Mika Ahuvia, "On My Right Michael, On My Left Gabriel: Angels in Ancient Jewish Culture" (U California Press, 2021)

Beyond the Margins: The University of California Press Podcast · Aug 9, 2021 · 53m

Angelic beings can be found throughout the Hebrew Bible, and by late antiquity the archangels Michael and Gabriel were as familiar as the patriarchs and matriarchs, guardian angels were as present as one’s shadow, and praise of the seraphim was as sacred as the Shema prayer. Mika Ahuvia recovers once-commonplace beliefs about the divine realm and demonstrates that angels were foundational to ancient Judaism. Ancient Jewish practice centered on humans' relationships with invisible beings who acted as intermediaries, role models, and guardians. Drawing on non-canonical sources—incantation…