Samael

Samael (Hebrew: סמאל‎, "Venom of God" or "Poison of God," also Sammael or Samil) is an important archangel in Talmudic and post-Talmudic lore, a figure who is an accuser (satan), seducer and destroyer, and has been regarded as both good and evil. Rabbinical writings describe Samael as the guardian angel of Esau and a patron of Edom (or, the Roman empire).

He is considered in Talmudic texts to be a member of the heavenly host (with often grim and destructive duties). One of Samael's greatest roles in Jewish lore is that of the main archangel of death. He remains one of Yahweh's servants even though he wants men to do evil. As an angel, Samael resides in the seventh heaven, although he is declared to be the chief angel of the fifth heaven, the reason for this being the presence of the throne of glory in the fifth heaven.

Judaism

In Judaism, Samael is said to be the angel of death, one of the seven archangels, the ruler over the Fifth Heaven, and commander of two million angels. Yalkut Shimoni (I, 110) presents Samael as Esau's guardian angel.

Samael (disambiguation)

Samael can refer to:

Samael (band)

Samael is a Swiss heavy metal band formed in 1987 in Sion, Switzerland.

Biography

Although much of their music from the mid-1990s onwards has incorporated electronic sounds which would best define their genre as industrial metal, they are an early black metal band and an innovator for post-black metal styles.

Samael released their first album Worship Him in 1991 on French record label Osmose Productions; the following year they signed a multi-records deal with Century Media Records and released their second album Blood Ritual.

In early 1994, their 3rd album Ceremony of Opposites was on the market. Their music was now oriented toward industrial-sounds with addition of keyboards and use of samples. This album earned them a larger audience outside Europe, particularly in Latin America.

Their album Passage (1996) saw them gather a larger audience, with the music video for the song "Jupiterian Vibe" getting airplay on MTV's Headbangers Ball. A second edition was later released with a bonus disk, done solely by keyboardist Xy and titled "Xytras", containing 10 entirely instrumental remixes featuring classical piano.