Jerahmeel (archangel)

Lore & Background

In the book 2 Esdras (4 Ezra), which is canonical in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and appears in the Apocrypha of Protestant Bibles, Jeremiel (Latin: Ieremihel) is referenced in chapter 4 verse 36, though not all manuscripts contain this name; some have Remiel or Uriel. In this passage, the angel answers Ezra's questions about heaven and hell. The Book of Enoch, written around 300 B.C., mentions Remiel as one of the seven holy angels, though the text does not assign him a specific role over resurrection.

Reader's Guide

Jerahmeel's significance lies in his role as a caretaker of the afterlife in pre-Christian and early Christian tradition. In the Apocalypse of Zephaniah, the angel Eremiel declares himself 'the great angel, who is over the abyss and Hades, the one in which all of the souls are imprisoned from the end of the Flood... until this day.' Later Christian theology placed him over Sheol, specifically the 'Bosom of Abraham,' where he placated righteous souls awaiting the Lord. His duty evolved to pair him with St. Simon Peter as gatekeeper of Heaven. In Orthodox Christian tradition, Jeremiel is one of eight archangels, depicted holding balance scales. In Lutheran and Anglican traditions, he is recognized among the archangels named in the intertestamental books of the Protestant Apocrypha.

Did You Know?

• The name Jerahmeel appears in the Tanakh as a human name, but also as an archangel in intertestamental and early Christian writings.
• In 2 Esdras 4:36, the angel is called Jeremiel in some manuscripts, but other versions have Remiel or Uriel.
• The fragmentary Apocalypse of Zephaniah mentions an angel named Eremiel, but the text does not clearly describe him as the angel over the abyss and Hades.
• In some Orthodox iconography, Jeremiel is depicted holding balance scales.