Archangel Michael

Also called Michael the Taxiarch. A taxiarch is used in the Greek language to mean “brigadier,” or a commander of a company. In Greek Orthodoxy, it refers to the Archangels Michael or Gabriel as leaders of the heavenly hosts.

Michael is an archangel & warrior of God in Christianity, Islam, & Judaism. The earliest surviving mentions of his name are in the 2nd or 3rd centuries BC Jewish works, often but not always apocalyptic. In these works, he’s the chief of the angels & archangels. He’s the guardian prince of Israel & is responsible for the care of the people of Israel.

Christianity conserved nearly all of Jewish traditions concerning him. He’s mentioned explicitly in Revelation 12:7-12, where he does battle with Satan, & in the Epistle of Jude, where the archangel & the devil have an argument over the body of Moses.

The Book of Enoch lists Michael as 1 of 7 archangels. The remaining names are: Uriel, Raguel, Raphael, Sariel, Gabriel, & Remiel. He’s mentioned again in the last chapters of the Book of Daniel, a Jewish apocalypse composed in the 2nd century BC, in which a man clothed in linen tells Daniel that he & “Michael, your prince” are engaged in a battle with the “prince of Persia,” after which, at the end-time, “Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise.”

Enoch was instrumental in establishing the pre-eminent place of Michael among the angels & archangels. In later Jewish works, he’s said to be their chief, mediating the Torah, & standing at the right hand of the throne of God.

In the traditions of the Qumran community, he defends, or leads, the people of God in the end-time battle. In other writings, he’s responsible for the care of Israel & acts as commander of the heavenly armies. He’s Israel’s advocate, contesting Satan’s claim to the body of Moses.

He intercedes between God & humanity & serves as High Priest in the heavenly sanctuary. (So would this make him Aaron’s equal? We’re sincerely asking. Let us know your take in the comments.) He accompanies the souls of the righteous dead to Paradise.

The 7 archangels (or 4, as traditions differ, but always include Michael) were associated with the branches of the menorah, the sacred 7-branched lamp stand in the Temple, as the 7 spirits before the throne of God. This is reflected in the Book of Revelation 4:5. Michael is mentioned explicitly in Revelation 12:7-12, where he does battle with Satan & casts him out of heaven so that he no longer has that exclusive access to God as accuser (his former role in the Old Testament).

Satan’s fall at the coming of Jesus marks the separation of the New Testament from Judaism. In Luke 22:31, Jesus tells Peter that Satan has asked God for permission to “sift” the disciples, the goal being to accuse them. But the accusation by Jesus, who thus takes on the role played by angels, & especially by Michael, in Judaism.

Michael is mentioned by anem for the 2nd time in the Epistle of Jude, which is an impassioned plea for the believers to engage in battle against the incursion of the error. In verses 9-10, the author denounces the heretics by contrasting them with the archangel Michael, who, in disputing with Satan over the body of Moses.

According to rabbinic tradition, Michael acted as the advocate of Israel. Sometimes he had to fight with the princes of other nations (Daniel 10:13), & particularly with the angel Samael, Israel’s accuser. Their hostility dates from the time Samael was thrown from heaven & tried to drag Michael down with him, requiring God’s intervention.

The rabbis declare that Michael came into his role as defender at the time of the biblical patriarchs. Rabbi Eliezer ben Jacob said Michael rescued Abraham from the furnace into which he’d been thrown by Nimrod. Some say he was the “one that had escaped” (Genesis 14:13), who told Abraham that Lot had been taken captive & who protected Sarah from defilement by Abimelech.

Michael prevented Isaac’s being sacrificed by his dad by substituting a ram in his place. He saved Jacob, while still in his mom’s womb, from death at the hands of Samuel. Michael later prevented Laban from hurting Jacob. The midrash Exodus Rabbah holds that Michael exercised his function as an advocate of Israel at the time of the Exodus & destroyed Sennacherib’s army.

Epiphanius of Salamis (circa 310-circa 320-403), in his Coptic-Arabic Hexaemeron, referred to Michael as a replacement of Satan. Accordingly, after Satan fell, Michael was appointed to the function Satan served when he was still 1 of the noble angels.

A painting of Michael slaying a serpent became a major art piece at the Michaelion after Constantine defeated Licinius near there in 324. This contributed to the standard iconography that developed of Michael as a warrior saint slaying a dragon. The Michaelion was a magnificent church & in time became a model for hundreds of other churches in Eastern Christianity.

In the 4th century, St. Basil the Great’s homily, De Angelis, St. Michael over all the angels. He was called “Archangel” because he heralds other angels, the title archangelos applied to him in Jude 1:9. The angelology of Pseudo-Dionysius, which was widely read as of the 6th century, gave Michael a rank in the hierarchy of angels.

Later, in the 13th century, others such as Bonventure believed him to be Prince of the Seraphim, the 1st of the 9 angelic orders. According to Thomas Aquinas, Michael is the Prince of the last & lowest choir, the Angels.

Catholics often refer to Michael as “Holy Michael, the Archangel” or “St. Michael.” He’s generally referred to in Christian liturgies as “St. Michael,” as in the Litany of the Saints. In a shortened archangel, is mentioned by name, omitting Saints Gabriel & Raphael.

In Roman Catholic teachings, St. Michael has 4 main roles or offices. His 1st role is the leader of the Army of God & the leader of celestial forces in triumphing over the powers of Hell. He’s viewed as the angelic model for the virtues of the “spiritual warrior,” his conflict with evil taken as “the battle within.”

The 2nd & 3rd roles of Michael in Catholic teachings deal with death. In his 2nd role, he’s the angel of death, carrying the souls of Christians to Heaven. In his 3rd role, he weighs souls on his perfectly balanced scales. The scales are a common object he holds in art.

In his 4th role, St. Michael, the special patron of the Chosen People in the Old Testament, is also Guardian of the Church. St. Michael was revered by the military orders of knights during the Middle Ages. The names of villages around the Bay of Biscay reflect this history.

The Eastern Orthodox give Michael the title Archistrategos, or “Supreme Commander of the Heavenly Hosts.” The Eastern Orthodox pray to their guardian angels & above all, to Michael & Gabriel. The Eastern Orthodox have always had a strong devotion to angels. In modern times, they’re referred to by the term “Bodiless Powers.” Several feasts dedicated to Archangel Michael are celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox throughout the year.

In Russia, many monasteries, cathedrals, courts, & merchant churches are dedicated to the Chief Commander Michael. Most Russian cities have a church or chapel dedicated to the archangel Michael. In Ukraine, the archangel Michael is the patron saint of Kyiv. He became popular from the time of Prince Vsevolod of Kyivan Rus’.

While in the Serbian Orthodox Church, St. Sava has a special role as the establisher of its autocephaly & largest Belgrade church devoted to him, the capital Belgrade’s Orthodox cathedral, the see church of the patriarch, is devoted to Michael.

The place of Michael in the Coptic Church of Alexandra is as a saintly intercessor. He’s the 1 who presents to God the prayers of the just, who accompanies the souls of the dead to Heaven, who defeats the devil. He’s celebrated liturgically on the 12th of each Coptic month.

In Alexandria, a church was dedicated to him in the early 4th century on the 12th of the month of Paoni. The 12th month of Hathor is the celebration of Michael’s appointment in Heaven, where Michael became the chief of the angels.

Seventh-Day Adventists believe that “Michael” is but 1 of many titles applied to the pre-existent Christ, or Son of God. According to Adventist theology, Michael was/is considered the “Eternal Word,” & the 1 by whom all things were created. The Word was then born, incarnated as Jesus.

They believe that the name “Michael” signifies “One Who Is Like God” & that, as the “Archangel” or “chief or head of the angels,” he led the angels; thus, the statement in Revelation 12:7-9 refers to Jesus as Michael.

Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Michael is another name for Jesus in Heaven, in His pre-human & post-resurrection existence. They say the definite article in Jude 9 identifies Michael as the only archangel. They consider Michael to be synonymous with Christ, described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16: “with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, & with the sound of the trumpet.”

They believe the prominent roles assigned to Michael in Daniel 12:1, Revelation 12:7, Revelation 16, & Revelation 19:14 are identical to Jesus’ roles, being the 1 chosen to lead God’s people & as the only 1 who “stands up,” identifying the 2 as the same spirit being.

Because they identify Michael with Jesus, he’s considered the 1st & greatest of all God’s heavenly “sons,” God’s chief messenger, who takes the lead in vindicating God’s sovereignty, sanctifying his name, fighting the wicked forces of Satan & protecting God’s covenant people on earth. Jehovah’s Witnesses also identify Michael with the “Angel of the Lord” who led & protected the Israelites in the wilderness.

Members of the Mormon Church believe that Michael is Adam (of Adam & Eve fame), the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7), a prince, & the patriarch of the human family. They also hold that Michael assisted Jehovah (the pre-mortal form of Jesus) in the creation of the world under the direction of God the Father (Elohim). Under the direction of the Father, Michael also cast Satan out of Heaven.

In Islam, Mika’il (Michael) is 1 of 4 archangels along with Jibril (Gabriel, whom he’s often paired with), Israfil (trumpeter angel) & ‘Azra’il (angel of death). In other Islamic literature, Michael is associated with mercy. He asks God for forgiveness for humans & is 1 of the 1st angels who obeyed God’s orders to bow before Adam.

From the tears of Michael, angels of mercy are created as his helpers. Like Gabriel, with whom he’s often mentioned together, Michael is also a messenger. While Gabriel delivers messages from Heaven to humans, Michael delivers messages to the angelic world.

As the angel to execute God’s providence, he’s also associated with natural phenomena & causes rain upon the lands. Unlike Christian traditions, Michael is rarely shown as a warrior-angel, with a few references to the Battle of Badr by Suyuti as an exception.

The Miraj literature on occasion mentions both Gabriel & Michael as 2 angels who showed Muhammad Paradise & Hell. He’s mentioned in Shia supplication (Dua), reportedly handed down by the 6th Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq, in the prayers for blessings for the Bearers of the Throne.

The figures of Michael & Gabriel/Jibril serve as dual pillars of angelology. While they show up in the same texts, their “personalities” & mythological roles are distinct. Michael is the celestial soldier & protector. While Gabriel is the bridge between the divine mind & the human ear.

The name Michael (Mikha’el) translates from Hebrew as a rhetorical question: “Who is like God?” This name is actually a battle cry used during the primordial war in Heaven.

In the Book of Daniel, Michael is described as the “Great Prince” who stands guard over the people of Israel. Jewish Midrash expands on this. It suggests that Michael is the high priest of the Heavenly Temple. When other nations’ guardian angels argue against Israel, Michael acts as the defense in the celestial courtroom. Because after all, God is the judge of all.

Michael’s most iconic role comes from the Book of Revelation. Here, he leads an army of God against the Dragon (a.k.a. Satan). He’s almost always dressed in Roman/Medieval armor, standing over a defeated demon/dragon, holding a spear/sword.

In Catholic traditions, Michael has a secondary role as the Psychopomp. A Psychopomp is a conductor or a guide of souls. The 1 who “weighs” souls at the moment of death. This is why he’s sometimes shown with scales.

In Islamic tradition, Mikail (Michael) is 1 of 4 archangels. While Jibril feeds the soul (through revelation), Mikail is the Angel of Sustenance. He’s responsible for the forces of nature, specifically rain & lightning. Legends say he’s so moved by the majesty of God that he hasn’t smiled since the creation of Hell.

In the United States, Michael is the patron saint of paratroopers, police officers, & the military.

In the General Roman Calendar, the Anglican Calendar of Saints, & the Lutheran Calendar of Saints, Michael’s feast day is Michaelmas Day (September 29). The day is also the feast day of St. Gabriel & Raphael, in the General Roman Calendar & the Feast of St. Michael & All Angels in the Church of England.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, St. Michael’s principal feast day is November 8. November 21, if they’re using the Gregorian calendar. Honoring him along with the rest of the “Bodiless Powers of Heaven” (angels) as their Supreme Commander, & the Miracle at Chonae is celebrated on September 6.

In the Coptic Orthodox Church, the main feast day is on 12 Hathor (between November 9 & December 9) & 12 Paoni (between June 8 & July 7). He is celebrated liturgically on the 12th of each Coptic month.

On April 7, the Oriental Orthodox Church commemorates the deliverance of the prophet Jeremiah from prison by Michael.

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Aten

Also known as Aton, Atonu, or Itn.

Aten was the focus of Atenism. The religious system was formally established in ancient Egypt by the late 18th Dynasty pharaoh Akhenaten.

The worship of Aten & the coinciding rule of Akhenaten are major identifying characteristics of a time within the 18th Dynasty referred to as the Amarna Period (circa 1353-1336 BCE).

Atenism, & the worship of Aten as the sole god of the ancient Egyptian state worship, didn’t last past Akhenaten’s passing away. Not long after Akhenaten’s death, 1 of Akhenaten’s 18th Dynasty successors, Tutankhamun, reopened the state temples to other Egyptian gods & re-positioned Amun (not Aten) as the chief solar deity. Aten is pictured as a solar disc emitting rays ending in human hands (think like a kid’s drawing of the sun shining down with its rays).

The word Aten shows up in the Old Kingdom as a noun meaning “disc,” which refers to anything flat & circular. The sun was called the “disc of the day,” where Ra was thought to live. By contrast, the moon was sometimes called the “silver disc.”

The Aten was the disc of the sun & originally an aspect of Ra, the sun god in traditional Egyptian religion. Aten doesn’t have an origin (creation) story/myth or even a family. But is mentioned in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. The 1st known reference to Aten, the sun-disk, as a deity is in The Story of Sinuhe from the 12th century. In which the deceased king is described as rising as a god to the heavens & “uniting with the sun-disk, the divine body merging with its maker.”

Aten was extensively worshipped as a solar deity under Amenhotep III, where it was depicted as a falcon-headed god like Ra. While Aten was the preeminent creator deity of a pantheon of ancient Egyptian gods under Amenhotep III, it wasn’t until his successor that Aten would be the only god acknowledged via state worship.

During the reign of Amenhotep III’s successor, Amenhotep IV, the Aten became the sole God of the Egyptian state religion. Amenhotep IV changed his name to Akhenaten to reflect his close link with the supreme deity. The sole worship of Aten can be referred to as Atenism.

In Atenism, night is a time to fear. Work is done best when the sun, or Aten, is present. The Aten created all countries & people, & cares for every creature. According to inscriptions, the Aten created a Nile River in the sky (rain) for the Syrians.

The rays of the sun disk only hold out life to the royal family. Because of this, non-royals receive life from Akhenaten & Nefertiti (later renamed Neferneferuaten) in exchange for loyalty to the Aten. In inscriptions (like the Hymn to the Aten & the King), the Aten is depicted as caring for the people through Akhenaten, putting the royal family as intermediaries for the worship of the Aten. There’s only 1 known example of the Aten talking.

Akhenaten represented himself as the son of Aten, mirroring many of his predecessors’ claims of divine birth & their positions as the embodiment of Horus. Akhenaten positioned himself as the only intermediary who could speak to Aten, emphasizing the dominance of Aten as the preeminent deity.

Aten is both a unique deity & a continuation of the traditional idea of a sun-god in Egyptian religion. Aten carried absolute power in the universe, representing the life-giving force of light to the world. The cult center of the Aten was the capital city, Amarna, founded by Akhenaten.

Though other cult sites have been found in Thebes & Heliopolis. The use of Amarna as a capital city & religious center was relatively short-lived as it was abandoned after Akhenaten’s death. Major principles of Aten’s cult worship were recorded via inscriptions on temples and tombs from the period.

The temples of Aten were open & don’t have roofs so that the sun’s full power/rays could go inside. This was significantly straying from the traditional ancient Egyptian temples. No statues of Aten were allowed; it was seen as idolatry.

On the other hand, these Aten idols were replaced by functionally equivalent representations for Akhenaten & his family, venerating the Aten & receiving the ankh (the breath of life) from him. As a pharaoh, Akhenaten was considered the “high priest” or even a prophet of the Aten. During his reign, he was 1 of the main propagators of Atenism in Egypt.

After his dad’s death, Tutankhamun reinstated the cult of Amun (probably under pressure from the priests & other religious officials because Tutankhamun was a kid when he took over). It didn’t last more than 10 years or so after Akhenaten’s death.

When Tutankhamun came to power, his religious reign was marked by tolerance. He made efforts to rebuild the state temples that were destroyed during Akhenaten’s reign & reinstated the traditional pantheon of gods.

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Rex Sacrorum

In ancient Roman religion, the rex sacrorum (“king of the sacred things,” sometimes called rex sacrificulus) was a senatorial priesthood reserved for patricians. The rex sacrorum was based in the Regia.

During the Roman Republic, the rex sacrorum was chosen by the pontifex maximus (the chief high priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome) from a list of patricians (patricians were originally a group of ruling-class families in ancient Rome) submitted by the College of Pontiffs.

A further requirement was that he be born to parents married through the ritual of confarreatio. This was also the form of marriage he himself had to enter. His wife (the regina sacrorum) also performed religious duties specific to her role. Marriage was such a fundamental part of the priesthood that if the regina died, the rex had to resign. The rex sacrorum was above the pontifex maximus. Although he was more or less a powerless figurehead.

The rex sacrorum wore a toga, the undecorated soft “shoeboot” (calceus), & carried a ceremonial axe. As a priest of the archaic Roman religion, he sacrificed capite velato, with head covered.

The rex held a sacrifice on the Kalends of each month. Kalends is the 1st day of every month in the Roman Calendar. The word ‘calendar’ comes from this word. On the Nones (the Roman Calendar used by the Roman Kingdom & Roman Republic), he announced the dates of festivals for the month.

On March 24 & May 24, he held a sacrifice in the Comitium. The Comitium was the original open-air public meeting space of ancient Rome & had major religious & prophetic significance. In addition to these duties, the rex sacrorum seems to have functioned as the high priest of Janus.

In Rome, the priesthood was deliberately depoliticized. The rex sacrorum wasn’t elected. His inauguration was merely witnessed by a comitia calata, an assembly called for the purpose. The rex was barred from a political & military command. After the overthrow of the Roman kings, the office of rex sacrorum fulfilled at least some of the sacral duties of kingship, with the consuls assuming political power & military command, as well as some sacral functions.

As the wife of the rex sacrorum, the regina sacrorum (“queen of the sacred things”) was a high priestess who carried out ritual duties only she could perform. On the Kalends of every month, the regina presided at the sacrifice of a sow (porca) or female lamb (agna) to Juno. The reginas were equal to their male partners. These 2 priesthood were gender-balanced & had shared duties.

While performing her rituals, the regina wore a headdress called the arculum, formed from a garland of pomegranate twigs tied up with a white woolen thread. The rex & regina sacrorum were required to marry by the ritual of confarreatio, originally reserved for patricians. But after the Lex Canuleia of 445 BC, it’s possible that the regina could’ve been plebeian. Plebeians/plebs were the general body of the free Roman citizens who weren’t patricians.

The office of Rex Sacrorum wasn’t a highly coveted position among the patricians. Although the rex sacrorum was technically superior to the pontiffs, the rank conferred no real political gain. Because of this, there would be some years without a rex sacrorum at all.

By the time of Antony’s civil war, the office was entirely in disuse. But seems to have been revived later by Augustus, as there was mention of it during the empire until it was probably abolished by Theodosius I.

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Mercy Seat

This is known in Hebrew as the kapporet.

This was the solid gold lid put on the Ark of the Covenant. It had 2 cherubim at the ends to cover & make the space in which Yahweh/God appeared & lived. It holds major significance in Judaism & minor significance in Christianity. The Ark of the Covenant is mentioned only once in the Quran.

The design of the Mercy Seat was heavily detailed in the Book of Exodus (25:17-22). The space between the 2 cherubim was considered the earthly throne of God, the place where His presence (often described the Shekinah glory), where He would live & commune/communicate with Moses.

The Ark & Mercy Seat were kept in the Holy of Holies. This was the Temple’s innermost sanctuary which was separated from the other parts of the Temple by a thick curtain called a parochet. The Holy of Holies could only be entered by the High Priest on the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur. This is the holiest day of the year in Judaism.

The ritual described, in detail, in Leviticus chapter 16. The High Priest would sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial bull onto the Mercy Seat as an atonement for the sins of his own & his family. A sacrificial goat would be for the sins of the people of Israel. This act of sprinkling the blood would be a symbolic covering of the sins of the people. This allowed for a temporary reconciliation between a holy God & His sinful creation. The blood was a substitute representing a life given in place of the lives of the people who transgressed against God’s law.

For Christians the Mercy Seat is seen as a powerful foreshadowing of Jesus. The New Testament, in Hebrews & Romans, draws a direct & profound connection between the Old Testament ritual & Jesus’ work on the cross.

Jesus on the cross was a greater atonement & the formation of a New Covenant (Hebrews 9:3-15). The continual sacrifices for sin under the Mosaic Law/Covenant became obsolete following Jesus’ one-time sacrificial death, as the Lamb of God.

The author(s) of Hebrews explains that Jesus is the ultimate High Priest (Hebrews 9:11). Unlike the Old Testament priests who HAD to offer sacrifices for sins, Jesus was without sin (or original Sin for that matter) & offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice “once for all.”

The blood of the bulls & goats could only give a temporary “covering” of sin(s) (Hebrews 10:4). Jesus’ own blood, that was shed on the cross, is presented as a perfect & final atonement. THis provides a permanent solution to the problem of sin & guilt.

At the moment of Jesus’ death, the veil of the Temple that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the building was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). This is understood as a symbol that the separation between God & humanity had been removed. Thus through Jesus’ sacrifice, believers now have direct access to God’s presence.

The Greek word for Mercy Seat used in the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) is hilasterion. This is a term that carries the idea of an atoning sacrifice. In Romans 3:25, the Apostle Paul uses this exact word to describe Jesus: “…whom God puts forward as a propitation (or Mercy Seat) by His blood, to be received by faith.” This verse teaches that God’s righteous wrath against sin satisfied God’s justice in the Old Testament.

In this way, Jesus is seen as a fulfillment of everything the Mercy Seat represented. The place where God’s holiness & justice meet His mercy & love & the means by which humanity can be reconciled with God. The Mercy Seat was a physical representation of a spiritual truth, one that Christians believe was fully realized in the person & work of Jesus.

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Sacred King

In many historical societies, the position of kingship carried a sacral meaning & was identical with that of a high priest & judge.

Divine kingship is related to the concept of theocracy. Although a sacred King doesn’t necessarily rule through his religious authority. But rather, the temporal (or non-religious) position itself has a religious significance behind. The monarch may be divine, become divine, or represent divinity to a greater or lesser extent.

In sacred kingship, the king often has little political power, & is contrasted with divine kingship where the king triumphs in the politico-religious struggle between the people & the king. A sacred king is often encumbered with ritals & used as a scapegoat for disasters such as famine & drought. However, they can become divine & achieve greater power.

In Africa, sacred kings are often represented as volatile & potentially dangerous wild animals. The Ashanti flog, yes flog, a newly selected King (Ashantehene) before enthroning him.

From the Bronze Age in the Near East, the enthronement & anointment of a monarch is a central religious ritual, reflected in such titles as Messiah or Christ. This became separated from worldly kingship. Sargon of Akkad described himself as a “deputy of Ishtar.” This is like how the modern Catholic popes take the role of the “Vicar of Christ.”

Kings are styled as shepherds from the earliest times. The term was applied to Sumerian princes such as Lugalbanda in the 3rd millennium BCE. Shepherd imagery combines themes of leadership & the responsibility to supply food & protection, as well as superiority. As a mediator between the people & the divine, the sacred King was credited with special wisdom (like Solomon or Gilgamesh) or vision (via oneiromancy). Oneiromancy is a form of divination based on dreams, & also uses dreams based on dreams, & also uses to predict the future.

Here are some examples of some sacred kings:

• Chakravartin, a righteous king derived from Indian religious thought
• Devaraja, a cult of divine kings in Southeast Asia
• Germanic kingship
• Kings in pre-Christian Scandinavia & England claimed descent from God’s such as Odin & Freyr. Scandinavian kings in pre-Christian times served as priests at sacrifices.
• The kings of Goryeo claimed descent from the Dragon King
• Holy Roman emperors
• Imperial cults
• The Omukama of Kitara ruled as a heavenly sovereign
• The High King of Ireland, according to medieval tradition, married the sovereignty goddess
• The Eze Nri, ruler of the defunct Igbo Nri Kingdom in present-day Nigeria. He was addressed as “Igwe,” meaning “heavenly one” in the Igbo language, & has bestowed his title to the monarch of a contemporary traditional state of the same name.
• The Emperor of Japan is known in Japanese as Tenno (Heavenly sovereign) & was formerly believed to be a living kami.
• The Kende was the sacred King of the Magyars in the 9th century.
• The Khagan
• The kings of Luba became deities after death.
• The earthly power of the papacy.
• Pharaoh, the title of Ancient Egyptian rulers. The pharaoh adopted names symbolizing holy might.
• The last vestige of Athenian monarchy, Archon basileus, mainly retained the duties of overseeing certain religious rites.
• The Son of Heaven, an East Asian title
• Shah & Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist, Islamic concepts
• The kings of Sparta claimed direct descent from Heracles himself, & served as hereditary priests.
• Madkhalism in Islam

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Israel - Jerusalem - The High Priest - the Large Priest - CPA

https://www.cpaphil.com/en/products/israel-jerusalem-the-high-priest-the-large-priest-cpa

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Here are the written highlights for Jason Mankey's latest episode, wherein he tells me all about his latest book, High Priest. If you haven't heard yet, it's a fascinating biography of Raymond Buckland!

#books #biography #buckland #highpriest

http://aerikarkadian.com/2025/07/12/jason-mankey-and-high-priest-raymond-buckland-ep-7/

[Book Review] Jason Mankey’s "High Priest" offers a candid, compassionate portrait of Raymond Buckland — tracing his evolution from RAF serviceman to pioneering Witch — while honoring his legacy and confronting the myths, contradictions, and innovations that helped shaped American Paganism as we see it today.

https://wildhunt.org/2025/05/review-high-priest-the-father-of-american-witchcraft-by-jason-mankey.html

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