In
Mandaeism
Mandaeism (Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀࡉࡉࡀ ; Arabic: المندائيّة ), sometimes also known as Nasoraeanism or Sabianism, is a Gnostic, monotheistic and ethnic religion. Its adherents, the Mandaeans, revere Adam, Abel, S ...
, Ṣaureil, also spelled Ṣauriel or Ṣaurʿil ( myz, ࡑࡀࡅࡓࡏࡉࡋ), is the angel of death. Ṣaureil features prominently in Book 1 of the ''
Left Ginza
The Left Ginza is one of the two parts of the Ginza Rabba, the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The other part of the Ginza Rabba is the Right Ginza.
Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl (200 ...
'' as the angel who announces the message of death to
Adam
Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...
and
Seth
Seth,; el, Σήθ ''Sḗth''; ; "placed", "appointed") in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mandaeism, and Sethianism, was the third son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel, their only other child mentioned by name in the Hebrew Bible. A ...
(Sheetil).
Ṣaureil is also an
epithet
An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...
for the Moon (
Sen).
In the ''Ginza Rabba''
He is also known as Ṣaureil Qmamir Ziwa ( myz, ࡑࡀࡅࡓࡏࡉࡋ ࡒࡌࡀࡌࡉࡓ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ; or Qamamir-Ziwa
) in Book 1 of the ''Left Ginza''. According to the ''Left Ginza'', he is called "Death" in the world, but as
Kushta ("Truth") to those who know of Ṣaureil's true heavenly nature.
See also
*
Abaddon
The Hebrew term Abaddon ( he, אֲבַדּוֹן ''’Ăḇaddōn'', meaning "destruction", "doom"), and its Greek equivalent Apollyon ( grc-koi, Ἀπολλύων, ''Apollúōn'' meaning "Destroyer") appear in the Bible as both a place of de ...
, also called ''Apollyon'', a destroying angel in the Book of Revelation
*
Azrael
Azrael (; , 'God has helped'; ) is the angel of death in some Abrahamic religions, namely Islam, Christian popular culture and some traditions of Judaism. He is also referenced in Sikhism.
Relative to similar concepts of such beings, Azrael ...
, also known as Malak al-Maut, in Islam
*
Destroying angel (Bible)
In the Hebrew Bible, the destroying angel (, ''malʾāḵ hamašḥīṯ''), also known as mashḥit ( ''mašḥīṯ'', 'destroyer'; plural: , ''mašḥīṯīm'', 'spoilers, ravagers'), is an entity sent out by YHWH on several occasions to kill ...
, or angel of death
*
Gabriel
In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብር ...
, angel of death over kings
*
Michael (archangel)
Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...
, good angel of death
*
Mot (god)
Mot ( phn, 𐤌𐤕 ''mūt'', he, מות ''māweṯ'', ar, موت ''mawt'') was the ancient Canaanite god of death and the Underworld. He was worshipped by the people of Ugarit, and by the Phoenicians. The main source of information about his ...
, an angel of death from the Hebraic Book of Habakkuk
*
Nasirdin and
Sejadin, angels of death in Yazidism
*
Psychopomp
Psychopomps (from the Greek word , , literally meaning the 'guide of souls') are supernatural creatures, spirits, entities, angels, demons or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afte ...
, a creature, spirit, angel, or deity in many religions, responsible for escorting souls to the afterlife
*
Samael
Samael ( he, סַמָּאֵל, ''Sammāʾēl'', "Venom/Poison of God"; ar, سمسمائيل, ''Samsama'il'' or ar, سمائل, label=none, ''Samail''; alternatively Smal, Smil, Samil, or Samiel) is an archangel in Talmudic and post-Talmudic ...
, an important archangel in Talmudic and post-Talmudic lore
*
Santa Muerte
''Nuestra Señora de la Santa Muerte'' (; Spanish for Our Lady of Holy Death), often shortened to Santa Muerte, is a cult image, female deity, and folk saint in folk Catholicism and Mexican Neopaganism. A personification of death, she is associa ...
, a sacred figure venerated primarily in Mexico
*
Shinigami
() are kami (spirits) that invite humans toward death, according to Japanese religion and culture. have been described as monsters, helpers, and creatures of darkness. are used for tales and religions in Japanese culture.
Japanese religion
I ...
, god or spirit of death in Japanese mythology
*
Yama
Yama (Devanagari: यम) or Yamarāja (यमराज), is a deity of death, dharma, the south direction, and the underworld who predominantly features in Hindu and Buddhist religion, belonging to an early stratum of Rigvedic Hindu deities ...
, lord of death, in early Rigvedic Hinduism
References
Individual angels
Uthras
Psychopomps
Angels of death
Personifications in Mandaeism
{{Mandaeism-stub