Aartsengel Camael

The Archangel Camael first appears during the second temple period where he is believed to be a major force of Evil in the Greek Apocalypse of Baruch. A book that was believed to have been written by the Scribe Jeremiah. The book describes the narrative from Jeremiah to God in which he asks God why he was letting those in Baruch suffer under its current ruler. God reacted by sending one of his Angels, who takes him through the layers of heaven. When they reach the Third heaven he asks the Angel to show the tree that led Adam astray to which the Angel replies it is the vine the Archangel Camael planted. God had been angry and cursed the Angel and its plant, God had left this plant in the Garden of Eden and forbid Adam to touch it. The Archangel had become envious and lured Eve to touch the tree. It’s unclear why God was angry at Camael, but it had to have been bad within the eyes of the creator for him to curse both the plant and the Angel. Camael having become jealous, hurting God as by having his favorite creation defy him. Camael then is referred to as the Devil as he was the first Angel who sinned becoming the embodiment of all Evil. It is when Jeremiah reached the seventh heaven that the Angel mentions Camael once again. The Angel shared at the transgression off the first man Adam, it was near to Camael when he too the Serpent as a garment. Which means he took the form of the serpent to lure in Adam. Yet this is not the only religion in which this Angel is mentioned, he also appears in the Pseudepigraphal Jewish-Christian text known as the ascension of Isaiah. Archangel Camael comes to serve the dying king’s son named Manasseh who refused to follow the righteous path. The Angel would execute all off Manasseh’s evil desires, hearing this the king breaks down in tears to which the prophet responds with the message that nothing can stop the Angel from corrupting the king’s son. It is also said that through the influence of the fallen Angel Camael Manasseh begins to serve a demon named Belial whom is also described as the Angel of Lawlessness. It was with the combination of the Demon Belial and the fallen Angel Camael that the city he ruled over known to be Jerusalem became a land of chaos. The Demon Belial who seems to serve the Angel was in great wrath against Isaiah because the prophet had seen the path the Dying king’s son would follow. With sharing this vision he had exposed the Angel himself as well and making his influence on others weaker. It is also fitting the story that the Archangel Camael does what he does out of revenge towards the creator, that he would ally himself with a Demon corrupting another of his creation. When we read further you will come to the part where Belial’s role is to serve Camael for he takes control of a false prophet named Belchira who accuses Isaiah of treason an accusation which forced the prophet to be sawn under be a wooden saw. This was done by the Demon through his latest puppet Belchira for Samael is was wrathful against the prophet ever since he had revealed the Angels plans.

Asaiah isn’t the only one who encountered Camael, it is said within the ascension of Moses, Moses is accompanied by the Archangel Metatron through the layers of heaven. When they are at the last level of heaven Moses encounters an Angel who appears different from all the others, Moses was shocked and described the angel as one who put the fear of God in him. This Angel appeared so tall that it would take 500 years to cover the distance from head to toe with glaring eyes covering his entire body. It is when this Angel wanders off that Metatron explains that he was the Archangel Camael who took the souls of men after they had passed. Moses who had become curious where this Angel was going and questioned Metatron who answered he is to claim the soul of Joe the Pius. Right after this encounter Moses prays to God and asks to not have a creature like Camael claim his soul for he is terrified of this Celestial being.

The Archangel Camael also appears across several Jewish Midrash though his importance appears quite dramatically in various tests. It is said he maintains the principle role of a tempter of man to commit sin, he is also seen as the accuser of the heavenly court and by who brings about wrath to those who deserve it. He is commonly linked and referred to as Satan himself. It is within the Jewish lore that you discover that Camael is actually a believed to be a busy character for it is said he mated with the Angels of Sacred prostitution. Yet this lore is riddled with mystery, it does not go in full detail about his encounters with these beings. The only information one can find is the name and the fact he had mated them. One of these beings was the princess of Evil Eisheth Zenunim, a Demon who believed to have seduced Adam named Na’amah and a demon who haunted air named Agrat bai Mahlat.

It is in the Kabbalah in Jewish lore that sees Camael as the Archangel who becomes the consort of Lilith Adam’s first wife. Lilith wished to be treated as an equal and disobeyed Adam, she fled from the Garden of Eden before the creation of Eve. It is said she becomes the mother of Demons through sexual encounters with the Archangel Camael. This Angel is also seen as Lilith Spouse in some cases and are seen as the evil parallel of Adam and Eve.

Within the Gnostic traditions Camael is three of the names of the Demiurge which is a creator of the universe together with the names Yaldabaoth and Saklas. Yet when you read the Gnostic tail of the Origin of the World you find the entity Yaldaboath which appears to be conceived onto the universe from the shadows and claims sole divinity for himself, the being begins to see himself as a god of all things. An entity named Sophia however was created before him and had been instrumental in giving life to his soul told him that he was ignorant. She suggested that if he thought himself to be a God, he would be a blind one. A title we have seen in connection with the Archangel Camael. This implies that Camael sees himself above everything else even God himself much like Lucifer had in revelations. This connects with the passage within the Hypostasis of Archons where it is said that their chief is blind. Because of his power, his ignorance and his arrogance he said with his power “it is I God, there is none apart from me.” It was after he had spoken that a voice came forth saying “you are mistaken Camael, which is God of the blind.” Having gone over this it appears that Camael is the first Sinner which related to his part in the testament of Solomon. Where we see Solomon aim to appease to Camael as he unloads a lengthy paragraph of praise upon the being as he seeks to conjure and invoke him.

As you see in many of the scripts Camael is described to be an Angel of wrath, Chaos and many other sins but that is not the entire story behind this being. It is when we read the works of a French medieval Rabbi known as Rashi who believed that the Angel involved with the story of Jacob and Esau was in fact the Archangel Camael. This Celestial being fought against Jacob was in fact Esau’s guardian Angel Camael, a being who carries out God’s justice on those who deserve it. A idea that was reinforced as we are told that after he had tempted Adam’s second wife Eve in his serpent form God punished him, he was to become Esau’s guardian Angel.