Azazel is one of the fallen angels. For the first time Jews started talking about him. The Book of Enoch says that he was the leader of the giants who rebelled against God. It was Azazel who taught men to fight, and gave women cosmetics and the art of deception. He seduced people, taught them debauchery, and even invented weapons.
Azazel was originally an angel. But then he turned his back on God and, not being afraid of his anger, rebelled against him. He joined the ranks of other fallen angels and began to fight against God. The archangels were ordered to destroy him, but Azazel was very strong. The Archangels could not deal with it.
The angel who lost his wings
God, seeing that this fallen angel could not be destroyed, ordered one of his favorite heroes - Archangel Raphael, to chop off his wings, and then throw the perjurer into Hell. Azazel ended up in Hell, but even there he continued to fight against the "tyranny of God."
This is stated in the Bible, and it describes the scenes of the life and fall of this angel. It also tells about the hunt for him, moreover, in more detail. Of course, it is not a fact that this historical person really existed on our planet, but this myth from somewhere became known to many ancient inhabitants of the Earth.
In addition to the Bible, the name Azazel is mentioned in other sources. In some texts, he is called Nahash or the tempting serpent. In ancient Greek mythology, he is Prometheus, who bestowed fire on people. Among other peoples, he is referred to as Mutu - a god who personifies the underworld.
The name Seth is also known, he is also attributed to this fallen angel. The name is translated from Arabic and Aramaic as "the forgiveness goat" or the demon of the desert. Azazel is capable of seducing a person, leading him along, but this path is false and, as a rule, sinful.
Scapegoat
Judea is a country that really existed in antiquity, and a ritual associated with the name of Azazel was adopted there. It was called the "scapegoat" day. But usually a calf and two goats were sacrificed. One goat was killed as a sacrifice for sins, and the second was sent "into the desert to Azazel."
The animal that went to the fallen angel could even survive, because where Hell was, none of the people knew. The goat was taken out into the desert and thrown there. The animal could return to its former owners, and they, as a rule, were silent about it.
Those animals that were killed for the forgiveness of sins were burned. But not only the goats were sacrificed, but they could also kill a ram, a goat, a dove or a turtledove in the name of Azazel. A small portion of the flour and grain was also burned. This rite, by the way, was adopted by the inhabitants of Ancient Egypt, as well as the inhabitants of Ancient Asia. The ceremony was not very aesthetic and was abandoned during the Middle Ages.
Some sources say that Azazel is the one who "must be sent away." Other manuscripts say that this was the name of the rock from where the sacrificial goat was thrown into the abyss. In the books of the Torah, it is reported that this word is also called the "sub-variants" of spiritual forces. These powers are used by God to punish people for their crimes.
Of course, the image of Azazel was also used in literature. Let us recall, for example, Mikhail Bulgakov's Azazello in the novel The Master and Margarita, the novel Azazel by Boris Akunin. Also Azazel is found in the American subculture, namely in comics, in the X-Men films. This character is found among the Japanese, the British and other peoples.
