This is mostly a free ad for Tyler Gilreath's book, Gospel Over Gods, link at end. No exchange of money or anything of value. It's simply interesting, so I am posting.A few things before you get started:(a) King James and other well regarded translations use scapegoat instead of the name Azazel, so it could easily be one of those things you read right over and never see.(b) Gilreath quotes a commentary that calls Azazel "a proper name, probably of a demon." To be clear, we are positing that Azazel is a fallen angel of the watcher class, whereas as demon was once a half-breed nephilim that became disembodied at its death. Not the same.
AZAZEL, A FALLEN ANGEL, GETS A GOAT ON THE DAY OF ATONEMENT. Wait?! What?!!
In Leviticus 16, Yahweh (God) articulates a very strange command for Aaron—send a goat to Azazel.
“And he shall take the two goats, and he shall present them before Yahweh at the tent of assembly’s entrance. Then Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats: one lot for Yahweh and one for Azazel. And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot for Yahweh fell, and he shall sacrifice it as a sin offering. But he must present alive before Yahweh the goat on which the lot for Azazel fell to make atonement for himself, to send it away into the desert to Azazel. (Lev 16:7–10, LEB)
This head-scratching revelation begs three questions: Who is Azazel? Why is he in the desert? And why does he get a goat?
The Bible Background Commentary states,
“Since verse 8 identifies one goat as “for Yahweh” and the other goat as “for Azazel,” it is most consistent to consider Azazel a proper name, probably of a demon. Early Jewish interpreters had this understanding, as is demonstrated in the book of Enoch…This goat is not sacrificed to Azazel (consistent with 17:7) but released “to Azazel” (v. 26).
Moses and Aaron knew exactly who he was and why he was in the desert. Azazel was the ringleader of the angels who sinned with women in Genesis 6:1–4. This is precisely how he’s described in 4Q180 Frag. 1:7–10 of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
7The prophetic interpretation concerning Azazel and the angels wh[o went in to the daughters of man,] 8[so that] they bore mighty men to them. And concerning Azazel [who taught them] 9[to love] iniquity and to pass on wickedness as an inheritance, all […] 10[…] judgments, and the judgment of the council of […]1
The Jewish Enochic tradition states that Azazel (one of the rebellious sons of God) was punished for his Genesis 6 debacle by being bound and buried—you guessed it—in the desert.
4. And again the Lord said to Raphael: ‘Bind Azâzêl hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dûdâêl, and cast him therein. 5.And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there for ever, and cover his face that he may not see light. 6.And on the day of the great judgement he shall be cast into the fire.” (1 Enoch 10:4–6)
Azazel symbolized the totality of sin and evil, and so did the desert. It was the perfect symbol of transporting the people’s sin outside of God’s holy camp, where sin belonged, and transferring it upon the one to whom sin belonged—on one of the key sinister angelic leaders of Satan’s camp, Azazel. This was an annual ritual on the Day of Atonement.
Recovering the idea that Azazel is a supernatural being restores a very important and interesting link back to the angelic rebellion of Genesis 6.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1736104276 Gospel Over Gods opens in new window
