Jophiel


The angel Jophiel, also called Iophiel, Iofiel, Jofiel, Yofiel, Youfiel, Zophiel and Zuriel, is a non-canonical archangel of wisdom, understanding, and judgment. She is listed as one of the Seven Archangels in Pseudo-Dionysian teachings.

In religious and magical lore

According to the pseudepigraphal Revelation of Moses, another name for Jophiel is Dina. Jophiel/Dina is described as an angel of the seventh heaven, a Cabalistic guardian of the Torah, who taught 70 languages to souls at the dawn of creation. The Zohar lists her as a Great Angel Chief in charge of 53 legions who superintend Torah-readings on the Sabbath. Jophiel is said to be a companion to the angel Metatron.
C.E. Clement, in his book 'Angels in Art,' names Jophiel as the teacher of Ham, Japheth, and Shem. Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa and Thomas Rudd likewise name Jophiel as the teacher of Shem.
In Anglican and Episcopal traditions, Jophiel is recognized as an archangel. She is often depicted in iconography holding a flaming sword, such as the stained glasses at St Michael's Church in Brighton, St Peter and St John's Church in Kirkley, Holy Trinity Church in Coventry and a mural at St. John's Episcopal Church in Memphis, Tennessee.
Jophiel is an Archangel of the Kabbalah and in several listings including that of the early medieval theologian Pseudo-Dionysus. The Calendarium Naturale Magicum Perpetuum lists Jophiel as the angel of the Sephira Chokhmah, as do the Key of Solomon variant "The Veritable Clavicles of Solomon," and the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, both latter works derived from the Calendarium. Agrippa attributes Jophiel to Saturn, while Paracelsus assigns her to Jupiter. Rudd attributes the Zodiac to Jophiel along with the Sephira Binah instead of Zaphkiel. Athanasius Kircher names Jophiel as Angelus pulchritudinis, "angel of beauty". According to Robert Ambelain, Jophiel is in charge of the Cherubim, particularly the Shemhamphorasch angels Haziel, Aladiah, Lauviah, Hahaiah, Iezalel, Mehahel, Hariel, and Hakamiah.

In literature

Angels of Love and Light describes her as "the Archangel of Paradise and the Patron of Artists and Illumination. She teaches the outer consciousness the Power of Light within oneself. She is also described as "the Yellow Ray of Wisdom, Illumination, and Constancy", and lists her Archeia as Christine also says
John Milton, in his poem Paradise Lost, mentions that Zophiel is "of cherubim the swiftest wing".
Zophiel is the subject of a poem by Maria Gowen Brooks.

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