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119-518: In the Hebrew Bible , the word 'מַלְאָךְ' ( malʾāk̠ ) means messenger or representative; either human or supernatural in nature. When used in the latter sense it is translated as " angel ". The original mal'akh lacked both individuality and hierarchy, but after the Babylonian exile they were graded into a Babylonian-style hierarchy and the word archangelos , archangel , first appears in

238-562: A group—if it existed—was only a small minority in early Israel, even though their story came to be claimed by all." Scholars believe Psalm 45 could have northern origins since it refers to a king marrying a foreign princess, a policy of the Omrides . Some psalms may have originated from the shrine in the northern city of Dan. These are the Sons of Korah psalms, Psalm 29 , and Psalm 68 . The city of Dan probably became an Israelite city during

357-484: A human. In the text he acts as a physician and expels demons, using an extraordinary fish to bind the demon Asmodeus and to heal Tobit's eyes, while in 1 Enoch he is "set over all disease and every wound of the children of the people", and binds the armies of Azazel and throws them into the valley of fire. According to the Babylonian Talmud , Raphael ( Hebrew : רְפָאֵל Rəfāʾēl , Tiberian : Răp̄āʾēl )

476-516: A question introduced with the words Yelammedenu rabbenu "May our teacher instruct us", and of a reply beginning with the phrase "Kak shanu rabbotenu" (Thus have our teachers instructed us); the replies are always taken from either a mishnah or a baraita . Many of the homilies close with words of hope and encouragement regarding the future of the Jews ; but several of them are abbreviated and not entirely completed, this curtailment being apologized for in

595-406: A quote from Ahai of Shabha 's She'iltot (8th century). This passage says that two amoraim differed in their interpretations of the words "and they looked after Moses , until he was gone into the tabernacle " One amora interpreted the words in a complimentary sense while the other held that the people looked after Moses and made unfavorable remarks about him. The favorable interpretation

714-778: A range of sources. These include the Septuagint, the Syriac language Peshitta translation, the Samaritan Pentateuch , the Dead Sea Scrolls collection, the Targum Onkelos , and quotations from rabbinic manuscripts . These sources may be older than the Masoretic Text in some cases and often differ from it. These differences have given rise to the theory that yet another text, an Urtext of

833-592: A rejection of God's kingship; nevertheless, God permits it, and Saul of the tribe of Benjamin is anointed king. This inaugurates the united monarchy of the Kingdom of Israel . An officer in Saul's army named David achieves great militarily success. Saul tries to kill him out of jealousy, but David successfully escapes (1 Samuel 16–29). After Saul dies fighting the Philistines ( 1 Samuel 31 ; 2 Chronicles 10 ),

952-578: A significant portion of the Tanhuma material can be dated as pre-Islamic. More recently, Marc Bregman posited that the shared material between the printed and Buber recensions originates from the sixth or seventh century in Palestine (which is also where Buber placed its location of origins). The Buber recension then originates from northern Italy in the time of the Lombards between 559 and 774. Finally,

1071-495: A single figure is often depicted holding a staff. He is also often depicted holding or standing on a fish, which alludes to his healing of Tobit with the fish's gall. Early mosaics often show him and the other archangels in the clothing of a Byzantine courtier. The feast day of Raphael was included for the first time in the General Roman Calendar in 1921, for celebration on October 24. With the 1969 revision of

1190-411: A single mission since they were both acts that saved people." The Life of Adam and Eve lists him with the archangels Michael, Gabriel, Uriel , and Joel, and the medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides included his name in his Jewish angelic hierarchy . In Midrash Konen , it is revealed that Raphael was originally once named Libbiel ( Hebrew : לִבִּיאֵל Lībbīʾēl; Meaning: "God is my heart"). In

1309-577: A special two-column form emphasizing the parallel stichs in the verses, which are a function of their poetry . Collectively, these three books are known as Sifrei Emet (an acronym of the titles in Hebrew, איוב, משלי, תהלים yields Emet אמ"ת , which is also the Hebrew for " truth "). These three books are also the only ones in Tanakh with a special system of cantillation notes that are designed to emphasize parallel stichs within verses. However,

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1428-605: Is advisable for us to yield to His wishes." Thus warned, the Angels spoke: "Lord of the world, it is well that Thou hast thought of creating man. Do Thou create him according to Thy will. And as for us, we will be his attendants and his ministers, and reveal unto him all our secrets." Thereupon God changed the Archangel Libbiel's name to Raphael, the Rescuer, because his Host of Angels had been rescued by his sage advice. He

1547-547: Is also referred to in Rebbe Nachman of Breslov 's (1772–1810) Likutei Etzot. In this work, he refers to the invocation of the Four Archangels as " binding the chariot ". The New Testament names only two archangels, Michael and Gabriel (Luke 1:9–26; Jude 1:9; Revelation 12:7), but Raphael, because of his association with healing, became identified with the unnamed angel of John 5:1–4 who periodically stirred

1666-622: Is assigned by God to re-warn Adam concerning the sin of eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil . He also expounds to Adam the War in Heaven in which Lucifer and the demons fell, and the creation of the Earth . In the Japanese light novel series Date A Live , Raphael is a spiritual weapon (referred to as angels within the series), belonging to Kaguya Yamai and Yuzuru Yamai. Raphael takes

1785-519: Is brought up as being one of Tobias Hankel's personalities. In the Yogscast YouTube series Shadow of Israphel , the main antagonist and titular character derives his namesake from that of St. Raphael. Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh ( / t ɑː ˈ n ɑː x / ; Hebrew : תַּנַ״ךְ ‎ Tanaḵ ), also known in Hebrew as Miqra ( / m iː ˈ k r ɑː / ; Hebrew : מִקְרָא ‎ Mīqrāʾ ‍ ),

1904-622: Is called Nuriel. In the same context, the Sefer HaBahir calls Raphael the "Prince of Peace" ( Hebrew : שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם Śar Šālōm ). The text states that his reconciliation between Michael, the prince to God's right, and Gabriel, the prince to God's left is the meaning of the verse, "He imposes peace in His heights" (Job 25:2). With Raphael being the Archangel of Air that establishes peace between Fire and Water. In kabbalistic astrology , Raphael

2023-733: Is consistently presented throughout the [Hebrew Scriptures] as the God who created the world, and as the only God with whom Israel is to be concerned". This special relationship between God and Israel is described in terms of covenant . As part of the covenant, God gives his people the Promised Land as an eternal possession. The God of the covenant is also a God of redemption . God liberates his people from Egypt and continually intervenes to save them from their enemies. The Tanakh imposes ethical requirements , including social justice and ritual purity (see Tumah and taharah ) . The Tanakh forbids

2142-563: Is credited as the author of at least 73 of the Biblical Psalms . His son, Solomon , is identified as the author of Book of Proverbs , Ecclesiastes , and Song of Solomon . The Hebrew Bible describes their reigns as a golden age when Israel flourished both culturally and militarily. However, there is no archeological evidence for this, and it is most likely a "retrospective extrapolation" of conditions under King Jeroboam II ( r.  781–742 BCE). Modern scholars believe that

2261-630: Is given in the Talmud; the adverse opinion is referred to with the words "ki de-ita" (”as it is said”). Inasmuch as the adverse view is given in the Tanḥuma Pequḏe , it is probable that the words ki de-ita in the Talmud have reference to the former work, or that the reference originally read ki de-ita be-Tanḥuma ("as it is said in the Tanḥuma"). The homilies contained in Midrash Tanḥuma B begin with

2380-556: Is highly likely that extensive oral transmission of proverbs, stories, and songs took place during this period", and these may have been included in the Hebrew Bible. Elements of Genesis 12–50, which describes the patriarchal age , and the Book of Exodus may reflect oral traditions . In these stories, Israelite ancestors such as Jacob and Moses use trickery and deception to survive and thrive. King David ( c.  1000 BCE )

2499-409: Is lost and largely known through later quotations. Only a few authorities, like Hai ben Sherira and Zedekiah ben Abraham Anaw , know it under the name "Tanhuma". This confusion may be because the standard version included a significant portion of this text into it. Several rabbinic authorities have also referred to it by the name "Aruk". [REDACTED]  This article incorporates text from

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2618-524: Is mentioned in the Midrash Koheleth 12:12: Whoever brings together in his house more than twenty four books brings confusion . The original writing system of the Hebrew text was an abjad : consonants written with some applied vowel letters ( " matres lectionis " ). During the early Middle Ages , scholars known as the Masoretes created a single formalized system of vocalization . This

2737-571: Is most commonly associated with the Sun (alongside Michael) and the planet Mercury . The Zohar also associates him with the image of man in the tetramorph of the four holy living creatures of the Prophet Ezekiel 's vision, alongside the zodiac sign of Aquarius , and in relation to the image of man; the Sephirah of Malkhuth (Kingdom) and the Earth . As well as Tiphereth and Malkhuth,

2856-557: Is not specifically written in the Quran , although there is mention of an unnamed trumpet-angel assumed to identify this figure: And the trumpet shall be blown, so all those that are in the heavens and all those that are in the earth shall swoon, except him whom Allah will; then it shall be blown again, then they shall stand up awaiting. Certain Islamic sources indicate that, created at the beginning of time, Israfil possesses four wings, and

2975-413: Is roughly 2000. The Tanakh consists of twenty-four books, counting as one book each 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel , 1 Kings and 2 Kings , 1 Chronicles and 2 Chronicles , and Ezra–Nehemiah . The Twelve Minor Prophets ( תרי עשר ) are also counted as a single book. In Hebrew, the books are often referred to by their prominent first words . The Torah ( תּוֹרָה , literally "teaching") is also known as

3094-661: Is roughly chronological (assuming traditional authorship). In Tiberian Masoretic codices (including the Aleppo Codex and the Leningrad Codex ), and often in old Spanish manuscripts as well, the order is Chronicles, Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ruth, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, Esther, Daniel, Ezra. This order is more thematic (e.g. the megillot are listed together). Tanhuma Midrash Tanhuma ( Hebrew : מִדְרָשׁ תַּנְחוּמָא , romanized :  miḏraš tanḥumā ), also known as Yelammedenu ,

3213-490: Is said to correspond to the Sephirah of Tiphereth (Beauty). He is said to act as an intermediate conduct between Chesed (Kindness) corresponding to Michael , and Din (Judgement) corresponding to Gabriel . Uriel (alternatively named Nuriel ) is also said to act as an intermediate conduct alongside Raphael. It is further explained that when he inclines toward Chesed he is called Uriel, but when he inclines toward Din he

3332-525: Is said to have met Dhu al-Qarnayn who is mentioned in the last part of Surah 18 of the Quran, al-Kahf ("The Cave"). Dhu al-Qarnayn (The Two Horned One) is believed by some to be Alexander The Great . The angel told Dhu al-Qarnayn about the Water of Life (Ayn al-Hayat). Hearing that there was such a spring, Dhu al-Qarnayn wanted to drink the Water of Life, but the only one who had succeeded in drinking it

3451-519: Is so tall as to be able to reach from the earth to the pillars of heaven . A beautiful angel who is a master of music, Israfil sings praises to God in a thousand different languages, the breath of which is used to inject life into hosts of angels who add to the songs themselves. Further he is probably the highest angel, since he also mediates between God and the other archangels, reading on the Preserved Tablet ( al-lawh al-mahfooz ) to transmit

3570-733: Is the canonical collection of Hebrew scriptures, comprising the Torah , the Nevi'im , and the Ketuvim . Different branches of Judaism and Samaritanism have maintained different versions of the canon, including the 3rd-century BCE Septuagint text used in Second Temple Judaism , the Syriac Peshitta , the Samaritan Pentateuch , the Dead Sea Scrolls , and most recently the 10th-century medieval Masoretic Text compiled by

3689-588: Is the collection published by Salomon Buber , who gathered the material from several manuscripts. Buber claimed that this collection, consisting of homilies on and aggadic interpretations of the weekly sections of the Torah, was the oldest of the three, perhaps even the oldest compilation of its kind arranged as a running commentary on the Pentateuch , and he identified several passages which he saw as being quoted by Genesis Rabbah . Buber postulated that this midrash

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3808-455: Is the name given to a homiletic midrash on the entire Torah , and it is known in several different versions or collections. Tanhuma bar Abba is not the author of the text but instead is a figure to whom traditions are frequently attributed to (indicated by the formula "Thus began R. Tanḥuma" or "Thus preached R. Tanḥuma"), though he may have preserved a collection of midrashim used by other midrash editors. The name Yelammedenu derives from

3927-549: The Book of Tobit , from the early 2nd century BCE. In the oldest stratum of 1 Enoch (1 Enoch 9:1) he is one of the four named archangels, and in Tobit 12:11–15 he is one of seven . His name derives from the Hebrew root רפא ( r-p-ʾ ) meaning "to heal", and can be translated as "God has healed". In Tobit he goes by the name Azariah ( Hebrew : עֲזַרְיָה/עֲזַרְיָהוּ ʿĂzaryāh/ʿĂzaryāhū, " Yah/Yahu has helped") while disguising himself as

4046-490: The Book of Tobit , showing him walking with Tobias and his dog through a landscape. The subject became very popular in Italy from about 1450 for a century, as devotion to Raphael increased, at least partly though confraternities dedicated to him. In altarpieces and the like, Tobias, his fish and his dog may be used as identifying attributes of Raphael. Raphael is said to guard pilgrims on their journeys, and when depicted as

4165-825: The Diocese of Warsaw-Praga he is commemorated on 3 October (with Michael and Gabriel ); the feast was transferred from 29 September ( Dedication of St. Florian's Cathedral ). The archangel Raphael is commemorated by the Eastern Orthodox Church on 8 November in the Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers. In the Oriental Orthodox Churches dedication of church of Saint Raphael on

4284-490: The General Roman Calendar , the feast was transferred to September 29 for celebration together with archangels Saints Michael and Gabriel. Pope Benedict XVI 's Summorum Pontificum permitted, within certain limits for public use, the General Roman Calendar of 1960 , which has October 24 as Raphael's feast day. He is commemorated in some Spanish dioceses on the old date and with a procession on 7 May in Cordoba, Spain. In

4403-769: The Masoretes added vowel markings to the text to ensure accuracy. Rabbi and Talmudic scholar Louis Ginzberg wrote in Legends of the Jews , published in 1909, that the twenty-four book canon was fixed by Ezra and the scribes in the Second Temple period . According to the Talmud , much of the Tanakh was compiled by the men of the Great Assembly ( Anshei K'nesset HaGedolah ), a task completed in 450  BCE, and it has remained unchanged ever since. The 24-book canon

4522-602: The Masoretes , currently used in Rabbinic Judaism . The terms "Hebrew Bible" or "Hebrew Canon" are frequently confused with the Masoretic Text; however, this is a medieval version and one of several texts considered authoritative by different types of Judaism throughout history . The current edition of the Masoretic Text is mostly in Biblical Hebrew , with a few passages in Biblical Aramaic (in

4641-823: The Masoretic Text , compiled by the Jewish scribes and scholars of the Early Middle Ages , comprises the Hebrew and Aramaic 24 books that they considered authoritative. The Hellenized Greek-speaking Jews of Alexandria produced a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible called "the Septuagint ", that included books later identified as the Apocrypha , while the Samaritans produced their own edition of

4760-586: The Midrash Rabbot , Pesiḳta de-Rab Kahana , Pesikta Rabbati , and in the midrashim to Book of Samuel , Proverbs , and Psalms , which all quote passages from it. The Geonim also and the older rabbinical authorities made use of it, and cited halakhic as well as aggadic sentences from it. The first to refer to this midrash by the name of "Tanḥuma", however, was Rashi , who mentions it in several passages of his commentary, and quotes from it. Most of Rashi's quotations are taken from Tanḥuma B. This version

4879-488: The Vayakhel and Pekudei sections, which contain homilies not embodied in the lost work. For the portions to the books of Leviticus , Numbers , and Deuteronomy the redactor of this midrash has made extensive use of the material that he found in the standard version, which he has revised and supplied with numerous additions. The first authority to cite this midrash was Rashi . Because the third midrash contains much of

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4998-542: The patriarchs : Abraham , his son Isaac , and grandson Jacob . God promises Abraham and his descendants blessing and land. The covenant God makes with Abraham is signified by male circumcision . The children of Jacob become the ancestors of the twelve tribes of Israel . Jacob's son Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, but he becomes a powerful man in Egypt. During a famine, Jacob and his family settle in Egypt. Jacob's descendants lived in Egypt for 430 years. After

5117-455: The pool of Bethesda "[a]nd he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water was made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under". The Catholic Church accordingly links Raphael with Michael and Gabriel as saints whose intercession can be sought through prayer. Due to his actions in the Book of Tobit and the Gospel of John, Raphael is considered a protector and healer, and so

5236-412: The "Pentateuch", or as the "Five Books of Moses". Printed versions (rather than scrolls) of the Torah are often called Chamisha Chumshei Torah ( חמישה חומשי תורה "Five fifth-sections of the Torah") and informally as Chumash . Nevi'im ( נְבִיאִים Nəḇīʾīm , "Prophets") is the second main division of the Tanakh, between the Torah and Ketuvim . This division includes the books which cover

5355-584: The 5th century BCE. This is suggested by Ezra 7 :6, which describes Ezra as "a scribe skilled in the law ( torah ) of Moses that the Lord the God of Israel had given". The Nevi'im had gained canonical status by the 2nd century BCE. There are references to the "Law and the Prophets" in the Book of Sirach , the Dead Sea Scrolls , and the New Testament . The Book of Daniel, written c.  164 BCE ,

5474-476: The Angel of Truth down from Heaven to Earth, and when the others cried out against the treatment of their companion, He said, "Truth will spring back out of the earth." Before their objections, God had only told the Angels of the good there would be among Humans, but not of the evil too. Despite not knowing the whole truth, the Angels were nevertheless prompted to cry out: "What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And

5593-591: The Buber recension as well as a third now-lost version of Tanhuma. Its homilies on Genesis are original, although they contain several revised passages from the standard version as well as from the Yelammedenu, the Babylonian Talmud being largely drawn upon for additional interpretations and expositions. The part referring to Exodus is borrowed almost entirely from the Yelammedenu, with the exception of

5712-465: The Buber recension, published by Salomon Buber in 1885 based on the manuscript MS Oxford Neubauer 154 for the base text as well as four other Oxford manuscripts. One study collects the following list of recensions: Previously, it was thought that the Tanhuma may be as late as the High Middle Ages and many favored a 10th-century date. However, no extensive research had then been done on

5831-429: The Exodus , the Israelites wander in the wilderness for 40 years. God gives the Israelites the Law of Moses to guide their behavior. The law includes rules for both religious ritual and ethics (see Ethics in the Bible ) . This moral code requires justice and care for the poor, widows, and orphans. The biblical story affirms God's unconditional love for his people, but he still punishes them when they fail to live by

5950-508: The Five Wounds , is also said to have seen apparitions of Raphael. Raphael ( Arabic : إسرافيل , romanized :  ʾIsrāfīl , alternate spellings: Israfel , Esrafil ) is a venerated archangel according to Islamic tradition. In Islamic eschatology , Israfil will blow the trumpet from a holy rock in Jerusalem to announce the Day of Judgment ( Yawm al-Qiyāmah ). The trumpet is constantly poised at his lips, ready to be blown when God so orders. The name "Israfil" (or "Israfel", "Esrafil")

6069-407: The Greek text of 1 Enoch. At the same time the angels and archangels began to be given names, as attested in the Talmudic statement that "the names of the angels were brought by the Jews from Babylonia", attributed to Shimon ben Lakish or Rabbi Hanina respectively. Raphael first appears in two works of this period, 1 Enoch, a collection of originally independent texts from the 3rd century BCE, and

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6188-399: The Healing Arts, commanding him to heal the eyes of R. Matthew bar Heresh. When Raphael goes to R. Matthew and reveals his identity and mission, the Rabbi states that he does not wish to be healed. Raphael then returns to God informing Him of this. Upon hearing this God commands Raphael to tell the Rabbi not to fear, for his evil inclination will not prevail. When he heard this from the mouth of

6307-427: The Hebrew Bible resulting from centuries of hand-copying. Scribes introduced thousands of minor changes to the biblical texts. Sometimes, these changes were by accident. At other times, scribes intentionally added clarifications or theological material. In the Middle Ages, Jewish scribes produced the Masoretic Text , which became the authoritative version of the Tanakh. Ancient Hebrew was written without vowels, but

6426-410: The Hebrew Bible were composed and edited in stages over several hundred years. According to biblical scholar John J. Collins , "It now seems clear that all the Hebrew Bible received its final shape in the postexilic, or Second Temple, period." Traditionally, Moses was considered the author of the Torah, and this part of the Tanakh achieved authoritative or canonical status first, possibly as early as

6545-406: The Hebrew Bible, but the books are arranged in different orders. The Catholic , Eastern Orthodox , Oriental Orthodox , and Assyrian churches include the Deuterocanonical books , which are not included in certain versions of the Hebrew Bible. In Islam , the Tawrat ( Arabic : توراة ) is identified not only with the Pentateuch (the five books of Moses ), but also with the other books of

6664-404: The Hebrew Bible, once existed and is the source of the versions extant today. However, such an Urtext has never been found, and which of the three commonly known versions (Septuagint, Masoretic Text, Samaritan Pentateuch) is closest to the Urtext is debated. There are many similarities between the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament . The Protestant Old Testament has the same books as

6783-421: The Hebrew Bible. Tanakh is an acronym , made from the first Hebrew letter of each of the Masoretic Text 's three traditional divisions: Torah (literally 'Instruction' or 'Law'), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings)—hence TaNaKh. The three-part division reflected in the acronym Tanakh is well attested in the rabbinic literature . During that period, however, Tanakh was not used. Instead,

6902-671: The Hebrew canon, but modern scholars believe there was no such authoritative council of rabbis. Between 70 and 100 CE, rabbis debated whether certain books "make the hands unclean" (meaning the books are holy and should be considered scripture), and references to fixed numbers of canonical books appear. There were several criteria for inclusion. Books had to be older than the 4th century BCE or attributed to an author who had lived before that period. The original language had to be Hebrew, and books had to be widely used. Many books considered scripture by certain Jewish communities were excluded during this time. There are various textual variants in

7021-507: The Hebrew phrase yelammedenu rabbenu , which initiates a typical textual unit in the text. The earliest manuscript may be from the late 8th or 9th century. The most significant publication on the text so far was an edited volume of studies by Nikolsky and Atzmon from 2022. There are many different recensions of Midrash Tanhuma, although the main ones are the standard printed edition, first published in Constantinople in 1520/1522 (and then again in Venice in 1545 and Mantua in 1563), and

7140-477: The Jacob cycle must be older than the time of King Josiah of Judah ( r.  640 – 609 BCE ), who pushed for the centralization of worship at Jerusalem. The story of Moses and the Exodus appears to also originate in the north. It existed as a self-contained story in its oral and earliest written forms, but it was connected to the patriarchal stories during the exile or post-exile periods. The account of Moses's birth ( Exodus 2 ) shows similarities to

7259-466: The Midrash, God takes council with His Angels before he creates Adam the first Man. The Angels were not all of one opinion however, with differing views and reasons. The Angel of Love and Angel of Justice both favoured Man's creation as he would be affectionate and loving, alongside practicing Justice. The Angel of Truth and the Angel of Peace opposed his creation however, as he would be full of lies and be quarrelsome. To invalidate his protest, God cast

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7378-525: The Philippines; also San Rafael de El Moján and San Rafael de Orituco in Venezuela. More recent examples include: Elsewhere: The Arcangelo Raffaello youth confraternity functioned in Florence, Italy from its founding in 1411 to its suppression in 1785. St. John of God Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois, was disassembled, moved and reassembled as St. Raphael the Archangel Church in Mill Creek, Illinois. Raphael, along with many other prominent angels, appears in John Milton 's Paradise Lost , in which he

7497-406: The Talmudic tradition ascribes late authorship to all of them; two of them (Daniel and Ezra) are the only books in Tanakh with significant portions in Aramaic . The Jewish textual tradition never finalized the order of the books in Ketuvim. The Talmud gives their order as Ruth, Psalms, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Daniel, Scroll of Esther, Ezra, Chronicles. This order

7616-499: The Tanakh is monotheism , worshiping one God . The Tanakh was created by the Israelites , a people who lived within the cultural and religious context of the ancient Near East . The religions of the ancient Near East were polytheistic , but the Israelites rejected polytheism in favor of monotheism. Biblical scholar Christine Hayes writes that the Hebrew Bible was "the record of [the Israelites'] religious and cultural revolution". According to biblical scholar John Barton , " YHWH

7735-571: The Tanakh, such as Exodus 15, 1 Samuel 2, and Jonah 2. Books such as Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are examples of wisdom literature . Other books are examples of prophecy . In the prophetic books, a prophet denounces evil or predicts what God will do in the future. A prophet might also describe and interpret visions. The Book of Daniel is the only book in the Tanakh usually described as apocalyptic literature . However, other books or parts of books have been called proto-apocalyptic, such as Isaiah 24–27, Joel, and Zechariah 9–14. A central theme throughout

7854-466: The Torah to Moses . In later Biblical texts, such as Daniel 9:11 and Ezra 3:2, it is referred to as the " Torah (Law) of Moses ". However, the Torah itself credits Moses with writing only some specific sections. According to scholars , Moses would have lived in the 2nd millennium BCE , but this was before the development of Hebrew writing. The Torah is dated to the 1st millennium BCE after Israel and Judah had already developed as states. Nevertheless, "it

7973-410: The Torah, the Samaritan Pentateuch . According to the Dutch–Israeli biblical scholar and linguist Emanuel Tov , professor of Bible Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem , both of these ancient editions of the Hebrew Bible differ significantly from the medieval Masoretic Text. In addition to the Masoretic Text, modern biblical scholars seeking to understand the history of the Hebrew Bible use

8092-427: The Zohar also has Raphael corresponding to the Sephirah of Hod (Majesty), the Euphrates river ( Hebrew : פְרָת Pərāt , Tiberian : Părāṯ; the fourth river of Eden in Genesis ) the left leg of the body, and the Israelite Tribe of Ephraim . The text states: "The fourth (river) is Hod (Majesty), the "left leg" (referred to in what was said of Jacob , that "he halted on his left thigh"), and from it shall drink

8211-477: The ancient Israelites mostly originated from within Canaan. Their material culture was closely related to their Canaanite neighbors, and Hebrew was a Canaanite dialect . Archaeological evidence indicates Israel began as loosely organized tribal villages in the hill country of modern-day Israel c.  1250  – c.  1000 BCE . During crises, these tribes formed temporary alliances. The Book of Judges , written c.  600 BCE (around 500 years after

8330-527: The angel, he accepted his healing and was not afraid. In Rabbeinu Bahya, a commentary on the Torah written by Rabbi Bahya ben Asher (1255–1340), the Camp of Ephraim , situated to the west of the Tabernacle (Numbers 2:18), corresponded to the celestial camp headed by the archangel Raphael supported by the angels Zavdiel and Achziel. It is also said that this was the camp that Moses alluded to when he prayed that Miriam be healed from her tzaraath by saying "please God heal her" (Numbers 12:13). He appealed to

8449-413: The aphorisms and proverbs may be cited here: "One may not give an honest man an opportunity to steal, much less a thief". "The office seeks those that would escape it". "If you yield not to wickedness, it will not follow you nor dwell by you". "Do the wicked no good, in order that thou reap not that which is evil". This Tanḥuma midrash has been referred to in many other midrashim , as, for example, all

8568-619: The attribute represented by Raphael. It is said in Kav HaYashar by Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Kaidanover (1648–1712), that when the angels appointed to bring infirmity and sickness upon people behold the angel Raphael, they take fright and flee. Then Raphael extends healing to the invalid. In the Beginning of Wisdom, an introduction to kabbalistic thought composed by Rabbi Aharon Meir Altshuler (1835–1905) in Warsaw between 1887–1893; Raphael

8687-576: The back of a whale is commemorated on 26 August (3 Pagumen ). The Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates Raphael's feast on Kouji Nabot 3 and Koiak 13. In the Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate Saint Raphael the Archangel is commemorated on 24 October. The Archangel Raphael is said to have appeared in Cordoba , Spain, during the 16th century; in response to the city's appeal, Pope Innocent X allowed

8806-472: The band under the Archangel Michael, and asked their opinion on the creation of man, they answered scornfully: "What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that Thou visitest him?" God thereupon stretched forth His little finger, and all were consumed by fire except their Chief Michael. And the same fate befell the band under the leadership of the Archangel Gabriel; he alone of all

8925-452: The beginning and end of the book of Job are in the normal prose system. The five relatively short books of the Song of Songs , Ruth , Lamentations , Ecclesiastes , and Esther are collectively known as the Ḥamesh Megillot (Five Megillot). In many Jewish communities, these books are read aloud in the synagogue on particular occasions, the occasion listed below in parentheses. Besides

9044-617: The birth of Sargon of Akkad , which suggests Neo-Assyrian influence sometime after 722 BCE. While the Moses story is set in Egypt, it is used to tell both an anti-Assyrian and anti-imperial message, all while appropriating Assyrian story patterns. David M. Carr notes the possibility of an early oral tradition for the Exodus story: "To be sure, there may have been a 'Moses group,' themselves of Canaanite extraction, who experienced slavery and liberation from Egypt, but most scholars believe that such

9163-484: The books of Daniel and Ezra ), written and printed in Aramaic square-script , which was adopted as the Hebrew alphabet after the Babylonian exile . The Tanakh includes a variety of genres, including narratives of events set in the past. The Torah ( Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy ) contains legal material. The Book of Psalms is a collection of hymns, but songs are included elsewhere in

9282-474: The books of Daniel and Ezra , and the verse Jeremiah 10:11 ). The authoritative form of the modern Hebrew Bible used in Rabbinic Judaism is the Masoretic Text (7th to 10th century CE), which consists of 24 books, divided into chapters and pesuqim (verses). The Hebrew Bible developed during the Second Temple Period , as the Jews decided which religious texts were of divine origin;

9401-588: The camp of Raphael, whose mission is to heal the ills of the captivity, and with it the tribe of Ephraim and his two accompanying tribes ( Manasseh and Benjamin )." It is also customary in Judaism to invoke Raphael as one of the Four Archangels after one recites the Shema before going to bed; with Michael by your right side, Gabriel by your left side, Uriel before you, and Raphael behind you. This practice

9520-518: The commands of God. Although disputed, some reports assert he visited Muhammad prior to the archangel Gabriel. According to Sufi traditions reported by Imam Rafa'il, the Ghawth or Qutb ('perfect human being'), is someone who has a heart that resembles that of the archangel Israfil, signifying the loftiness of this angel. The next in rank are the saints who are known as the Umdah or Awtad, amongst whom

9639-433: The connotations of alternative expressions such as ... Hebrew Bible [and] Old Testament" without prescribing the use of either. "Hebrew" refers to the original language of the books, but it may also be taken as referring to the Jews of the Second Temple era and their descendants, who preserved the transmission of the Masoretic Text up to the present day. The Hebrew Bible includes small portions in Aramaic (mostly in

9758-529: The content of the Ketuvim remained fluid until the canonization process was completed in the 2nd-century CE. There is no scholarly consensus as to when the Hebrew Bible canon was fixed: some scholars argue that it was fixed by the Hasmonean dynasty , while others argue it was not fixed until the second century CE or even later. The speculated late-1st-century Council of Jamnia was once credited with fixing

9877-629: The covenant. God leads Israel into the Promised Land of Canaan , which they conquer after five years. For the next 470 years, the Israelites were led by judges . In time, a new enemy emerged called the Philistines . They continued to trouble Israel when the prophet Samuel was judge (1 Samuel 4:1–7:1). When Samuel grew old, the people requested that he choose a king because Samuel's sons were corrupt and they wanted to be like other nations ( 1 Samuel 8 ). The Tanakh presents this negatively as

9996-487: The dating and provenance of the text, and so conclusions remain tentative. Townsend believed the Buber recension relies on the mid-8th century Sheʾilot by R. Ahai of Shabba and so dates at least to the 9th century. On the other hand, Tzvi Meir Rabbinowitz has concluded that Yannai , who operated in Palestine prior to the Islamic conquests, made use of the two extant and one lost Tanhuma, and his findings suggest that

10115-483: The events it describes), portrays Israel as a grouping of decentralized tribes, and the Song of Deborah in Judges 5 may reflect older oral traditions. It features archaic elements of Hebrew and a tribal list that identifies Israel exclusively with the northern tribes. By the 9th or 8th centuries BCE, the scribal culture of Samaria and Judah was sufficiently developed to produce biblical texts. The Kingdom of Samaria

10234-486: The exploitation of widows, orphans, and other vulnerable groups. In addition, the Tanakh condemns murder, theft, bribery, corruption, deceitful trading, adultery, incest, bestiality, and homosexual acts. Another theme of the Tanakh is theodicy , showing that God is just even though evil and suffering are present in the world. The Tanakh begins with the Genesis creation narrative . Genesis 12–50 traces Israelite origins to

10353-570: The flagship was named São Rafael at the insistence of King Manuel I of Portugal . When the flotilla reached the Cape of Good Hope on October 22, the sailors debarked and erected a column in the archangel's honor. The little statue of Raphael that accompanied Da Gama on the voyage is now in the Naval Museum in Lisbon. He is perhaps most often seen in depictions of Tobias and the Angel , from

10472-457: The form of a lance and a pendulum, becoming a bow and arrow when combined. It has the ability to manipulate wind. In Joseph Haydn 's Creation , Raphael (bass) is one of the three angelic narrators, along with Gabriel (soprano) and Uriel (tenor). Raphael features as one of the four archangels in the TV series Supernatural . In season 2 of the TV series Criminal Minds , the archangel Raphael

10591-577: The formation of the printed edition is dated to after the Islamic conquests , although the collection was still completed prior to any impact of Islamic influence on Palestinian society, as Islamic influences are entirely absent from the text. Some other scholars favor origins in southern Italy because (i) all manuscripts are European (ii) the presence of many Greek and Latin words which were typical in use of language in Italy (iii) an unlikelihood of stemming from northern Italy due to its misunderstanding of

10710-609: The geography of that region. On the other hand, Palestinian roots of the text are reflected by its use of Palestinian rabbinic traditions, including its familiarity with the Mishnah and the Jerusalem Talmud but not the Babylonian Talmud . The first English translation of the Buber recension of the Tanhuma was published by John Townsend in 1989. Then, in 1996, Samuel Berman published an English translation of

10829-495: The highest ones have their hearts resembling that of archangel Mikhail (archangel Michael), and the rest of the lower ranking saints having the heart of Jibrail (archangel Gabriel), and that of the previous prophets before the Islamic prophet Muhammad . The earth is believed to always have one of the Qutb. In another account, Rafāʾīl (Arabic: رفائيل) is mentioned by name in the Islamic tradition narrated by Ath-Tha'labi from Ali . He

10948-511: The kingdom is divided between his son Eshbaal and David (David ruled his tribe of Judah and Eshbaal ruled the rest). After Eshbaal's assassination, David was anointed king over all of Israel ( 2 Samuel 2–5). David captures the Jebusite city of Jerusalem ( 2 Samuel 5 :6–7) and makes it his capital. Jerusalem's location between Judah in the southern hills and the northern Israelite tribes made it an ideal location from which to rule over all

11067-592: The local celebration of a feast in the Archangel's honor on May 7, the date of the principal apparition. Saint John of God , founder of the Hospital order that bears his name , is also said to have received visitations from Saint Raphael, who encouraged and instructed him. In tribute to this, many of the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God's facilities are called "Raphael Centers" to this day. The 18th century Neapolitan nun, Saint Maria Francesca of

11186-437: The material of the lost Yelammedenu, the two works were often confounded. Some authorities believed that it was this version as opposed to the Yelammedenu which had been lost. Others erroneously considered this midrash identical with the Yelammedenu, thinking the work had a double title; and the first editions of this version appeared, therefore, under the title "Midrash Tanḥuma, Called Also the Yelammedenu." The standard edition

11305-564: The original manuscripts and also from the Yalquṭ . Ezra indicated the added matter by marking it with open hands, but in the following editions these marks were omitted, so that it is no longer possible to distinguish between original contents and material added by revisers. Ezra of Fano further added to his edition an index of all halakhic decisions, as well as of the legends and parables contained in this midrash; this index has been retained in all later editions. Tanhuma Buber, also called Tanhuma B,

11424-561: The patron of travelers, the blind, happy meetings, nurses, physicians, medical workers, matchmakers, Christian marriage, and Catholic studies. On a corner of the Doge's Palace in Venice is a relief depicting Raphael holding a scroll on which is written: " Efficia fretum quietum " ("Keep the Gulf quiet"). On July 8, 1497, when Vasco da Gama set sail from Lisbon with his four-ship fleet to India,

11543-408: The proper title was Mikra (or Miqra , מקרא, meaning reading or that which is read ) because the biblical texts were read publicly. The acronym 'Tanakh' is first recorded in the medieval era. Mikra continues to be used in Hebrew to this day, alongside Tanakh, to refer to the Hebrew scriptures. In modern spoken Hebrew , they are interchangeable. Many biblical studies scholars advocate use of

11662-602: The reign of King Jeroboam II (781–742   BCE). Before then, it belonged to Aram , and Psalm 20 is nearly identical to an Aramaic psalm found in the 4th century BCE Papyrus Amherst 63 . The author of the Books of Kings likely lived in Jerusalem. The text shows a clear bias favoring Judah, where God's worship was centralized in Jerusalem. The Kingdom of Samaria is portrayed as a godless breakaway region whose rulers refuse to worship at Jerusalem. The books that make up

11781-574: The revelation at Sinai , since it is impossible to read the original text without pronunciations and cantillation pauses. The combination of a text ( מקרא mikra ), pronunciation ( ניקוד niqqud ) and cantillation ( טעמים te`amim ) enable the reader to understand both the simple meaning and the nuances in sentence flow of the text. The number of distinct words in the Hebrew Bible is 8,679, of which 1,480 are hapax legomena , words or expressions that occur only once. The number of distinct Semitic roots , on which many of these biblical words are based,

11900-479: The son of man, that Thou visitest him?" God replied: "The fowl of the air and the fish of the sea, what were they created for? Of what avail a larder full of appetizing dainties, and no guest to enjoy them?" And the Angels could not but exclaim: "O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth! Do as is pleasing in Thy sight." For not a few of the Angels their opposition bore fatal consequences. When God summoned

12019-502: The standard printed edition. Tikkun-Sofrim, a system that integrates automatic handwritten text recognition with manual, crowdsourced error correction has been used to digitize several manuscripts of the Midrash Tanhuma. The standard published edition was known as the "Yelammedenu" from the opening words of the halakhic introductions to the homilies— Yelammedenu rabbenu . It is considered by many to be an amended edition of

12138-693: The term Hebrew Bible (or Hebrew Scriptures ) as a substitute for less-neutral terms with Jewish or Christian connotations (e.g., Tanakh or Old Testament ). The Society of Biblical Literature 's Handbook of Style , which is the standard for major academic journals like the Harvard Theological Review and conservative Protestant journals like the Bibliotheca Sacra and the Westminster Theological Journal , suggests that authors "be aware of

12257-513: The three poetic books and the five scrolls, the remaining books in Ketuvim are Daniel , Ezra–Nehemiah and Chronicles . Although there is no formal grouping for these books in the Jewish tradition, they nevertheless share a number of distinguishing characteristics: their narratives all openly describe relatively late events (i.e. the Babylonian captivity and the subsequent restoration of Zion);

12376-657: The time from the entrance of the Israelites into the Land of Israel until the Babylonian captivity of Judah (the "period of prophecy" ). Their distribution is not chronological, but substantive. The Former Prophets ( נביאים ראשונים Nevi'im Rishonim ): The Latter Prophets ( נביאים אחרונים Nevi'im Aharonim ): The Twelve Minor Prophets ( תרי עשר , Trei Asar , "The Twelve"), which are considered one book: Kəṯūḇīm ( כְּתוּבִים , "Writings") consists of eleven books. In Masoretic manuscripts (and some printed editions), Psalms, Proverbs and Job are presented in

12495-691: The tribes. He further increased Jerusalem's importance by bringing the Ark of the Covenant there from Shiloh ( 2 Samuel 6 ). David's son Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem. After Solomon's death, the united kingdom split into the northern Kingdom of Israel (also known as the Kingdom of Samaria) with its capital at Samaria and the southern Kingdom of Judah with its capital at Jerusalem. The Kingdom of Samaria survived for 200 years until it

12614-540: The words "As the Scriptures say" or sometimes "As it is written." Then follow a verse (in most cases taken from the Ketuvim ), its explanation, and a homily on the particular passage of the Pentateuch referred to. Several of the homilies on the first, third, and fourth books of the Pentateuch begin with brief halakhic dissertations bearing on the passages to which the homilies refer. The halakhic treatises consist of

12733-504: The words "Much more might be said on this subject, but we shall not tire you", or "This passage has been elucidated by several other interpretations and expositions, but in order not to tire you we quote only that which is necessary for today's theme". Although essentially an aggadic midrash , Tanḥuma A contains many halakhic sayings. In addition to its 61 introductions to homilies, which contain halakhic questions and answers, there are several halakhic rules and decisions quoted throughout

12852-664: The work. These halakhic passages were taken from the Mishnah or the baraita, and not from the Babylonian Talmud; indeed, many of the decisions given are in opposition to those of the latter work. The aggadic contents of the midrash are also very extensive and varied; it contains, too, simple explanations of scriptural passages; several refutations of heretics ; explanations of the differences between "ḳere" and "ketib" and between words written " plene " (" male ") and defectively (" ḥaser "); interpretations according to noṭariḳon and gematria ; several narratives and parables; and numerous aphorisms, moral sayings, and popular proverbs. Some of

12971-583: The world without sin, Satan asks God how He views Rabbi Matthew; He sees him as completely righteous. Satan then asks for permission to test R. Matthew, which is granted to him. Satan then takes the form of a beautiful woman upon finding the Rabbi studying Torah. After seeing that Satan would continue to try and tempt him from all sides; he used hot pins to blind himself lest his evil inclination prevail. Satan then trembled in dismay and reported back to God. Immediately upon hearing this, God called Raphael, Prince of

13090-471: Was appointed the Angelic Prince of Healing, who has in his safe-keeping all the celestial remedies, the types of the medical remedies used on Earth. In the Midrash Tanhuma , Satan becomes envious of the righteous R. Matthew bar Heresh after seeing him sitting occupied in Torah study, without looking at anyone's wife or any other woman. Believing it to be impossible for a righteous man to exist in

13209-463: Was chiefly done by Aaron ben Moses ben Asher , in the Tiberias school, based on the oral tradition for reading the Tanakh, hence the name Tiberian vocalization . It also included some innovations of Ben Naftali and the Babylonian exiles . Despite the comparatively late process of codification, some traditional sources and some Orthodox Jews hold the pronunciation and cantillation to derive from

13328-684: Was conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BCE. The Kingdom of Judah survived for longer, but it was conquered by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Temple was destroyed, and many Judeans were exiled to Babylon . In 539 BCE, Babylon was conquered by Cyrus the Great of Persia, who allowed the exiles to return to Judah . Between 520 and 515 BCE, the Temple was rebuilt (see Second Temple ) . Religious tradition ascribes authorship of

13447-410: Was edited in the fifth century, before the completion of the Babylonian Talmud . Buber cites a passage in the Babylonian Talmud that seems to indicate that the redactor of that work had referred to the Midrash Tanḥuma. Other scholars disagree, however, and do not see the Buber recension of Tanhuma as being older than the other versions. Townsend cites a section from Buber's recension which appears to be

13566-416: Was first published at Constantinople in 1522, and was reprinted without emendation at Venice in 1545. The third edition, which served as a basis for all the later editions, was published at Mantua in 1563 by Meïr ben Abraham of Padua and Ezra ben Isaac Fano . This edition contains several additions, consisting of single sentences as well as of entire paragraphs, which Ezra ben Isaac selected from two of

13685-545: Was his cousin, Khidr . In Islamic tradition, Khidr is the mystical guide popularly quoted especially in Sufi traditions who has attained a long life and appears to selected Islamic saints throughout the times. The following places have been named in honor of Raphael: Saint Raphaël, France; Saint Raphaël, Quebec, Canada; and San Rafaels in Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, and

13804-549: Was more powerful and culturally advanced than the Kingdom of Judah. It also featured multiple cultic sites, including the sanctuaries at Bethel and Dan . Scholars estimate that the Jacob tradition (Genesis 25–35) was first written down in the 8th century BCE and probably originated in the north because the stories occur there. Based on the prominence given to the sanctuary at Bethel (Genesis 28), these stories were likely preserved and written down at that religious center. This means

13923-536: Was not grouped with the Prophets presumably because the Nevi'im collection was already fixed by this time. The Ketuvim was the last part of the Tanakh to achieve canonical status. The prologue to the Book of Sirach mentions "other writings" along with the Law and Prophets but does not specify the content. The Gospel of Luke refers to "the Law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms" ( Luke 24 :44). These references suggest that

14042-553: Was one of the three angels who appeared to Abraham in the oak grove of Mamre in the region of Hebron (Genesis 18; Bava Metzia 86b); Michael , as the greatest, walked in the middle, with Gabriel to his right, and Raphael to his left (Yoma 37a). Each was commanded to carry out a specific mission, Gabriel to destroy Sodom , Michael to inform Sarah that she would give birth to Isaac , Raphael to heal Abraham from his recent circumcision and save Lot . Rashi writes, "Although Raphael's mission included two tasks, they were considered

14161-428: Was saved from destruction. The third band consulted was commanded by the Archangel Libbiel. Taught by the horrible fate of his predecessors, he warned his troop: "You have seen what misfortune overtook the Angels who said 'What is man, that Thou art mindful of him?' Let us have a care not to do likewise, lest we suffer the same dire punishment. For God will not refrain from doing in the end what He has planned. Therefore it

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