Jophiel

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Jophiel
Sanctus Jophiel.jpg
Sanctus Jophiel, stained-glass window at St Michael's Church, Brighton, England.
Archangel
Venerated inJudaism, Anglicanism
Feast29 September
AttributesFlaming sword
PatronageArt, artists

The angel Jophiel (Heb. יוֹפִיאֵל‎ Yōfīʾēl, "God is my beauty [alternatively: Beauty of God"], "divine beauty"), also called Iophiel, Iofiel, Jofiel, Yofiel, Youfiel, Zophiel (צֹפִיאֵל‎ Ṣōfīʾēl, "spy of God", "watchman of God") and Zuriel (צוּרִיאֵל‎ Ṣūrīʾēl, "my rock is God"), is a non-canonical archangel of wisdom, understanding, and judgment. She is listed as one of the Seven Archangels in Pseudo-Dionysian teachings. Due to the association with beauty, Jophiel is one of very few angels to often be portrayed as female. However, angels have no canonical gender, and are most commonly referred to by male pronouns.

In religious and magical lore[]

According to Robert Means Lawrence,[1] Arthur de Bles, and R.L. Giles, Jophiel was said to be the Angel who cast Adam and Eve out of Paradise[2]

According to the pseudepigraphal Revelation of Moses, another name for Jophiel is Dina. Jophiel/Dina is described as an angel of the seventh heaven, a Cabalistic guardian of the Torah (and wisdom itself), who taught 70 languages to souls at the dawn of creation.[3] The Zohar lists her as a Great Angel Chief in charge of 53 legions who superintend Torah-readings on the Sabbath.[4] Jophiel is said to be a companion to the angel Metatron.[2]

C.E. Clement, in her book Angels in Art, names Jophiel as the teacher of Ham, Japheth, and Shem.[2] Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa[5] and Thomas Rudd likewise name Jophiel as the teacher of Shem.[6]

In Anglican and Episcopal traditions, Jophiel is recognized as an archangel. She is often depicted in iconography holding a flaming sword,[note 1] such as the stained glasses at St Michael's Church in Brighton, in Kirkley,[7] Holy Trinity Church in Coventry[8] and a mural at in Memphis, Tennessee.[9]

Jophiel is an Archangel of the Kabbalah (though some systems put Raziel in her place) and in several listings including that of the early medieval theologian Pseudo-Dionysus.[10] The Calendarium Naturale Magicum Perpetuum lists Jophiel as the angel of the Sephira Chokhmah,[11] as do the Key of Solomon variant "The Veritable Clavicles of Solomon,"[12] and the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses,[13] both latter works derived from the Calendarium.[14] Agrippa attributes Jophiel to Saturn, while Paracelsus assigns her to Jupiter.[2] Rudd attributes the Zodiac to Jophiel[15] along with the Sephira Binah instead of Zaphkiel.[16] Athanasius Kircher names Jophiel as Angelus pulchritudinis, "angel of beauty".[17] According to Robert Ambelain, Jophiel is in charge of the Cherubim, particularly the Shemhamphorasch angels Haziel, Aladiah, Lauviah, Hahaiah, Iezalel, Mehahel, Hariel, and Hakamiah.[18]

In literature[]

Angels of Love and Light describes her as "the Archangel of Paradise and the Patron of Artists and Illumination. She teaches the outer consciousness the Power of Light within oneself. She is also described as "the Yellow Ray of Wisdom, Illumination, and Constancy", and lists her Archeia as Christine also says

She Stirs feelings through Radiation of Illumination and into aspiration for spiritual things. She helps in absorbing information, studying for and passing tests, dissolution of ignorance, pride, and narrow-mindedness, and exposure of wrongdoing in governments and corporations. Jophiel helps in fighting pollution, cleaning up our planet and brings to mankind the gift of Beauty. She also provides inspiration for artistic and intellectual thought providing help with artistic projects and to see the beautiful things around us.

John Milton, in his poem Paradise Lost, mentions that Zophiel is "of cherubim the swiftest wing" (Paradise Lost VI, 535).

Zophiel is the subject of a poem by Maria Gowen Brooks.

Gallery[]

Notes[]

  1. ^ The flaming sword is also generally an attribute of the archangel Uriel, but he is more often depicted in Anglican iconography holding a book (scroll) or a solar disc.

References[]

  1. ^ Lawrence, Robert M. (1898), The Magic of the Horse-Shoe, With Other Folk-Lore Notes, Chapter III: The Number Seven at sacred-texts.com
  2. ^ a b c d Davidson, Gustav (1967), A Dictionary of Angels, Including The Fallen Angels, Entry: Iofiel, Free Press, p. 150, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 66-19757, ISBN 9780029070505
  3. ^ Gaster, Moses (1893), "Hebrew Visions of Hell and Paradise," in the Journal of The Royal Asiatic Society, p. 579, at www.sacred-texts.com
  4. ^ Davidson, Gustav (1967), A Dictionary of Angels, Including The Fallen Angels, Entry: Iofiel, Free Press, p. 320, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 66-19757, ISBN 9780029070505
  5. ^ Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Book III, Part 1, ed. Joseph Peterson, hosted at Twilit Grotto Esoteric Archives.
  6. ^ A Treatise on Angel Magic, by Thomas Rudd, ed. Adam McLean, p.25 & 204, (two editions):
    • Phanes Press, 1990
    • Red Wheel/Weiser, 2006
  7. ^ K, Simon (17 September 2009). "Kempe: Jophiel". flickr.com. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  8. ^ Glass Angel (2011). "Coventry - Holy Trinity Church". flickr.com. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  9. ^ "Christ Triumphant (High Altar)". www.stjohnsmemphis.org. Archived from the original on 23 June 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2018.
  10. ^ Davidson, Gustav (1967), A Dictionary of Angels, Including The Fallen Angels, Appendix, Free Press, p. 338, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 66-19757, ISBN 9780029070505
  11. ^ The Magical Calendar, by Johann Baptist Grossschedel (two editions):
  12. ^ The Veritable Clavicles of Solomon, anonymous, ed. Joseph Peterson, hosted at Twilit Grotto Esoteric Archives
  13. ^ The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses (part 2), anonymous, ed. Joseph Peterson, hosted at Twilit Grotto Esoteric Archives
  14. ^ The Magical Calendar, Peterson edition introduction
  15. ^ Rudd, McLean, pp.100 (2006 ed), p.101 (1990 ed)
  16. ^ Rudd, McLean, p.204 (1990, 2006)
  17. ^ "Cabala Hebraeorum" in Oedipus Aegyptiacus, by Athanasius Kircher, ed. Joseph Peterson, hosted at Twilit Grotto Esoteric Archives
  18. ^ The Complete Magician's Tables, by Stephen Skinner, Golden Hoard Press, 2006, p.41
  19. ^ Furnival, William James (1904). Leadless Decorative Tiles, Faience, and Mosaic, Comprising Notes and Excerpts on the History, Materials, Manufacture & Use of Ornamental Flooring Tiles, Ceramic Mosaic, and Decorative Tiles and Faience. Moscow: Ripol Classic Publishing House. p. 525. ISBN 9781176325630. While on either hand are the archangels: Michael is a glorious figure in armour; Uriel holds the sun; Gabriel bears the lily of the Annunciation; Chemuel, the angel of the Sangreal, stands next her with the sacred cup; and Zophiel, to her left, holds the moon.

Further reading[]

  • Fischer, Lynn (1996), Angels of Love and Light [with original paintings of the Seven Beloved Archangels and Their Archeiai by Marius Michael-George], Transformational Media Publications, South Yarmouth, MA
  • "Jophiel," Pearls of Wisdom, Volume 7 Number 43, 1994, The Summit Lighthouse, Copyright © 1997 Church Universal and Triumphant
  • "Seven Beloved Archangels Speak," 1954, The Bridge to Freedom
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