Azrael

Azrael (æzri'əl; עֲזַרְאֵל, 'God has helped'; عزرائيل) is the angel of death in some Abrahamic religions, namely Islam and Christian popular culture. Relative to similar concepts of such beings, Azrael holds a benevolent role as God's angel of death; he acts as a psychopomp, responsible for transporting the souls of the deceased after their death. In Islam, he is said to hold a scroll concerning the fate of mortals, recording and erasing their names at their birth and death, similar to the role of the Malakh ha-Maveth (Angel of Death) in Judaism. Depending on the perspective and precepts of the various religions in which he is a figure, he may also be portrayed as a resident of the Third Heaven, a division of heaven in Judaism and Islam. In Islam, he is one of the four archangels, and is identified with the Quranic Malak al-Mawt (ملاك الموت), which corresponds with the Hebrew-language term Mal'akh ha-Maweth (מלאך המוות) in Rabbinic literature. In Hebrew, Azrael translates to "Angel of God" or "Help from God". The Hebrew Bible does not mention an angel by the name Azrael, nor does it appear in the rabbinic literature of the Talmuds or Midrashim. No such angel is treated as canonical in traditional rabbinic Judaism. However an angel by a similar name, Azriel (עזריאל), is mentioned in Kabbalistic literature, such as the Zohar. Despite the absence of such a figure in Judaism, the name Azrael is suggestive of a Hebrew theophoric עזראל, meaning "the one whom God helps". Archeological evidence uncovered in Jewish settlements in Mesopotamia confirm that it was indeed at one time used on an Aramaic incantation bowl from the 7th century. However, as the text thereon only lists names, an association of this angelic name with death cannot be identified in Judaism. After the emergence of Islam, the name Azrael became popular among both Christian and Islamic literature and folklore. The name spelled as Ezrā’ël appears in the Ethiopic version of Apocalypse of Peter (dating to the 16th century) as an angel of hell, who avenges those who had been wronged during life.