Azazel
According to the apocryphal Book of Enoch, Azazel was a leader of the grigori (also known as "watchers"), a group of fallen angels who mated with mortal women, giving rise to a race of giants known as the Nephilim. Azazel is particularly noteworthy among the grigori because it was he who taught men how to make weapons of war as well as teaching women how to make and wear cosmetics. Eventually, Azazel's teachings created such iniquity that God decided to destroy all life on earth with a great flood, sparing only Noah, Noah's family, and two animals of every species then in existence, all of whom escaped destruction by living for one year on an ark that God instructed Noah to build.
Azazel is also mentioned in Leviticus as an entity to whom an offering of a goat is made on the Jewish Day of Atonement. It is important to note that the goat offered to Azazel is not a sacrifice. Rather, in conjunction with another goat which is sacrificed to God, the goat sent to Azazel is led out into the desert and set free as proof that there is no longer any unexpiated guilt in the community.
Referenced By
Day of Atonement | Demons and animals | Fallen angel | List of Biblical names starting with A | List of fallen angels | List of religious topics | List of religious topics (G-M) | List of religious topics (N-S) | List of religious topics (T-Z) | List of specific demons and types of demons | Mystique | Names of the demons | Satyr | Satyrs | Scapegoat | Sinful | Sinner | Sins | Yom Kippor | Yom Kippur | Yom Kipur
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