Angelic beings are ubiquitous in ancient Jewish texts. This paper will explore the various ways in which angels function in Jewish antiquity: mediating the divine, building bridges between the heavenly and the earthly realm as divine messengers, as human protectors, as guides on journeys and as facilitators of efficacious prayer. They are named in a variety of ways and are depicted in texts and in images throughout the ancient Israelite and Jewish worlds. It is through angels that aspiration towards perfection is articulated and it is often these very same angels that function as keys to unlock revealed and holy texts which are said to be impenetrable in their absence.

This seminar Series is part of the GIF project “Visitors from Heaven, Visitors to Heaven – Judeo-Christian Encounters and the Last Lingua Sacra of Europe”