Azrael

Azrael (Hebrew: עזראל‎; Arabic: عزرائيل‎, translit. ʿIzrāʾīl or Arabic: عزرایل‎, translit. ʿIzrāīl) is often identified with the Archangel of Death in Hebrew, Sikhism lore, as well as Islam. The Qur'an never uses this name, rather referring to Malak al-Maut (which translates directly as Angel of Death). Also spelled Izrail, Azrin, Izrael, Azriel, Azrail, Ezraeil, Azraille, Azryel, Ozryel, or Azraa-eel, the Chambers English dictionary uses the spelling Azrael. The name literally means One Whom God Helps, in an adaptive form of Hebrew.

Background

Depending on the outlook and precepts of various religions in which he is a figure, Azrael may be portrayed as residing in the Third Heaven. In one of his forms, he has four faces and four thousand wings, and his whole body consists of eyes and tongues, the number of which corresponds to the number of people inhabiting the Earth. He will be the last to die, recording and erasing constantly in a large book the names of men at birth and death, respectively.

Azrael (disambiguation)

Azrael is the traditional name of the angel of death in many religions.

Azrael may also refer to:

Fictional characters

People

Other uses

See also

Azrael (band)

Azrael is a black metal band from Minnesota, formed by Lord Samaiza and Algol in 1999. In 2000, their first demo tape, Virulent Darkness, was released by the band. In 2001, their second demo tape Unto Death was self-released. In early 2002 Azrael released the extremely limited rehearsal demo consisting of improvised ambient/noise experimentation Noise. In late 2002, "Obdurate" was released on Desastrious Records. In 2003, "Into Shadows Act 1: Denial" was released on Moribund Records. "Into Shadows Act ll: Through Horned Shadows Glimpse" was released in 2004 on Moribund Records. Azrael contributed the exclusive track "Illumination" to the "Destroyers From the Western Skies compilation CD on Killzone records. In early 2007 Azrael released a double-CD Act III-Self ... Act IV-Goat on Moribund Records. Azrael re-released both the "Obdurate" and "Unto Death" demos as a single CD through Moribund records in August 2008.

Musical style

Azrael started out as a more traditional black metal band. The band themselves describe their first demo as "much more traditional and primitive than our later works ... somewhat of a feeling out process for us". With each release they began to add more experimental and unique elements, the Unto Death demo "was a huge leap forward for us ... we were beginning to add some abstract and ambient elements such as the 20 minute noise/ambient track at the end of the demo". With the release of Into Shadows Act II, the band was "beginning to experiment much more and creating very [sic] unique soundscapes and atmospheres". Azrael now describes their current sound as "experimental, atmospheric, dark/black metal".

Gehenna

Gehenna (/ɡɪˈhɛnə/; Ancient Greek: γέεννα), from the Hebrew Gehinnom (Rabbinical: גהנום/גהנם), are terms derived from a place outside ancient Jerusalem known in the Hebrew Bible as the Valley of the Son of Hinnom (Hebrew: גֵיא בֶן־הִנֹּם or גיא בן-הינום, Gai Ben-Hinnom). The Valley of Hinnom is the modern name for the valley surrounding Jerusalem's Old City, including Mount Zion, from the west and south. It meets and merges with the Kidron Valley, the other principal valley around the Old City, near the southeastern corner of the city.

In the Hebrew Bible, Gehenna was initially where apostate Israelites and followers of various Ba'als and other Canaanite gods, including Moloch (or Molech), sacrificed their children by fire (2 Chr. 28:3, 33:6). Thereafter it was deemed to be cursed (Jer. 7:31, 19:2-6).

In Jewish Rabbinic literature, and Christian and Islamic scripture, Gehenna is a destination of the wicked. This is different from the more neutral Sheol/Hades, the abode of the dead, although the King James Version of the Bible usually translates both with the Anglo-Saxon word Hell.

Gehenna (film)

Gehenna, also known as Through Hell or Anguish is a 1938 Polish melodrama film directed by Michał Waszyński.

Cast

External links

Gehenna (Millennium)

"'Gehenna" is the second episode of the first season of the American crime-thriller television series Millennium. It premiered on the Fox network on November 1, 1996. The episode was written by series creator Chris Carter, and directed by David Nutter. "Gehenna" featured guest appearances by Robin Gammel and Chris Ellis.

Offender profiler Frank Black (Lance Henriksen), a member of the private investigative organisation Millennium Group, is sent to San Francisco to track down a doomsday cult which murders its brainwashed members when they disobey it.

"Gehenna" sees both Carter and Nutter continue their roles from "Pilot", although it also necessitated changes in filming locations. The episode opens with a quote by W. H. Auden—the first of the series' opening quotations—and makes references to the Hebrew Bible's Gehenna.

Plot

In San Francisco, a group of young men drive to an abandoned factory, and drug one of their members with LSD, leaving him to be torn apart by what he perceives to be a monster. Later, a large quantity of suspicious ash found in a nearby park is proven to be from human remains. A private investigative organisation, the Millennium Group, dispatches offender profiler Frank Black (Lance Henriksen) and colleague Peter Watts (Terry O'Quinn) to investigate the multiple homicide that led to this. Black believes that the victims were burnt alive; while chemical analysis of the ash leads the Group to the same factory.