Gabriel

==Christianity==
===New Testament===

Gabriel's first appearance in the [[New Testament]], concerns the annunciation of the birth of [[John the Baptist]]. John's father [[Zechariah (priest)|Zachariah]], a priest of the course of Abia, ({{bibleref|Luke|1:5-7|9}}) was childless because his wife [[Elizabeth (biblical figure)|Elisabeth]] was barren. An angel appears to Zacharias while he is ministering in the Temple, to announce the birth of his son. When Zachariah questions the angel, the angel gives his name as Gabriel:
[[File:ANGELICO, Fra Annunciation, 1437-46 (2236990916).jpg|thumb|Gabriel announcing the incarnation to Mary, [[Annunciation (Fra Angelico, San Marco)|by Fra Angelico]], c. 1440{{ndash}}1445 ([[Museo di San Marco|Convent of San Marco]])]]
{{Poem quote|text=10 And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense.
11 And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost,<!-- Ghost is correct KJV, do not change to spirit. --> even from his mother's womb.
16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.
19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.
20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.|char=|sign=|title=Luke 1:10–20<ref>{{bibleref|Luke|1:10-20|KJV}} KJV. (other versions: {{bibleref|Luke|1:1–25|!}})</ref>|source=}}

After completing his required week<ref>[https://archive.today/20120720085450/http://www.avbtab.org/rc/read/dedicate.htm THE Dedication (Jesus' birth)] "The priests serve 4 weeks per year: 1 week twice a year in courses, and the two week-long feasts, unleavened bread and tabernacles. Pentecost is a one-day observance, which would have come before Zacharias' (the 8th) course began, or at the latest, the 1st day of his course, which was from 12 thru 18 Sivan, or noon on the 19th, if Josephus is correct that courses changed at noon on the sabbaths." Josephus Antiquities b.7 ch.14 s.7 "eight days, from sabbath to sabbath". Josephus against Apion b.2 sect.8 "mid-day"</ref> of ministry, Zacharias returns to his home and his wife Elizabeth conceives. After she has completed five months of her pregnancy ({{bibleref|Luke|1:21-25|9}}), Gabriel appears again, now to Mary, to announce the birth of Jesus:
[[File:The Annunciation, Philadelphia Museum of Art, W1899-1-1-pma, by Henry Ossawa Tanner.jpg|thumb|''The Annunciation'', by [[Henry Ossawa Tanner]] (1898)]]
{{Poem quote|text=26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,
27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.
32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
33 And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.
38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.|char=|sign=|title=Luke 1:26–38<ref>{{bibleref|Luke|1:26–38|KJV}} KJV. (other versions: {{bibleref|Luke|1:26–38|!}})</ref>|source=}}

Gabriel only appears by name in those two passages in Luke. In the first passage the angel identified himself as Gabriel, but in the second it is Luke who identified him as Gabriel. The only other named angels in the New Testament are Michael the Archangel (in {{bibleref|Jude|1:9|9}}) and [[Abaddon]] (in {{bibleref|Revelation|9:11|9}}). Believers are expressly warned not to worship angels in two New Testament passages: {{bibleref|Colossians|2:18-19|9}} and {{bibleref|Revelation|19:10|9}}.<ref>{{Citation |last=Easton |first=Matthew George |title=Angel |url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Easton%27s_Bible_Dictionary_(1897)/Angel |work=Easton's Bible Dictionary |access-date=2023-11-08}}</ref>

===Intertestamental literature===
Gabriel is not called an archangel in the [[canonical Bible]]. However, the [[intertestamental period]] (roughly 200 BC – 50 AD) produced a wealth of [[Non-canonical books referenced in the Bible|literature]], much of it having an [[apocalypse|apocalyptic]] orientation. The names and ranks of angels and devils were greatly expanded in this literature, and each had particular duties and status before God. This was the period when Gabriel was first referred to as an archangel.

In [[Book of Enoch|1 Enoch 9]]:1–3, Gabriel, along with Michael, [[Uriel (angel)|Uriel]], and [[Suriel]], "saw much blood being shed upon the earth" (9:1) and heard the souls of men cry, "Bring our cause before the Most High" ([[s:Book of Enoch/Chapter 09|9:3]]). In 1 Enoch 10:1, the reply came from "the Most High, the Holy and Great One" who sent forth agents, including Gabriel—

{{Blockquote|text=And the Lord said to Gabriel: "Proceed against the bastards and the reprobates, and against the children of fornication: and destroy [the children of fornication and] the children of the Watchers from amongst men [and cause them to go forth]: send them one against the other that they may destroy each other in battle: for length of days shall they not have."|author=|title=[https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Book%20of%20Enoch/Chapter%2010 1 Enoch 10:9]|source=}}

Gabriel is the fifth of the five angels who keep watch: "Gabriel, one of the holy angels, who is over Paradise and the serpents and the Cherubim". ([[s:Book of Enoch/Chapter 20|1 Enoch 20:7]])
When Enoch asked who the four figures were that he had seen:

{{Blockquote|text=And he said to me: 'This first is Michael, the merciful and long-suffering: and the second, who is set over all the diseases and all the wounds of the children of men, is Raphael: and the third, who is set over all the powers, is Gabriel: and the fourth, who is set over the repentance unto hope of those who inherit eternal life, is named Phanuel.' And these are the four angels of the Lord of Spirits and the four voices I heard in those days.|author=|title=[https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Book%20of%20Enoch/Chapter%2040 Enoch 40:9]|source=}}

===Gnosticism===
The [[heresy|heretical]] Christian movement of [[Gnosticism]] paid special attention to angels as beings belonging to a pantheon of spiritual forces involved in the creation of the world. According to one ancient [[Gnostic texts|Gnostic manuscript]], the [[Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit]], Gabriel is a divine being and inhabitant of the [[Pleroma#Gnosticism|Pleroma]] who existed prior to the [[Demiurge#Gnosticism|Demiurge]].<ref>{{cite book |author=James M. Robinson |author-link=James M. Robinson |title=The Nag Hammadi Scriptures |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ebxHP6RPNTUC |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |year=2007 |orig-year=First published 1978 |chapter=The Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit|isbn=9780060523787 }}</ref>

===Medieval Christian traditions===
<gallery>
File:Annonciation portail Reims.jpg|Archangel Gabriel at the façade of the [[Cathedral of Reims]], late 13th century
File:Llanbeblig Hours (f. 1r.) The Annunciation, Gabriel kneeling on one knee.jpg|''[[The Annunciation]]'' from the [[Llanbeblig Book of Hours]] (late 14th century), showing Gabriel kneeling on one knee
File:Gabriel from Vysotsky chin (14c, Tretyakov gallery).jpg|[[Icon]] of Gabriel, [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]], c. 1387–1395 ([[Tretyakov Gallery]])
File:Archangel Gabriel. Tsalenjikha fresco (Georgia, 14th c.).jpg|Archangel Gabriel. A fresco from the [[Tsalenjikha Cathedral]] by Cyrus Emanuel Eugenicus. 14th century.
File:0 Venise, statue de l'archange Gabriel - Palais des Doges.JPG|Statue of Archangel Gabriel (15th century), adorning the top of the northwest corner pillar of the [[Palazzo Ducale]] in [[Venice]]
File:Gabriel Archangel Hajdudorog.JPG|Gabriel on the southern deacons' door of the [[iconostasis of Hajdúdorog|iconostasis]] in the [[Cathedral of Hajdúdorog]], Hungary
</gallery>

In a famous early work, the "four homilies on the ''Missus Est'', [[Saint Bernard of Clairvaux]] (1090–1153 AD) interpreted Gabriel's name as "the strength of God", and his symbolic function in the gospel story as announcement of the strength or virtue of Christ, both as the strength of God incarnate and as the strength given by God to the timorous people who would bring into the world a fearful and troublesome event. "Therefore it was an opportune choice that designated Gabriel for the work he had to accomplish, or rather, because he was to accomplish it therefore he was called Gabriel."<ref>[[Saint Bernard of Clairvaux]], ''Four homilies on the Missus Est'' [https://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Hom%C3%A9lies_sur_les_gloires_de_la_Vierge_m%C3%A8re/Premi%C3%A8re_hom%C3%A9lie], first homily, paragraph 2.</ref>

====Feast day====
The feast day of Saint Gabriel the Archangel was exclusively celebrated on 18 March according to many sources dating between 1588 and 1921; unusually, a source published in 1856<ref>{{cite web|title=The Catholic Directory, Ecclasiastical Register, and Almanac|year = 1856|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XG42AAAAMAAJ&q=18th+of+march+archangel+gabriel+day&pg=PA9|access-date=29 April 2017}}</ref> has the feast celebrated on 7 April for unknown reasons (a parenthetical note states that the day is normally celebrated on 18 March). Writer [[Elizabeth Drayson]] mentions the feast being celebrated on 18 March 1588 in her 2013 book "The Lead Books of Granada".<ref>{{cite book |last=Drayson |first=Elizabeth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LwRfCwAAQBAJ&q=archangel+gabriel+18+march&pg=PA3 |title=The Lead Books of Granada |date=13 January 2016 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |isbn=978-1137358844 |edition=2013 |page=3}}</ref>

One of the oldest out-of-print sources placing the feast on 18 March, first published in 1608, is ''Flos sanctorum: historia general de la vida y hechos de Jesu-Christo ... y de los santos de que reza y haze fiesta la Iglesia Catholica ...'' by the [[Spain|Spanish]] writer [[Alonso de Villegas]]; a newer edition of this book was published in 1794.<ref>{{cite book |last=de Villegas |first=Alonso |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D-MIM9Quh_sC&q=el+arc%C3%A1ngel+del+bautismo+gabriel+18+marzo&pg=PA250 |title=Flos sanctorum: historia general de la vida y hechos de Jesu-Christo ... |date=1794 |publisher=Imprenta de Isidro Aguasvivas |location=Spain |page=250 |language=es}}</ref> Another source published in Ireland in 1886 the ''[[Irish Ecclesiastical Record]]'' also mentions 18 March.<ref>{{cite book |date=1886 |title=The Irish Ecclesiastical Record |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qKM9AAAAYAAJ&q=archangel+gabriel+18th+of+march+commemoration&pg=PA1112 |publisher=Browne and Nolan, 1886 |page=1112 }}</ref>

The feast of Saint Gabriel was included by [[Pope Benedict XV]] in the [[General Roman Calendar]] in 1921, for celebration on 24 March.<ref>''Butler's Lives of the saints'', vol. 1, edited by [[Herbert Thurston]] and [[Donald Attwater]], Christian Classics, 1981 {{ISBN|9780870610455}}.</ref> In 1969, the day was officially transferred to 29 September for celebration in conjunction with the feast of the archangels Ss. Michael and Raphael.<ref>''Calendarium Romanum'' (Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1969), p. 119.</ref> The [[Church of England]] has also adopted the 29 September date, known as [[Michaelmas]].

The [[Eastern Orthodox Church]] and those [[Eastern Catholic Churches]] that follow the [[Byzantine Rite]] celebrate his [[feast day]] ([[Synaxis of the Archangel Michael and the Other Bodiless Powers]]) on 8 November (for those churches that follow the traditional [[Julian Calendar]], 8 November currently falls on 21 November of the modern [[Gregorian Calendar]], a difference of 13 days). Eastern Orthodox commemorate him, not only on his November feast, but also on two other days:

* 26 March is the "[[Synaxis]] of the Archangel Gabriel" and celebrates his role in the [[Annunciation]] (eavetaking of the Annunciation)

* 13 July is also known as the "Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel" and celebrates all the appearances and miracles attributed to Gabriel throughout history. The feast was first established on [[Mount Athos]] when, in the 9th century, during the reign of [[Byzantine Emperor|Emperor]] [[Basil II]] and Empress Constantina Porphyrogenitus and while [[Nicholas II Chrysoberges|Nicholas Chrysoverges]] was [[Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople|Patriarch of Constantinople]], the Archangel appeared in a cell<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.keliaxionestin.com/eng/?page_id=760|title=Ιερό Κελλί "Άξιον Εστί"}}</ref> near [[Karyes]], where he wrote with his finger on a stone tablet the hymn to the [[Theotokos]], "[[Axion Estin|It is truly meet ...]]".<ref>{{Cite book | last =Velimirovic | first =Bishop Nikolai | contribution =13 July: The Holy Archangel Gabriel | year =1985 | title =Prologue from Ochrid | place =Birmingham, UK | publisher =Lazarica Press | isbn =978-0-948298-05-9 | url =http://www.westsrbdio.org/prolog/my.html?month=July&day=13&Go.x=6&Go.y=12 | access-date =31 July 2007 | url-status=dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070928014848/http://www.westsrbdio.org/prolog/my.html?month=July&day=13&Go.x=6&Go.y=12 | archive-date =28 September 2007 }}</ref>

Saint Gabriel the Archangel is [[Calendar of saints|commemorated]] on the [[Vigil (liturgy)|vigil]] of the Feast of the Annunciation by [[Antiochian Western Rite Vicariate]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=2012-01-11 |title=Calendar |url=http://www.stgregoryoc.org/calendar/ |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=St. Gregory the Great Orthodox Church |language=en-US}}</ref> and [[ROCOR]] [[Western Rite Orthodoxy|Western Rite]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=ROCOR Western Rite (Home) |url=https://www.rocor-wr.org/ |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=rocorwr |language=en}}</ref>

The [[Coptic Orthodox Church]] celebrates his feast on 13 [[Paoni]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://st-takla.org/Full-Free-Coptic-Books/Synaxarium-or-Synaxarion/Saints-Feasts/10-Bawoonah/13-Bawoonah-1-Gabriel-Angel.html|title=تذكار رئيس الملائكة الجليل جبرائيل "غبريال" - عيد سنكسار يوم 13 بؤونة، شهر بؤونة، الشهر القبطي |website=st-takla.org}}</ref> 22 [[Koiak]] and 26 [[Paoni]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Alex |first=Michael Ghaly |title=رئيس الملائكة الجليل جبرائيل - كتاب الملائكة |url=https://st-takla.org/Full-Free-Coptic-Books/FreeCopticBooks-014-Various-Authors/001-Al-Mala2ka/The-Angels__37-Archangel-Gabriel.html |website=st-takla.org}}</ref>

The [[Ethiopian Church]] celebrates his feast on 18 December (in the Ethiopian calendar), with a sizeable number of its believers making a pilgrimage to a church dedicated to "Saint Gabriel" in [[Kulubi]] and Wonkshet on that day.<ref>Nega Mezlekia, ''Notes from the Hyena's Belly: An Ethiopian Childhood'' (New York: Picador, 2000), p. 266. {{ISBN|0-312-28914-6}}.</ref>

In the [[Lutheran Church]]es, Gabriel is celebrated on the Feast of the Archangels on 29 September.<ref name="Blersch2019"/>

Additionally, Gabriel is the [[patron saint]] of messengers, those who work for broadcasting and telecommunications such as radio and television, postal workers, clerics, diplomats, and stamp collectors.<ref name="Guiley2004p140">{{cite book |last1=Guiley |first1=Rosemary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=15XABtvHcEsC |title=Encyclopedia of Angels |publisher=Facts on File, Incorporated |year=2004 |isbn=9780816050239 |edition=2nd |location=New York, New York |page=140 |oclc=718132289 |quote="He is the patron saint to telecommunication workers, radio broadcasters, messengers, postal workers, clerics, diplomats, and stamp collectors." |access-date=15 November 2013}}</ref>

;Gabriel's horn
{{See also|Gabriel's Horn|label 1=Gabriel's Horn (Geometric figure)}}
A familiar [[Literary trope|image]] of Gabriel has him blowing a trumpet blast to announce the resurrection of the dead at the end of time. However, though the Bible mentions a trumpet blast preceding the resurrection of the dead, it never specifies Gabriel as the trumpeter. Different passages state different things: the angels of the Son of Man ([[Matthew 24]]:31); the voice of the Son of God ([[John 5]]:25–29); God's trumpet ([[First Epistle to the Thessalonians|I Thessalonians]] 4:16); seven angels sounding a series of blasts ([[Revelation 8]]–[[Revelation 11|11]]); or simply "a trumpet will sound" ([[First Epistle to the Corinthians|I Corinthians]] 15:52).<ref name="svm">S. Vernon McCasland, "Gabriel's Trumpet", ''Journal of Bible and Religion'' '''9''':3:159–161 (August 1941) {{JSTOR|1456405}}.</ref> Likewise the early Christian [[Church Fathers]] do not mention Gabriel as a trumpeter; and in Jewish and Muslim traditions, Gabriel is again not identified as a trumpeter.<ref>In Judaism, trumpets are prominent, and they seem to be blown by God himself, or sometimes [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]]. In Islamic tradition, it is [[Israfil]] who blows the trumpet, though he is not named in the [[Qur'an]].</ref>

The earliest known identification of Gabriel as a trumpeter comes from the Hymn of the Armenian Saint Nerses Shnorhali, "for Protection in the Night":<ref>{{Cite web|title=Peace Hour (After Sunset)|url=http://forums.orthodoxchristianity.net/attachments/the-peace-hour-pdf.18766/|url-status=dead|website=orthodoxchristianity.net|access-date=22 August 2021|archive-date=22 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822213239/http://forums.orthodoxchristianity.net/attachments/the-peace-hour-pdf.18766/}}</ref>

<blockquote>The sound of Gabriel's trumpet on the last night, make us worthy to hear, and to stand on your right hand among the sheep with lanterns of inextinguishable light; to be like the five wise virgins, so that with the bridegroom in the bride chamber we, his spiritual brides may enter into glory.</blockquote>

In 1455, in [[Armenian art]], there is an illustration in an Armenian manuscript showing Gabriel sounding his trumpet as the dead climb out of their graves.<ref>Walters MS 543, fol. 14.</ref>

===Evangelical Christian traditions===
The image of Gabriel's trumpet blast to announce the end of time was taken up in [[Evangelical Christianity]], where it became widespread, notably in [[Negro spirituals]].<ref>The widespread understanding of Gabriel's horn as a symbol of the end of time in U.S. Southern culture, is apparent from its appearance in the University of Texas's school spirit song, ''[[The Eyes of Texas]]'' (1903): [https://texassports.com/sports/2013/7/28/traditions_0728131333.aspx?id=267"The eyes of Texas are upon you, until Gabriel blows his horn."] Likewise in [[Marc Connelly]]'s play based on negro spirituals, ''[[The Green Pastures]]'' (1930), Gabriel has his beloved trumpet constantly with him, and the Lord has to warn him not to blow it too soon.</ref>

An earlier example occurs in [[John Milton]]'s ''[[Paradise Lost]]'' (1667):<ref name="svm" /><ref>Milton, ''Paradise Lost'', XI.72ff</ref>
<blockquote><poem>
Betwixt these rockie pillars Gabriel sat
Chief of the Angelic guards (IV.545f) ...
He ended, and the Son gave signal high
To the bright minister that watch'd, he blew
His trumpet, heard in Oreb since perhaps
When God descended, and perhaps once more
To sound at general doom. (XI.72ff).
</poem></blockquote>

It is unclear how the Armenian conception inspired Milton and the spirituals, though they presumably have a common source.<ref name="svm"/>

====Latter-day Saints====
In [[the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] theology, Gabriel is believed to have lived a mortal life as the prophet [[Noah]]. The two are regarded as the same individual; Noah being his mortal name and Gabriel being his heavenly name.<ref name=":1">{{citation |last= Skinner |first= Andrew C |author-link= Andrew C. Skinner |contribution= Noah |contribution-url= http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Noah |pages= 1016–1017 |editor1-last= Ludlow |editor1-first= Daniel H |editor1-link= Daniel H. Ludlow |title= [[Encyclopedia of Mormonism]] |location= New York |publisher= [[Macmillan Publishing]] |year= 1992 |isbn= 0-02-879602-0 |oclc= 24502140 |access-date= 7 February 2012 |archive-date= 17 September 2016 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160917041336/http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Noah |url-status= dead }}.</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1998/02/noah-the-great-preacher-of-righteousness?lang=eng|title=Noah, The Great Preacher of Righteousness|last=Romney|first=Joseph B.|website=The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints|access-date=22 September 2019|quote=the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “Noah, who is Gabriel, … stands next in authority to Adam in the Priesthood;}}</ref>