Raphael

aphael, whose name means, “God has healed.” The apocryphal Jewish text, the Book of Tobias prominently mentions Raphael. This book almost found its way into the first canonical Christian bible. St. Jerome, the first Bible translator into Latin from original languages, was less familiar with Aramaic and Hebrew and had to use a Rabbi to help with the translations. The Book of Tobias came late to Jerome’s translation effort. Most scholars agree that his Vulgate translation of Tobias is hurried and is the most likely reason it was not accepted into the first Christian Bible. The Book of Tobias since has been found in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. Unfortunately, the Aramaic version Jerome used has been lost.

The Book of Tobias takes its name from the holy man Tobias, a virtuous and pious man with extraordinary patience who vows to serve the will of God without question or complaint. There are two passages in which Raphael appears to Tobias, one in the famous prayer in which Raphael lightens Tobias’ spiritual burden-and the healing of Tobias and his wife Sara by the Archangel.

PRAYER OF TOBIAS (3:1-6, 21-25))

“Then Tobias sighed, and began to pray with tears, Saying, Thou art just, O Lord, and all thy judgments are just, and all thy ways mercy, and truth, and judgment: And now, O Lord, think of me, and take not revenge of my sins, neither remember my offences, nor those of my parents. For we have not obeyed thy commandments, therefore are we delivered to spoil and to captivity, and death, and are made a fable, and a reproach to all nations, amongst which thou hast scattered us.

And now, O Lord, great are thy judgments, because we have not done according to thy precepts, and have not walked sincerely before thee. And now, O Lord, do with me according to thy will, and command my spirit to be received in peace: for it is better for me to die, than to live. But this every one is sure of that worship thee, that his life, if it be under trial, shall be crowned and if it be under tribulation, it shall be delivered: and if it be under correction, it shall be allowed to come to thy mercy. For thou art not delighted in our being lost, because after a storm thou makest a calm, and after tears and weeping thou pourest in joyfulness. Be thy name, O God of Israel, blessed for ever. At that time the prayers of them both were heard in the sight of the glory of the most high God. And the holy angel of the Lord, Raphael was sent to heal them both, whose prayers at one time were rehearsed in the sight of the Lord.”

The Healing by Raphael of Tobias (12: 14-22)

“And now the Lord hath sent me to heal thee, and to deliver Sara thy son’s wife from the devil. For I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord. And when they had heard these things, they were troubled, and being seized with fear they fell upon the ground on their face. And the angel said to them: Peace be to you, fear not. For when I was with you, I was there by the will of God: bless ye him, and sing praises to him. I seemed indeed to eat and to drink with you but I use an invisible meat and drink, which cannot be seen by men. It is time therefore that I return to him that sent me: but bless ye God, and publish all his wonderful works. And when he had said these things, he was taken from their sight, and they could see him no more. Then they lying prostrate for three hours upon their face, blessed God, and rising up, they told all his wonderful works.”

Many scholars believe Raphael may be the “angel of the lord” identified in the story of Jesus healing in the pool on the Sabbath. (John 5). Some translations of the Bible delete the reference to the Angel. Below is from the King James Version. The reference to Raphael at the pool also appears in one of the Epistles to the Roman Mass. This is drawn from Tobias and John 5: 1-4.

Jesus’ Healing on the Sabbath (John 5: 1-4)

“After this there was a feast of the Jews; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had. And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath.”

In Islam, Raphael is one of four who guards the throne of Allah. Islam renames Raphael, Azaril, who becomes the Archangel of death.¹¹ Unfortunately, medieval Christianity, throws Azrael (note third spelling) in with another fallen Archangel, Astarte, making them some sort of devilish monarchs of the underworld despite Raphael’s role in Islam is a positive one. The principal Christian and Jewish patronage of Raphael is for healers. A Jewish tradition has Raphael, the healer, at the circumcision of Abraham.