stavula

[stavula]

There are 3 main of angelic deities beings known to the Jewish faith, as follows:

A.  Malachim – מלאכים – Emissaries

The closest to the Western interpretation of angels. That said, indeed some of said ‘Angels’ do fall under this category (the ministering angels/serving angels – Gabriel, Michael, Uriel and Rafael – are a prime example), however this role is likely to be influenced by that as seen in the Aggada – the Rabbinic Literature that isn’t law – that defines them the heavenly entourage.

The Emissaries were in fact God’s messengers to the people, often either taking a human-like shape due to the great terror their encounters implanted in humans.

 B. Saraf – שרף – Serap/Seraphim

“…and I had seen the Lord seated on his high and lifted chair… and Seraphim standing above Him, six wings to each: by two covering his face, by two covering his feet, by two fly” (Isaiah 6: 1-3)

“…because of the root for asp it came, and its fruit a flying saraf...” (Isaiah 14: 29)

 That, and a several more passages provided in Isaiah, describe a being that led many researchers to believe had the image of a snake with wings, hands and legs. It belonged to the heavenly entourage.

The Kabala (Jewish mysticism) sees them in a constant state of burning, probably an interpretation to their name (being the same root of the Hebrew word “(to) burn”).

 C. The Kruvim - כרובים - Cherubim

There are either two or three possible ways the Kruvim took shape:

1. the ‘modern’ one, as visualised by Chazal (Jewish sages of about uhhh 200 BCE to 6th century). Their concept of the Kruvim was of winged babies, which was later adopted by Christianity, who linked them to angels and gave them more of a baby-like form.

2. a winged being that took the form of a beast with human-like face and animalistic features, either a lion or an ox.

3. Lamasu, the Assyrian/Mesopotamian deity of the human-faced winged beast, which was adopted and converted by the Israelites. Note that this and the 2nd paragraph are closely linked.

Note that , in the modern concept of Kruvim (by Chazal), the Kruvim hovered the Ark of the Covenant. However, within the Bible, they were those decorating the sheets of the Tabernacle, and, wait for it... they were those guarding Eden.

Kruvim has a two meaning in Hebrew. One of them is cabbages.

In conclusion, Aziraphale is a Cabbage.