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On My Right Michael, On My Left Gabriel

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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 ...
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  • 08 June 2021
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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 bowls, amulets, mystical texts, and liturgical poetry—Ahuvia shows that when ancient men and women sought access to divine aid, they turned not only to their rabbis or to God alone but often also to the angels. On My Right Michael, On My Left Gabriel spotlights these overlooked stories, interactions, and rituals, offering a new entry point to the history of Judaism and the wider ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern world in which it flourished.
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Price: $34.95
Pages: 270
Publisher: University of California Press
Imprint: University of California Press
Publication Date: 08 June 2021
Trim Size: 9.00 X 6.00 in
ISBN: 9780520380110
Format: Hardcover
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"Ahuvia not only commands impressive knowledge of a large body of texts and artifacts and related secondary literature, but also manages to survey this expansive and diverse collection quite succinctly. Mastering this material is accomplishment enough, but, remarkably, Ahuvia manages to do it without leaving anyone behind."
Mika Ahuvia is Assistant Professor of Classical Judaism at the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington, Seattle.
Acknowledgments

Introduction: Angelic Greetings or Shalom Aleichem
1. At Home with the Angels: Babylonian Ritual Sources
2. Out and About with the Angels: Palestinian Ritual Sources
3. No Angels? Early Rabbinic Sources 
4. In the Image of God, Not Angels: Rabbinic Sources
5. In the Image of the Angels: Liturgical Responses
6. Israel among the Angels: Late Rabbinic Sources
7. Jewish Mystics and the Angelic Realms: Early Mystical Sources
Conclusion: Angels in Judaism and the Religions of Late Antiquity

Appendix: Table of Incantation Bowls
Bibliography
Index