#anthrowitchology

[anthrowitchology]

Angel, Demon, or Deity?: The Seraphim

The Seraphim have been called the highest order of angels according to most biblical scholars, even above archangels like Michael and Gabriel. However, the term “seraph,” has been used to represent things with more dark aims in the bible. 

Biblical Scholar W.O.E Oesterly, did a close linguistic study on the Seraphim. “Seraph” comes from the Hebrew root “Saraph,” which means “to burn.” So Seraphim means the “Burning ones,” and not in a good way. Take this passage from Numbers 21:6 “and the lord sent fiery serpants among the people, and they bit the people, and many people of Israel died.”

The term used for “fiery serpants,” was translated from seraphim nahash. Further in the text Moses makes a cure for the snakebite by making a image of the “seraph” and putting it on a pole, and whoever looks at it becomes cured. Some scholars believe this means that he made an angel, however Oesterly argues that it makes more linguistic sense that it was a snake. 

In other passages like Deuteronomy 8:15, there is mention of “seraph serpants and scorpions.” in the wilderness. Isaiah 14:29 tells about a viper that comes from a serpant’s root and his fruit shall be a “fiery flying serpant.”  a flying “seraph.”

Oesterly’s argument is that the Seraphim were the exact opposite of angels and actually demons who haunted the desert and plagued the children of israel with fiery burning bites.

How Seraphim made the change from serpentine demons to high ranked heavenly angels is not explained, and their rise to glory is yet again due to translation mistakes. 

[anthrowitchology]

Angel, Demon, or Deity? Samael The Poison of God

Samael translates as the “Poison of God.” However, If you read my post on Angel names you know it can also be translated as “The Poison God” AKA “God of Death.” which would further support the idea of an ancient Jewish pantheon. 

Now, Samael is a complicated figure, identified both as a fallen angel, and a loyal angel to heaven and its hierarchies. Samael had his roots firmly planted in jewish folklore. In the “Chronicles of Jerahmeel,” Samael is described as the chief of the satans (Also check out on post on the satan umbrella), Even though these texts present him as an evil angel, they also present him as a devoted angel in service to the lord.He is presented as an angel of death that collects the souls of humanity. 

In the Zohar, a primary text of the Qabbalah, Samael is associated with an “evil” god Almalek, the god of the physical world. Samael teaches magik, necromancy, and the occult sciences. 

[anthrowitchology]

Angel, Demon, or Deity? Key Points

Some key points into my studies about the demonization of paganism, and the truth about demonology. This is what represents demonology today. 

Fallen angels (That have a possible connection to an early Jewish pagan pantheon) (Via Book of Enoch, and Missing books of the bible)

The Nephalim (half human half angel) also in the Book of Enoch

Greek/Roman/Nordic spirits, and Deities that were demonized by the church. (As seen in many manuscripts now used by occult communities)

Sumerian/Babylonian/ Middle Eastern/North African deities and spirits that were demonized by the early Judeo-Christians. (Evidence in the Bible, and all abrahamic texts.)

The main evidence in ALL of this was simply in their names. 

We of course also have words that were considered holy in hebrew, that was mistranslated and turned into actual demons by the church. 

So all I ask is for people to question whether or not something is a demon or angel simply because it was listed, and treat the gods with respect especially if that is their origin. 

For the spirit part, These spirits are well written about in their own cultural stories, Its worth looking more deeply into. Especially since you’ll get a more accurate depiction of them. 

[anthrowitchology]

Angel, Demon, or Deity? Mr. Morning-Star

Lucifer, One of the most recognizable names for the “devil.” The name Lucifer itself is Latin for “Light-bearer.” It was translated from the Hebrew word Helal meaning “Morning Star.” The hebrew word at the time as represented an astronomical phenomenon with the planet Venus, and so the name for the phenomenon in Latin was simply Lucifer, so it wasn’t an error of translation. We first see the name Lucifer translated in Isiah 14:12 of the bible.

“How art thou fallen from heaven , O Lucifer, Son of the morning! How art thou cut down the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” 

What’s intresting about the Book of Isiah is that many biblical scholars believe that the fall of Lucifer, was actually the fall of a Babylonian King, and this story was more of a taunt towards him. There were many references to the fall of Lucifer. One of the more notable ones was from Jesus in Luke 10:18 that states that he fell from heaven like lightning.  

Slowly but surely a rich history around Lucifer evolved. Most of his mythos is based more on material written about the bible than the bible itself, but it still stays incredibly interesting.

Among certain sects of Gnostic Christians, Lucifer was not seen as evil at all, but depicted as the 1st born son of God who sought to save humanity with the gift of knowledge. 

[anthrowitchology]

Angel, Demon, or Deity?: Angel Names

If you pay close attention to angels, fallen angels, or demons you will notice a pattern in their names. That ~el or ~ael ending. 

These endings derive from the semetic root that means God. In the case of angels most readings read like this “~of God”, for example Raphael (Raph means to heal) would be read as “healing of God,” This is commonly interpreted as a way to show the angels devotion to God. 

HOWEVER,

It can also be translated as the “God of Healing,” which would suggest the possibility that all angels belonged to an ancient pantheon that predates jewish monotheism. 

Many demons were angels so they also reatain these names. 

[anthrowitchology]

Angel, Demon, or Deity? Lilith the Lilin

Lilith the night demon can be traced all the way back to Sumerian mythology where she appears as the female spirit “Ardat lili” who preys among men in their sleep. Supposedly this being died a virgin, so she became a spirit yearning what she couldn’t have. Her embraces were considered deadly, so she was greatly feared in the Sumerian world. (Ardat Lili was also believed to be an other name for the goddess Ishtar)

Ardat Lili AKA Lilith’s name was derived from the sumerian word “lil” meaning “Storm.” It’s important to note that the lilin/lilitu were not a singular being but a class of demons that lived in the deserts and wastelands. The name being associated with “storm” fits typical sumerian mythology which associates demons with destructive forces like storms, eathquakes, and disease. These beings are often associated with owls and wild beasts. In Isiah 34:14 (KJV) the name lilith is translated to the screeching owls. 

Ardat Lili’s connection with birds appear from the 1st images that emerge of her in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Here she appears as a demon who inhabits the Huluppa Tree alongside a dragon and something called a Zu-bird. When Gilgamesh slays the dragon Ardat lili tears her house down and fleas into the wilderness. This is her sumerian/babylonian origin.

Years later Lilith was adopted into Jewish demonology. In the Talmudic Erebim (18b), It states that after Adam was under a curse, before the birth of Seth, he sired demons- both the shedim and the lilin. There is a similar pasage in the Nidda (16b), However this immediatly followed the death Abel, and banishment of Cain. For 130 years, Adam refused to sleep with his wife Eve. So Lilith his 1st wife came to him and bore him all manner of demons by his seed. Earlier stories tell about Lilith, Adam’s 1st wife, was cast out of the garden of Eden for refusing to submit to her husband. She was cast out in a similar matter in the Epic of Gilgamesh and fled into the wilderness. 

Later when she was adopted into Christian demonology, she became a direct consort of Satan and Samuel. 

Now I will go back to the lilin, The lilin were greatly feared by the Jewish people, So they believed if you had amulets with lilin demons’ names on them, you would be protected. The lilin were said to have a fondness of attacking infants, and mothers in labor, and also like Ardat lili they all seduced men to their deaths.

(The names on these amulets were names like: Ardat lili, Amitzrapava, Baytivakh, Hekesha, Kawteeah, Khailaw, Khavaw Reshvunaw, ect.)

[anthrowitchology]

Angel, Demon, or Deity? Ancient Exorcisms

The ancient Sumerians had a demon for every illness. In Sumerian exocism the name of the demon was considered the most powerful for driving them away. If the name wasn’t known they would read a list of names related to the illness, thinking one would be it. 

Sumerian exorcisms used animal substitutes such as pigs, or goats to trasfer the demon from the person to the animal, then they would kill the animal ending the demon’s possesion. (This is similar to what we see of Jesus in the bible casting out demons into swine “pigs”)

In the 1906 Theophilus Pinches study of Babylonian and Assyrian religon, he talks about the spirits from the ancient world. The alu is described as a bull or entities of the storm. In the story of Gilgamesh, Ishtar (Ardat lili AKA lilith) sent an alu to attack Gilgamesh. The ahhazu-dimme kur were known as the “seizers,” and had characteristics of night demons.

One tablet from the age of Hammurabi, talks of the evil utukku of the mountain and plain areas which bring sickness to humanity. The tablet then further describes how to exorcise them. First, black and white yarn was spun and fastened to the side of the possessed person’s bed. Black was placed on the left, and White on the right. Once the yarn was spun to reprsent a gate, the exorcist recited incantations, asking the god Asari-alim-nunna, eldest son of Eridu, to wash the victim “in pure and bright water twice seven times.” This was thought to seal the gate through which the spirits are attacking the victim, and protecting him in the future. 

[anthrowitchology]

Angel, Demon, or Deity?: Belial- the Essence of Secular Desires

Belial sometimes also written as Beliaal/Beliar is derived from a Hebrew word translated as “Worthless” or “Wickedness.” This name often appeared in the old testament in the bible refering to a class of people. They were called the sons/daughters of Belial for being in direct opposition of their new abrahamic religon. (2 Corinthians 6:15) THEY WERE PAGANS. It was used as an insult towards pagans who were against this new religon coming in and changing things. Later through translation woes Belial has been mistaken as an other name for satan, which is why its being debated as a “proper” name due to how the word was used in the old testament and how it was translated. Belial at it’s core is the Essence of human secular desires, that were not considered ok in this new abrahamic religon. 

The followers of Belial (the pagans) were also called the sons/daughters of darkness as described in the Dead Sea Scrolls. In the Quran, in the testament of Amram they are also depicted in the same way. 

Later when this idea was “demonized,” Belial turned into a demon “created” 2nd after lucifer, and is said to one of the 72 Infernal Kings that King Solomon imprisoned. The more I study about this subject the more I realized how heavily pagan origins/gods/and stories, were colonized by Abrahamic monotheism.