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| | | | | 110 of the Talmud speaks of Samael as Esau's guardian angel. In Sotah 10b, Samael is Edom's guardian angel, and in the Sayings of Rabbi Eliezer, he is charged with being the one who tempted Eve, then seduced and impregnated her with Cain. Though some sources identify Gadreel as the angel that seduced Eve, other Hebrew scholars say that it was Samael who tempted Eve in the guise of the Serpent. Samael is also sometimes identified as being the angelic antagonist that wrestled Jacob at Esau, and as being the angel that held back the arm of Abraham as he was about to sacrifice his son.
In The Holy Kabbalah (p. 255), Samael is described as the "severity of God," and is listed as fifth of the archangels of the world of Briah. Samael is said to have taken Lilith as his bride after she left Adam. According to Zoharistic cabala, Samael was also mated with Eisheth Zenunium, Naamah, and Agrat bat Mahlat - all angels of prostitution. Samael is perhaps the true Personification of Wrath, rather than Satan, since Samael is often associated with Asmodeus, the demon of lust and wrath, and Satan is considered a juridical adversary, directed by God. | |
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 | This is certainly an interesting rendering of the accuser, seducer and destroyer known as Samael. Wrath...yes, I think that is eloquently conveyed through Miss Bond's artistic hand. An interesting, and quite dark subject choice, to be sure. | -- Ahtoh, 1/26/07
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