Archangel Names and Stories in Abrahamic Religions

While the title of Archangel can refer to characters depicted in the Old Testament, or Torah, the title itself didn't show up until early Christianity. As a result, there are three archangels outlined in the Torah, with the most expanded upon details in later texts. These three guardian angels are Saint Michael, Saint Raphael and the angel Gabriel.

According to the Talmud, these three served as God's messengers, revealing themselves to Abraham and creating the basis for Abrahamic faith. The Talmud was written after the time of Jesus Christ and attempted to incorporate facets of early Christian thought into a reformed sacred scripture of Rabbinic Judaism.

Catholicism refers to the existence of seven archangels:

Camael is also sometimes referred to as Archangel Chamuel.

In many Orthodox churches eight archangels are recognized:

The protestant Bible typically recognizes Archangel Uriel in addition to Michael, Raphael and Gabriel. Uriel is known as the archangel of knowledge and wisdom. Uriel is also referred to as Archangel Ariel in some translations of ancient texts.

Islam also recognizes the three main Archangels, with Archangel Azrael being a fourth addition. Azrael serves as the angel of death, carrying newly crossed over souls into the afterlife.

Archangel Raphael is also given the name Israfil in Islamic culture and is usually painted playing a trumpet to signal the coming of God.

The Hebrew book of Enoch, which is generally considered noncanonical, also refers to seven archangels:

As you can see, these names differ slightly from the seven names given by the Catholic Church.

As you can see, who the Archangels are, and how many there are, varies from one religious sect to another. However, nearly every Abrahamic faith seems to agree on the angelic statuses of Michael, Raphael and Gabriel.

Saint Michael the Archangel is probably the most recognizable name among them, and considered the "chief angel" in heaven. In Jewish folklore, Michael is one of the few named angels, and depicted as an all-powerful protector of Judea.

Catholics consider Michael the patron saint of the Jewish people, as well as the general of heaven's armies and as an angel of death.

The Book of Revelation in the New Testament outlines Michael's potential role in the apocalypse. When the end times come and the armies of Heaven and Hell rise up to clash with one another, Michael will predictably be commanding the angelic forces of Heaven.

Raphael appears in an ancient Jewish text known as the Book of Tobit. In the story, Raphael guides Tobias, son of Tobit on a quest to cure a woman named Sarah of her demonic curse.

By the end of the story, Sarah and Tobias marry, Raphael reveals his true form, and God heals Tobit of his blindness. Raphael also tells the group that there are seven higher angels of his status.

The Book of Enoch also claims that Raphael's purpose is to serve as a companion to mankind and as a hunter of fallen angels. In Catholicism Raphael is usually shown holding a fish, whose meat and organs he used to cure Sarah and Tobit of their ailments.

Alongside Archangel Michael, Gabriel is also depicted as a defender of Judea. In Christianity, he is also considered a holy messenger or fortune teller, often depicted holding a scroll of heavenly knowledge.

Gabriel is the first angel to be named in the Torah. In the book of Daniel, he bestows warnings of the future upon the title character, causing Daniel to be regarded as a great prophet.

In the New Testament Book of Luke, Gabriel appears once again. He manifests for the virgin Mary, telling her that she will be host to an immaculate birth, and that her son will be the son of God.