death. Despite being associated with sin, Samael is still considered to be a servant of God.

What does the name mean?

It is a boy’s name of Hebrew origin. It comes from the Bible and means “God has heard.” The name is made up of two parts: “shama,” which means “heard,” and “el,” which means “God.”

 

Sources:

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