Raziel, (Hebrew: רָזִיאֵל Rāzīʾēl, "God is my Mystery") also known as Gallitsur (Hebrew: גַּלִּיצוּר Gallīṣūr) is an angel within the teachings of Jewish mysticism (of the Kabbalah of Judaism) who is the "Angel of Secrets" and the "Angel of Mysteries”. He is also called "Keeper of All Magic." He is one of the angels associated with the sephirah Chokmah of Kabbalah, alongside Jophiel.
The name of the Angel (or Archangel) Raziel means "secrets of God" and is therefore a most appropriate pseudepigraphical author for a book on magic. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, Raziel's mission is as the "transmitter of secrets." Various spellings of his name include Raziel, Ratziel, Razial, Ratzial, Retziel, Reziel, and Rezial.
According to the text, God sent the angel Raziel to Adam in response to his fervent prayers. Raziel then revealed to Adam profound mysteries concerning:
- The spiritual laws of nature and life on Earth.
- The knowledge of planets, stars, and the laws of creation.
- The power of speech, thought, and the human soul within the physical world.
- The esoteric meanings of the Hebrew alphabet and divine names.
The Angel of Sacred Knowledge and Esoteric Secrets
The angel Raziel can be compared to the Manda d-Hayyi of Mandaeism. Both are described as intermediaries who convey divine knowledge to humans, especially Adam. In Jewish mysticism, Raziel delivers the "Sefer Raziel" or “Book of Raziel” to Adam, containing esoteric secrets about the universe and divine mysteries, while in Mandaism, Manda d-Hayyi instructs Adam about the mysteries of life and creation.
In Mandaeism, after the creation of the material world, Adam Kasia (Adam Kadmon in the Mandaean tradition) asks Abatur (Ancient of Days or Metatron in the Mandaean tradition. The Merkabah text Re' uyot Yehezkel identifies the Ancient of Days as Metatron [3]) what he will do when he goes to Tibil (Earth or Malkuth). Abatur responds that Adam will be helped by Manda d-Hayyi, who instructs humans with sacred knowledge and protects them.
The Book of Raziel
The famous Sefer Raziel HaMalakh "Book of Raziel the Angel" attributed to this figure is said to contain all secret knowledge, and it is considered to be a book of magic. He stands close by God's throne and therefore hears and writes down everything said and discussed.[4] He purportedly gave the book to Adam and Eve after they ate from the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil (that resulted in their expulsion from the Garden of Eden) so the two could find their way back "home" and better understand their God. Raziel's fellow angels were deeply disturbed by this, and thus stole the book from Adam and threw it into the ocean. God did not punish Raziel, but instead retrieved the book through the Rahab and returned it to Adam and Eve.
According to some sources, the book was passed on through the generations to Enoch (In 3 Enoch believed to have later become the angel Metatron), who may have incorporated his writings into the tome. From Enoch, the archangel Raphael gave it to Noah, who used the wisdom within to build Noah's Ark. The Book of Raziel was said to have come into the possession of King Solomon, and some texts claiming to be this volume have appeared.
The legend of the Sepher Raziel, or 'Book of Raziel', states that the book was originally inscribed on a sapphire stone. A copy was given to Seraph, then Metatron, then Adam. It is said that the angels (specifically the Cherubim) were upset that such knowledge was given to Adam, and so they descended to earth to steal the book back from him. This is an interesting echo of the idea that both angels, and their fallen brethren the demons, are unhappy that books of magic, containing formulae that can constrain them, have been made available to man. To ensure that the book would not be found again, the angels tossed it deep into the ocean. However, according to Jewish tradition, God ordered the archangel Raphael (or Rahab, according to some sources) to retrieve it, who then gave it to Noah to protect him during the flood. Eventually, after a number of adventures, it was given to King Solomon by a Babylonian prince