Asmodeus (Asmodeus, Asmodaeus, pronounced Ashmed or Ashmedeus in Hebrew, also Chammadai, Sydonai) is a semi-Biblical demon mostly known thanks to the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit; he is also mentioned in some Talmudic legends and in demonology, as he is a leading figure in the construction efforts of the Temple of Solomon. Amongst many scholars, legends about Asmodai are thought to derive from Zoroastrianism, and incorporated into Judaism (and hence Christianity) during the Persian Achaemenids' rule over the Jews. Asmoday is one of the Four Princes of Hell, specifically the reigning prince over the Eastern Regions. He rules over 72 Legions of Demons and is the Demon of Lust in Binsfeld's and Michaelis' classification of demons.


This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... St. ... Deuterocanonical books is a term used since the sixteenth century in the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Christianity to describe certain books and passages of the Christian Bible, in contrast to the protocanonical books which are contained in the Hebrew Bible. ... Tobias and the Angel, by Filippino Lippi The Book of Tobit (or Book of Tobias in older Catholic Bibles) is a book of scripture that is part of the Catholic and Orthodox biblical canon, pronounced canonical by the Council of Carthage of 397 and confirmed for Roman Catholics by the... Demonology is the systematic study of demons. ... Solomons Temple was the first Jewish temple in Jerusalem which functioned as a religious focal point for worship and the sacrifices known as the korbanot in ancient Judaism. ... Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra, Zartosht). ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... For other uses of this term see: Persia (disambiguation) The Persian Empire is the name used to refer to a number of historic dynasties that have ruled the country of Persia (Iran). ... The Persepolis Ruins The Achaemenid dynasty (Old Persian:Hakamanishiya, Persian: هخامنشیان) - was a dynasty in the ancient Persian Empire. ... The Temptation of St. ...

Spelling variations

Æshma (Old Persian), Æshma-dæva, Ashmadia, Ashmedai (Hebrew), Asmodaios-Ασμοδαίος (Greek), Asmoday, Asmodée (French), Asmodee, Asmodei, Ashmodai, Asmodeios, Asmodeo (Spanish, from a Latin declination), Asmodeius, Asmodeus (Latin, as he is known in most translations of the Book of Tobit), Asmodi, Chammaday, Chashmodai, Sidonay, Sydonai.

The Persian Asmodai

In Mazdeism, Æshma-deva (Asmodai) is the chief of all demons, a personal being under direct command of Angra Mainyu, the principle of evil, and the enemy of Sraoscha, one of the suras or angels that serve Ahura Mazda, the principle of good (see dualism). Æshma's mission is to fill the hearts of men with anger and vengeful desires, and to create all evil on Earth. He incites men to abandon the path of good and follow that of evil. Avestan Æshma is cognate with modern Persian kheshm. Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra, Zartosht). ... St. ... Angra Mainyu (Avestan) or Ahriman (Middle Persian اهريمن) is the evil counterpart of the deity Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrianism. ... The Annunciation - the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear Jesus (El Greco, 1575) An angel is a supernatural being found in many religions. ... Ahura Mazda is the Avestan language name for an exalted divinity of ancient proto-Indo-Iranian religion that was subsequently declared by Zarathustra (Zoroaster) to be the one uncreated creator of all (God). ... It has been suggested that Combative dualism be merged into this article or section. ... Adjectives: Terrestrial, Terran, Telluric, Tellurian, Earthly Atmosphere Surface pressure: 101. ... In religion and ethics, Evil refers to the morally objectionable aspects of the behaviour and reasoning of human beings — those which are deliberately void of conscience, and show a wanton penchant for destruction. ... Persian (local name: FārsÄ« or PārsÄ« ) is an Indo-European language spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and by minorities in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, India, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Southern Russia, neighboring countries, and elsewhere. ...

Asmodai in Judaism

In Judaism Asmodai appears in the Book of Tobit and the Talmud. Note, however, that the Book of Tobit is not part of the established Jewish canon. Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... The first page of the Vilna Edition of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a The Talmud (Hebrew: תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ...

In the Book of Tobit, Asmodai falls in love with Sarah, daughter of Raguel, and kills her husband each time she gets married. In this way, he killed seven men on their wedding nights, thus impeding the consummation of the sexual act. After this, Sarah becomes engaged to a young man called Tobias. Tobias is menaced by the demon and receives the aid of the angel Raphael. Raphael teaches Tobias how to deal with the demon, making him catch a fish and put its heart and liver on lit coals. This produces a vapour that makes Asmodai flee to Egypt, where Raphael binds him. More about the demon's fate in this story is unknown, but here he is presented as feeling carnal desire as well as having evil behaviour. Raphael (Heb. ... A giant grouper at the Georgia Aquarium Fish are aquatic vertebrates that are typically cold-blooded; covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. ...

In the Talmud, Asmodai seems not to be the evil creature he is in other books. However, there are some legends concerning Asmodai and King Solomon. One of them tells that King Solomon tricked the demon and obliged him to collaborate in building the temple of Jerusalem. In another legend Asmodai changed place for some years with King Solomon. Yet another legend tells that Asmodai is the king of all demons, comparable to the Christian notions of Satan, and married Lilith, the daughter of Samael and Lilith (the original wife of Adam). It has been suggested that Sulayman be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, see Satan (disambiguation). ... Samael is an important figure in Talmudic and post-Talmudic lore, a figure who is accuser, seducer, and destroyer. ... Lilith (1892), by John Collier Lilith is a female Mesopotamian night demon or vampire associated with wind and thought to harm children. ... Michelangelos The Creation of Adam, a fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, shows God creating Adam, with Eve in His arm. ...

It is also stated that he was the offspring of the union between Adam and the angel of prostitution, Naamah, conceived whilst Adam was married to Lilith. Naamah or Naamah (Hebrew: נעמה, meaning pleasant) is a figure in Jewish mysticism and Babylonian mythology. ...

1906 Jewish Encyclopedia article

His function

In the Mazdian religion the chief of the Hindu Asuras, or demons. Though the oldest sections of the Avesta —the Gathas— present Æshma mainly as an abstract conception, still, in passages here and there, he is represented in the guise of a personal being ranging among the evil spirits that obey Angro-mainyush. In the later portions of the Avesta the personal character connoted by the name admits of no doubt. Æshma is an enemy of Sraoscha, one of the good angels that serve Ahuramazda. Æshma's design is directed preeminently toward imbuing the hearts of men with anger and revenge. Indeed, all the evil in the world is occasioned through his agency; he fortifies men in the pursuit of evil and seeks to keep them from entering the path of righteousness. Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra, Zartosht). ... See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Yasna 28. ... The Gathas (Gāθās) are the most sacred of the texts of the Zoroastrian faith, and are traditionally believed to have been composed by Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) himself. ...

Etymology of the word

Whether Æshma, like the Jewish Asmodeus in the Book of Tobit, or the Ashmedai of the Talmud, was, as a demon, specially characterized by carnal desire can not be determined. Against such a supposition the fact may be adduced that the Mazdian religion embraces another demon, Azi, who, as expressly stated, is the demon of carnal desire. It is, however, conceivable that Æshma may have had the same part assigned to him in the popular beliefs of the Persians, although the literary sources contain nothing to support the conjecture. The etymology of the word "Æshma" affords no possibility of arriving at any such conclusion. It is true that "Æshma" is connected with the verb ish, denoting "to desire," "to lust after"; but the abstract sense, "anger," that lies in the word "Æshma" in the Gathas, would seem to point to the necessity of referring the word to the same verb ish in its sense of "to throw," "to put in motion" (compare Justi's note to Baudissin's article "Asmodi," in Hauck's "Realencyklopädie"). Tobias and the Angel, by Filippino Lippi The Book of Tobit (or Book of Tobias in older Catholic Bibles) is a book of scripture that is part of the Catholic and Orthodox biblical canon, pronounced canonical by the Council of Carthage of 397 and confirmed for Roman Catholics by the... The first page of the Vilna Edition of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a The Talmud (Hebrew: תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... Azi (Today in Romanian) is a Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. ...

Though "Æshma" does not occur in the Avesta in conjunction with dæva, it is probable that a fuller form, such as "Æshmo-dæus," has existed, since it is paralleled by the later Pahlavi-form Khashm-dev (Khashm dev = "Æshma dev"), written with the Aramaic sheda, but pronounced dev. Corresponding to this form are Ασμοδαῖος (Asmodeus) of the Book of Tobit, and in the Talmud; for the last-named word is not to be derived from shemad. Thus, Asmodeus (Ashmedai) embodies an expression of the influence that the Persian religion or Persian popular beliefs have exercised on the Jewish—an influence that shows itself very prominently in the domain of demonology. Thus 'Ασμο, corresponds to "Æshma," and the ending δαῖος, to "dæva," "dev." The Pahlavi script was used broadly in the Sasanid Persian Empire to write down Middle Persian for secular, as well as religious purposes. ... Aramaic is a Semitic language with a four-thousand year history. ... A div (earlier Persian dÄ“v, Middle Persian dÄ“w, Avestan daÄ“va) is an evil spirit in Persian mythology that loves to cause harm and destruction. ...

Asmodeus in the Book of Tobit

Apart from this etymological coincidence—which, as is now generally agreed, has its basis in the fact that the Jewish word is borrowed from the Persian—Asmodeus of the Book of Tobit and Ashmedai in the Talmud bear no very great similarity to their Persian parallel, as Kohut, for instance, has sought to render plausible. All three are evil, harmful demons, though in different degrees; the worst of the three being undoubtedly the Persian Æshma. The Asmodeus of the Book of Tobit is attracted by Sarah, Raguel's daughter, and is not willing to let any husband possess her (Tobit, vi.13); hence he slays seven successive husbands on their wedding-nights. When the young Tobias is about to marry her, Asmodeus purposes the same fate for him; but Tobias is enabled, through the counsels of his attendant angel Raphael, to render him innocuous. By placing a fish's heart and liver on red-hot cinders, Tobias produces a smoky vapor which causes the demon to flee to Egypt, where Raphael binds him (viii.2, 3). Asmodeus would thus seem to be a demon characterized by carnal desire; but he is also described as an evil spirit in general: 'Ασμοδαίος τὸ πονηρὸν δαιμόνιον or τõ δαιμόνιον πονηρόν, and πνεῦμα ἀκάϑαρτον (iii.8, 17; vi.13; viii.3). It is possible, moreover, that the statement (vi.14), "Asmodeus loved Sarah," implies that he was attracted not by women in general, but by Sarah only. Raguel (Raguil, Rasuil, Rufael, Suryan, Akrasiel) is one of the 7 archangels mainly of the Judaic and Islamic traditions. ... The Archangel Raphael Raphael (Standard Hebrew רפאל, God has healed, God Heals, God, Please Heal, and many other combinations of the two words, Arabic: Israfil, اسرافيل) is the name of an archangel of Judaism and Christianity, who performs all manner of healing. ...

Special office of Æshma

This general designation of an evil spirit tallies with the description of Æshma in the Bundahis (xxviii.15 et seq.): "Seven powers are given Æshm that he may utterly destroy the creatures therewith: with those seven powers he will destroy seven of the Kayân heroes in his own time; but one will remain. There where Mîtôkht ["Falsehood"] arrives, Arask ["Malice"] becomes welcome; [and there where Arask is welcome] Æshm lays a foundation; and there where Æshm has a foundation many creatures perish, and he causes much non-Iranianism. Æshm mostly contrives all evil for the creatures of Auhramazd, and the evil deeds of those Kayân heroes have been more complete through Æshm, as it says that Æshm, the impetuous assailant, causes them most" (E. W. West, Sacred Books of the East, by F. Max Müller, v.108).

Less harmful in character than Æshma and Asmodeus is the figure of Ashmedai in the Talmud: he appears there repeatedly in the light of a good-natured and humorous fellow. But besides that, there is one feature in which he parallels Asmodeus, inasmuch as his desires turn upon Solomon's wives and Bath-sheba. Thus, while Asmodeus resembles Æshma-dæva with tolerable closeness, Ashmedai, on the contrary, would seem to come into direct comparison with a Greek satyr rather than with an evil demon. The historical element, however, that identifies him with Asmodeus on the one hand, and both with their Persian parallels on the other, is by no means to be ignored. Besides, if the Jews have merely borrowed the name from the Æshma-dæva of Parseeism, and have developed, independently, the idea of a demon corresponding to the name, it merely shows that the Jews shaped on lines of their own the materials they had borrowed from their neighbors. King Solomon Latin name (Hebrew: שְׁלֹמֹה, (Shlomo) Standard Tibe88rian ; Arabic: سليمان, Sulayman; all essentially meaning peace) is a figure described in Middle Eastern scriptures as a wise ruler of an empire centred on the united Kingdom of Israel. ... Cornelis van Haarlem: Bathsheba bathing Bathsheba (בת שבע) is the wife of Uriah the Hittite and later of King David in the Hebrew Bible. ... Image from a Greek chalice depicting a satyr with a tail and erect penis, Euphronios, 510–500 BC, Athens In Greek mythology, satyrs (in Greek, Σάτυροι — Sátyroi) are young humans, possibly with horse ears, that roamed the woods and mountains, and were the companions of Pan and Dionysus. ...

Influence of Persian beliefs on Judaism

However, it is not impossible that Æshma-dæva, too, may have had other qualities analogous, point for point, to those of Asmodeus and Ashmedai. It is probable that the belief in the existence of a number of carnally minded and lascivious spirits, which was prevalent among the Parsees as among other peoples with whom the people of Israel came in contact, exercised an influence not merely on the Hebrew conceptions of an Asmodeus or Ashmedai, but also on Jewish ideas in general with regard to the qualities of evil spirits. In later Judaism there may be observed an extensive evolution of the conceptions that are present by intimation in the mythological reminiscence found in Gen. vi.1 et seq. This evolution would seem, in any case, to have been advanced by the views spread by foreign religions. Not the least was the influence of Parseeism. To what extent this influence made itself felt among the Jews of later times, it is of course impossible to determine from the mere presence of Asmodeus in the Book of Tobit or of Ashmedai in the Talmud. But this occurrence indicates one of the channels through which the influence of foreign religions found its way among the Jews. Just as several of the apocalyptic works seem to show that the ideas of the Persian religion have had a bearing upon Jewish theological modes of thought, so do the conceptions of the Book of Tobit with regard to Asmodeus, and the depiction of Ashmedai in the Talmud, show that the popular beliefs of the Persians have likewise had a bearing, presumably in the first instance, on popular beliefs, and later, through them, on their theological modes of thought. ... Genesis (Greek: Γένεσις, having the meanings of birth, creation, cause, beginning, source and origin) is the first book of the Torah (five books of Moses) and hence the first book of the Tanakh, part of the Hebrew Bible; it is also the first book of the Christian Old Testament. ... For other uses, see Apocalypse (disambiguation). ...

Bibliography: Baudissin, Asmodi, in Hauck's Realencyklopädie für Theologie und Kirche, ii.142; Stave, Einfluss des Parsismus auf das Judentum, 1898; Kohut, Aruch Completum, i.318.

This article incorporates text from the 1901–1906 Jewish Encyclopedia, a publication now in the public domain. The Jewish Encyclopedia was an encyclopedia originally published between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

Asmodai in demonology

The importance given to Asmodai in demonology is less than in Judaism, being considered somewhat lower to other hellish authorities by most Christian demonologists (according to The Lesser Key of Solomon he is the thirty second in rank), but all of them coincide on his duty, which is to exacerbate carnal desire. Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). ... The Lesser Key of Solomon or Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis (the Clavicula Salomonis, or Key of Solomon is an earlier book on the subject), is an anonymous 17th century grimoire, and one of the most popular books of demonology. ...

In the Testament of Solomon (dated 1st - 3rd centuries CE) , Solomon invokes Asmodeus to aid in the construction of the Temple. The demon appears and predicts Solomon's kingdom will one day be divided.

"My constellation (is like an animal which) reclines in its den in heaven; some men call me the Great Bear, but others the Offspring of a Dragon. Moreover, a smaller constellation accompanies my constellation, for the high position and throne of my father is always in the sky. So do not ask me so many things, Solomon, for eventually your kingdom will be divided. This glory of yours is temporary. You have us to torture for a little while; then we shall disperse among human beings again with the result that we shall be worshipped as gods because men do not know the names of the angels who rule over us."

- Testament of Solomon 5:4-5

When Solomon interrogated Asmodeus further, he learned that Asmodeus was thwarted by the angel, Raphael, as well as sheatfish found in the rivers of Assyria. He also admitted he hated water.

In the Malleus Maleficarum (1486), he was considered the demon of lust, to which agreed Sebastian Michaelis saying that his adversary is St. John. To some demonologists of the 16th Century, that assigned each month to a demon, Asmodai's power is stronger in November. According to other demonologists his zodiacal sign is Aquarius but only between the dates of January 30 and February 8, he has seventy-two legions of demons under his command, and is one of the kings of Hell (Lucifer being the emperor). They also add to his mission that of inciting gambling, as he was said to be overseer of all the gambling houses in the court of Hell; and some Catholic theologians compared him with Abaddon. To other authors this demon is considered a prince of revenge and protector of male homosexuals, homosexuality being one of his methods of seduction. In the Dictionnaire Infernal by Collin de Plancy he is depicted with the chest of a man, cock legs, serpent tail, three heads (one of a man spitting fire, one of a ram, and one of a bull), riding a lion with dragon wings and neck, all of these creatures being associated with either lasciviousness, lust or revenge. Cover of the seventh Cologne edition of the Malleus Maleficarum, 1520 (from the University of Sydney Library). ... See also Lust (onomastics) for other uses Lust is any intense desire or craving, usually sexual, although it is also common to speak of a lust for life, lust for blood (bloodlust for short), or a lust for power or other goals. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with John the Evangelist. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... January 30 is the 30th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... February 8 is the 39th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... In the game Dungeons and Dragons there are 9 kings or lords of hell (one for each layer of hell), Asmodeus being the most powerful. ... Lucifer, as depicted in Collin de Plancys Dictionnaire Infernal (1863). ... Abaddon, in demonology, was chief of the demons of the seventh hierarchy. ... Homosexuality refers to sexual and romantic attraction between two individuals of the same sex. ... It has been suggested that womanizer be merged into this article or section. ... The Dictionnaire Infernal is a book on demonology that includes the name and description of the lots of demons the demonology organised in hellish hierarchies. ... Collin de Plancy (1793-1887) was a French occultist, demonologist and writer; he published several works on occultism and demonology. ... Look up cock in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Serpent is a word of Latin origin (serpens, serpentis) which is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit term serp, that is normally substituted for snake in a specifically mythic or religious context, in order to distinguish such creatures from the field of biology. ... Species See text. ... Binomial name Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758 Cattle (often called cows in vernacular and contemporary usage, or kye as the Scots plural of cou) are domesticated ungulates, a member of the subfamily Bovinae of the family Bovidae. ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) Synonyms Felis leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae and one of four big cats in the genus Panthera. ... The dragon is a mythical creature typically depicted as a large and powerful serpent or other reptile with magical or spiritual qualities. ...

Asmoday

The spelling Asmoday can be seen in the Ars Goetia as a king, and is said to have a seal in gold and is listed as number 32 according to respective rank^[1]. He "is strong, powerful and appears with three heads; the first is like a bull, the second like a man, and the third like a ram; the tail of a serpent, and from his mouth issue flames of fire."^[2] Also, he sits upon an infernal dragon, holds a lance with a banner and, "amongst the Legions of Amaymon governs seventy two legions of inferior spirits^[2]. The Ars Goetia (Greek, probably: The Art of Witchcraft), often simply called the Goetia, is the first section of the 17th century grimoire Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis, or The Lesser Key of Solomon. ...

See also

• The Lesser Key of Solomon
• Ars Goetia
• Rennes-le-Château

The Lesser Key of Solomon or Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis (the Clavicula Salomonis, or Key of Solomon is an earlier book on the subject), is an anonymous 17th century grimoire, and one of the most popular books of demonology. ... The Ars Goetia (Greek, probably: The Art of Witchcraft), often simply called the Goetia, is the first section of the 17th century grimoire Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis, or The Lesser Key of Solomon. ... Rennes-le-Château is a medieval castle village and a commune in the Aude département, in the Languedoc area in southern France. ...

References

1. ^ chapter:Classified List of the 72 Chief Spirits in the Goetia, by S.L. MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley
2. ^ ^{a b} the Goetia or Lesser Key of Solomon, page 32

Sources

• Aleister Crowley (ed.), Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers (trans.), The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King. York Beach, ME : Samuel Weiser (1995) ISBN 0-87728-847-X.