MICHAEL, mi'kti-isl or (Heb., 'Who is like (sod?'). Au angel called in Dan. x. 13 one of the chief princes, who had special care of the Jews (Dan. x. I. 'Michael your prince'), and who will fight for them and finally re deem them (Dan. xii. Ii. In Jude 9 Mi chael is represented as fighting with the Devil for the body of Moses. In Rev. xii. 7-9 he lights against the Dragon. In the Book of Enoch _Michael appears as one of the four angels who stand at the throne of God, Ra phael, Gabriel, and Lemuel being the others, and in the oldest list of the seven arehangels I Uriel, Raphael, Baguet, Miehael, Suriel. Gabriel, and Remiel 1 the fourth place is occupied by Nlichael ( Ethiopic text of Enoch, chap. xx). Ills special funetion, as described in Enoch. is to act as scribe in entering in the heavenly books the deeds of the angelic patrons of nations, while in the Asce nsion of Isaiah be records the deeds of all men in the heavenly books. Aceording
to the Talmudic account, Michael is the prince. the chief of the angels, standing in relation to the rest as the High Priest does to Israel on earth. Ile is therefore looked upon as the medium through whom the Law was given to Nloses on Mount Sinai. In the Western Christian Church September 29th (Michaelmas) has been set aside as Ids day: the Greek Church keeps November 9th. Zimna.rn (Kcilinsvhriften unit this cite restane,nt, p. 376 seq.) has shown that sonic of the conceptions eonnected with Michael represent attributes of Babylonian gods. like Manful; and Nebo transformed to 'angels.' Consult: Lrhre eics Toinind (Leipzig, 18971: Kohut, Jii elische I mgt lologir (Leipzig. 186(i) ; Lucken, 1/icheo./ (G;tttingen, 1898).