Sariel
The Command of God
1 Enoch 20:6
“Sariel, one of the holy angels, who is set over the spirits, who sin in the spirit.”
— 1 Enoch 20:6War Scroll (1QM 9:15–16)
“On the shields of the towers they shall write: on the first, ‘Michael,’ on the second, ‘Gabriel,’ on the third, ‘Sariel,’ and on the fourth, ‘Raphael.’”
— War Scroll 9:15–16 (Dead Sea Scrolls)Sariel (also spelled Saraqael or Suriel; Hebrew: “Command of God” or “Prince of God”) appears in 1 Enoch as one of the seven archangels. His domain is associated with the spirits of humanity who sin — he is assigned oversight of those who transgress in the spirit.
In the Dead Sea Scrolls, specifically the War Scroll (1QM), Sariel’s name is inscribed on one of the shields of the Sons of Light, alongside Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. This places him among the four chief angelic warriors in the eschatological battle between light and darkness — a notable distinction that elevates him above the other less-attested archangels.
Sariel is also associated with the moon and lunar cycles in some traditions, serving as a guide to the movements of celestial bodies. In the Falasha (Ethiopian Jewish) tradition, he is considered an angel of death, not in a malevolent sense, but as the angel who teaches what happens to the soul after death.
Further Reading
- 1 Enoch 20:1–8
- 1 Enoch 9:1
- War Scroll (1QM) 9:14–16