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Jump to navigationJump to searchNew page: Image:lighterstill.jpg '''Satan''' (Standard Hebrew '''Satan'el''', English ''accuser'') is a term that originates from the Abrahamic religions, being traditionally applied t...
[[Image:lighterstill.jpg]]
'''Satan''' (Standard Hebrew '''Satan'el''', [[English]] ''accuser'') is a term that originates from the [[Abraham]]ic religions, being traditionally applied to an [[angel]] in Judeo-Christian belief, and to a [[Genie|jinn]] in [[Islamic]] [[belief]].
Originally, this figure was the one who challenged the religious [[faith]] of humans in the Hebrew Bible. Since then, the Abrahamic religions have variously regarded Satan as a rebellious fallen angel or [[demon]] that tempts humans to [[sin]] or commit [[evil]] deeds. Others regard the Biblical Satan as an [[metaphor|allegory]] that represents a crisis of faith, [[individual]]ism, [[free will]], [[wisdom]] and enlightenment.
==Etymology==
The word 'Satan', and the Arabic ''شيطان'' "shaitan", may derive from a Northwest Semitic root ''śṭn'', meaning "to be hostile", "to accuse.[http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/S301.html] An alternative explanation is provided by the Hebrew in |Job|1:7. When [[God]] asks him whence he has come, Satan answers: "From wandering (''mi'ŝuṭ'') the earth and walking on it" (מִשּׁוּט בָּאָרֶץ, וּמֵהִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּה). The root ''ŝuṭ'' signifies wandering on foot or sailing. 'Satan' would thus be "the Wanderer".
'Satan' is שָׂטָן ''Satan'' in Standard Hebrew, ''Śāṭān'' in Tiberian Hebrew, סטנא ''Sāṭānā''' in Aramaic, Σατανάς ''Satanás'' in Koine Greek, شيطان ''Šeytân'' in Persian, شيطان ''Šayṭān'' in Arabic,'Sāyṭān'' in Ge'ez, ''Şeytan'' in Turkish, and شيطان ''Shāitān'' in Urdu.
==In Judaism==
===In the Hebrew Apocrypha===
[[The Apocrypha]] are religious writings which are not generally accepted as scripture by Judaism and many modern-day Protestant sects of Christianity. These works usually bore the names of ancient Hebrew worthies in order to establish their validity among the true writers' contemporaries. To reconcile the late appearance of the [[text]]s with their claims to primitive antiquity, alleged authors are represented as "shutting up and sealing" (Dan. XII. 4:9) the works until the time of their fulfillment had arrived; as the texts were not meant for their own generations but for far-distant ages (also cited in [[Assumption of Moses]] I. 16:17).
In the [[Book of Wisdom]], the devil is represented as the being who brought death into the world.
:"But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world" - Book of Wisdom II. 24
The 2nd Book of Enoch, also called the Slavonic Book of Enoch, contains references to a Watcher Grigori called Satanael. It is a [[pseudepigraphal]] text of an uncertain date and unknown authorship. The text describes Satanael as being the prince of the Grigori who was cast out of heaven
:"And I threw him out from the height with his angels, and he was flying in the air continuously above the bottomless" - [[2 Enoch]] 29:4</ref> and an evil spirit who knew the difference between what was "righteous" and "sinful"."The devil is the evil spirit of the lower places, as a fugitive he made Sotona from the heavens as his name was Satanail, thus he became different from the angels, but his nature did not change his intelligence as far as his understanding of righteous and sinful things"
A similar story is found in the book of [[1 Enoch]]; however, in that book, the leader of the Grigori is called Semjâzâ.
In the [[apocryphal]] [[literature]], Satan rules over a host of angels.Mastema, who induced God to test Abraham through the sacrifice of Isaac, is identical with Satan in both name and nature.
For the Chasidic Jews of the eighteenth century, Ha-satan was ''Baal Davar''.
The [[Book of Enoch]] contains references to Satariel, thought also to be Sataniel and Satan'el (etymology dating back to Babylonian origins). The similar spellings mirror that of his angelic brethren [[Archangel Michael|Michael]], [[Raphael]], [[Uriel]] and [[Gabriel]], previous to his expulsion from Heaven.
===In the Bible===
Where Satan does appear in the Bible, he plays the role of the Accuser.
According to the article on 'Satan' in the Jewish Encyclopedia, Satan's role as the accuser is found:
:"in the prologue to the Book of Job, where Satan appears, together with other celestial beings before the Deity, replying to the inquiry of God as to whence he had come, with the words: 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.' (Job 1:7) Both question and answer, as well as the dialogue which follows, characterize Satan as having the evil purpose of searching out men's sins and appearing as their accuser. He is, therefore, the celestial prosecutor, who sees only iniquity; for he persists in his evil opinion of Job even after the man of Uz has passed successfully through his first trial by surrendering to the will of God, whereupon Satan demands another test through physical suffering.
:Yet it is also evident from the prologue that Satan has no power of independent action, but requires the permission of God, which he may not transgress. He cannot be regarded, therefore, as an opponent of the Deity; and the doctrine of monotheism is disturbed by his existence no more than by the presence of other beings before the face of God. This view is also retained in Zech. 3:1-2, where Satan is described as the adversary of the high priest [[Joshua]], and of the people of God whose representative the hierarch is; and he there opposes the 'angel of the Lord' who bids him be silent in the name of God.
:In both of these passages Satan acts only under permission; but in I Chron. 21:1 he appears as one who is able to provoke [[David]] to destroy Israel. The Chronicler (third century B.C.) regards Satan as an independent agent, a view which is the more striking since the source whence he drew his account (II Sam. 24:1) speaks of God Himself as the one who moved David against the children of [[Israel]]. Since the older conception refers all events, whether good or bad, to God alone, (I Sam. 16:14; I Kings 22:22; Isa. 45:7; etc) it is possible that the Chronicler, and perhaps even [[Zechariah]], were influenced by [[Zoroastrianism]], even though in the case of the prophet Jewish [[monism]] strongly opposed [[Iran]]ian [[dualism]]. [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=270&letter=S|title=Jewish Encyclopaedia]
===In the Talmud and other Rabbinic Sources===
The Talmud mentions the Satan in many places. In all of these places, the Satan is merely an agent of God, and has no independent existence. Sometimes the Satan is conflated with various demons, such as Asmodai. At times there is even some sympathy for him. Commenting on the Book of Job, the rabbis express sympathy that his job was to "break the barrel but not spill any wine."
In Kabbalistic literature and its derivative, Hasidic literature, the Satan is seen as an agent of God whose job is to tempt one into [[sin]], and then turn around and accuse the sinner on high. An additional understanding of Satan is from a parable to a prostitute who is hired by the King (God) to tempt his son (a Jew). The prostitute has to do the best she can to tempt the son; but deep down she hopes the son will pass the test. Similarly, Kabbalistic/Hasidic thought sees the Satan in the same situation. His job is to tempt us as best he can; turn around and accuse us; but deep down his wish is that we would resist his blandishments.
==In Christianity==
In Christianity, terms that are synonymous with 'Satan' include:
* The most common English synonym for 'Satan' is 'Devil', which descends from [[Middle English]] ''devel'', from [[Old English]] ''dēofol'', that in turn represents an early Germanic borrowing of Latin ''diabolus'' (also the source of 'diabolical'). This in turn was borrowed from Greek ''diabolos'' "slanderer," from ''diaballein'' "to slander": ''dia-'' "across, through" + ''ballein'' "to hurl."[http://www.bartleby.com/61/94/D0179400.html] In the [[New Testament]], 'Satan' occurs more than thirty times in passages alongside ''Diabolos'' (Greek for "the devil"), referring to the same person or thing as Satan.
* [[Lucifer]] is sometimes used in Christian theology to refer to Satan, as a result of identifying the fallen "son of the dawn" of Isaiah 14:12 with the "accuser" of other passages in the Old Testament.
* [[Beelzebub]] is originally the name of a [[Philistine]] god (more specifically a certain type of [[Baal]], from ''Ba‘al Zebûb'', lit. "Lord of Flies") but is also used in the New Testament as a synonym for Satan. A corrupted version, "Belzeboub," appears in [[The Divine Comedy]].
* "The dragon" and "the old serpent" in the [[Book of Revelation]] 12:9, 20:2 have also been identified with Satan, as have "the prince of this world" in the [[Book of John]] 12:31, 14:30; "the prince of the power of the air" also called Meririm, and "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" in the [[Book of Ephesians]] 2:2; and "the god of this world" in [[2 Corinthians]] 4:4.
* [[Leviathan]] is described as "that crooked serpent," which is also used to describe Satan in Revelation 12:9. 'Sar ha Olam,' a possible name for [[Metatron]], is described as Satan by [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]], [[Jehoel]] and [[Paul of Tarsus|St. Paul]].
[[Image:Gustave Dore Inferno34.jpg|thumb|left|235px|Satan as depicted in [[Cocytus|the Ninth Circle of Hell]] in [[Dante Alighieri]]'s
In mainstream Christianity's understanding of the holy Hebrew scriptures, the Torah, Satan is a synonym for the Devil. For most Christians, he is believed to be an [[angel]] who rebelled against [[God]]— and also the one who spoke through the [[Helianx|serpent]] and seduced Eve into disobeying God's command. His ultimate goal is to lead people away from the love of God — to lead them to fallacies which God opposes. Satan is also identified as the accuser of [[Book of Job|Job]], the tempter in the [[Gospels]], the secret power of lawlessness in , and the dragon in the [[Book of Revelation]]. Before his alleged insurrection, Satan was among the highest of all angels and the "[[Lucifer|brightest in the sky]]." His pride is considered a reason why he would not bow to God as all other angels did, but sought to rule heaven himself. The popularly held beliefs that Satan was once a prideful angel who eventually rebels against God, however, are barely portrayed explicitly in the Bible and are mostly based on inference. Moreover, in mainstream Christianity he is called "the ruler of the demons" (Matt. 12:24), "the ruler of the world" and even "the god of this world." (2 Cor. 4:4). The Book of Revelation describes how Satan will be cast out of Heaven, down to the earth, having "great anger" and waging war against "those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of [[Jesus]]". Ultimately, Satan is thrown into the "lake of fire" , not as ruler, but as one among many, being tormented day and night for all eternity.
In other, non-mainstream, Christian beliefs (e.g. the beliefs of the the word "satan" in the Bible is not regarded as referring to a supernatural, personal being but to any 'adversary' and figuratively refers to human sin and temptation.
==In Islam==
''Shaitan'' (شيطان) is the equivalent of Satan in [[Islam]].
While Shaitan (شيطان, from the root šṭn شطن) is an adjective (meaning "astray" or "distant", sometimes translated as "devil") that can be applied to both [[man]] ("al-ins", الإنس) and [[Genie|Jinn]], [[Iblis]] (pronounced|ˈibliːs) is the personal name of the Devil who is mentioned in the [[Koran|Qur'an]]ic account of [[Genesis]].[http://www.themystica.org/mystica/articles/i/iblis.html Iblis]
Whenever the Qur'an refers to the creature who refused to prostrate before [[Adam and Eve|Adam]] at the time of the latter's creation, it refers to him as [[Iblis]]. The Islamic view of Iblis has both similarities and differences with Christian and Jewish views. The [[character]] of Satan is generally similar to the one presented in Judeo-Christian [[belief|thought]]. However, according to Islamic belief, Satan is not considered to be a 'fallen' angel, but a [[Genie|jinn]] who was among the ranks of angels due to his [[wisdom]] and piety; in Islamic belief, angels always follow God's commands, but jinns (like humans) have [[free will]], which explains why Satan was able to rebel against God's command of bowing to Adam.
In hinduism Satan is reffered to as "Sathan".
==Other instances of Satan==
Although some other faiths may have an evil figure or entity ''likened'' to Satan, few have a figure actually named 'Satan'.
===Yazidism===
An alternate name for the main deity in the tentatively Indo-European pantheon of the [[Yazidi]], Malek Taus, is Shaitan.[http://www.avesta.org/yezidi/peacock.htm]</ref>
===In the Bahá'í Faith===
In the [[Bahá'í Faith]], 'Satan' is not regarded as an independent evil power as he is in some faiths, but signifies the "base nature" of humans. [[`Abdu'l-Bahá]] explains: "This lower nature in man is symbolized as Satan -- the evil ego within us, not an evil personality outside." [http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/PUP/pup-96.html]
==Images of Satan==
In [[art]] and [[literature]], Satan has been depicted in numerous ways throughout [[history]]. According to one interpretation of the book of ''[[Genesis]]'', Satan is identified as the [[Helianx|serpent]] who convinced [[Eve (Bible)|Eve]] to eat the forbidden fruit; thus, Satan has often been depicted as a serpent. (However, some care to argue that [[Lilith]] was the one who persuaded Eve to take this act upon herself.) This interpretation goes back at least as far as the time of the writing of the book of Revelation, which specifically identifies Satan as being the serpent (Rev. 20:2). In [[truth]], Genesis makes no direct reference to the serpent having another [[identity]], Satan or any other. It has been postulated by many Biblical scholars that Eden's snake is just a snake, able to speak, reason, and tempt Eve because it serves the explanatory purpose.
==Quote==
For three hundred thousand years Caligastia had been in charge of Urantia when '''Satan''', ''Lucifer's assistant'', made one of his periodic inspection calls. And when Satan arrived on the planet, his appearance in no way resembled your caricatures of his nefarious majesty. He was, and still is, a [[Lanonandek]] Son of great brilliance. "And no marvel, for Satan himself is a brilliant creature of [[light]]."
In the course of this inspection Satan informed [[Caligastia]] of [[Lucifer]]'s then proposed "Declaration of Liberty," and as we now know, the Prince agreed to betray the planet upon the announcement of the [[Lucifer Rebellion|rebellion]]. The loyal universe personalities look with peculiar disdain upon Prince Caligastia because of this premeditated betrayal of trust. The [[Creator Son]] voiced this contempt when he said: "You are like your leader, Lucifer, and you have sinfully perpetuated his iniquity. He was a falsifier from the beginning of his self-exaltation because he abode not in the [[truth]]."
Shortly after Satan's inspection and when the planetary administration was on the eve of the realization of great [[things]] on [[Urantia]], one day, midwinter of the northern continents, Caligastia held a prolonged conference with his associate, Daligastia, after which the latter called the ten councils of Urantia in session extraordinary. This assembly was opened with the statement that Prince Caligastia was about to proclaim himself absolute sovereign of Urantia and demanded that all administrative groups abdicate by resigning all of their functions and powers into the hands of Daligastia as trustee, pending the reorganization of the planetary government and the subsequent redistribution of these offices of administrative authority."[http://urantia.org/cgi-bin/webglimpse/mfs/usr/local/www/data/papers?link=http://mercy.urantia.org/papers/paper67.html&file=/usr/local/www/data/papers/paper67.html&line=31#mfs]
==References==
===Notes===
#"American Heritage Dictionary: Semitic roots: sn". http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/S301.html. Retrieved on 2006-05-31.
# "But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world" - Book of Wisdom II. 24
#2 Enoch 18:3
#"And I threw him out from the height with his angels, and he was flying in the air continuously above the bottomless" - 2 Enoch 29:4
#"The devil is the evil spirit of the lower places, as a fugitive he made Sotona from the heavens as his name was Satanail, thus he became different from the angels, but his nature did not change his intelligence as far as his understanding of righteous and sinful things" - 2 Enoch 31:4
#Martyrdom of Isaiah, 2:2; Vita Adæ et Evæ, 16)
#Book of Jubilees, xvii. 18
#The Dictionary of Angels" by Gustav Davidson, © 1967
#"Jewish Encyclopaedia". http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=270&letter=S.
# "American Heritage Dictionary: Devil". http://www.bartleby.com/61/94/D0179400.html. Retrieved on 2006-05-31.
# Revelation 12:9
#2 Corinthians 2:2
#"Do you Believe in a Devil? He is a saint.". http://www.christadelphia.org/pamphlet/devil.htm. Retrieved on 2007-05-29.
#Iblis
# Qur'an 17:61; Qur'an 2:34
#Drower, E.S. The Peacock Angel. Being Some Account of Votaries of a Secret Cult and their Sanctuaries. London: John Murray, 1941. [1]
#From The Promulgation of Universal Peace p. 470 [2]
===Bibliography===
* Bamberger, Bernard J. (2006). Fallen Angels: Soldiers of Satan's Realm. Jewish Publication Society of America. ISBN 0-8276-0797-0.
* Forsyth, Neil (1987). The Old Enemy: Satan & the Combat Myth. Princeton University Press; Reprint edition. ISBN 0-691-01474-4.
* Forsyth, Neil (1987). The Satanic Epic. Princeton University Press; Reprint edition. ISBN 0-691-11339-4.
* Gentry, Kenneth L. Jr (2002). The Beast of Revelation. American Vision. ISBN 0-915815-41-9.
* Graves, Kersey (1995). Biography of Satan: Exposing the Origins of the Devil. Book Tree. ISBN 1-885395-11-6.
* Pagels, Elaine (1995). The Origin of Satan. Vintage; Reprint edition. ISBN 0-679-72232-7.
* Rudwin, Maximilian (1970). The Devil in Legend and Literature. Open Court. ISBN 0-87548-248-1.
* Russell, Jeffrey Burton (1977). The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity. Cornell University Press; Reprint edition. ISBN 0-8014-9413-3.
* Russell, Jeffrey Burton (1992). The Prince of Darkness: Radical Evil and the Power of Good in History. Cornell University Press; Reprint edition. ISBN 0-8014-8056-6.
* Russell, Jeffrey Burton (2005). The Birth of Satan : Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1-4039-6933-7.
==External links==
* [http://www.churchofsatan.com/ Church Of Satan]
* [http://www.thebaptist.org/Lucifer.htm Lucifer - Know His Devices] a Baptist Christian perspective
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04764a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia]
* [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=270&letter=S&search=Satan Jewish Encyclopedia]
* [http://www.secweb.org/index.aspx?action=viewAsset&id=310 Internet Infidels - The Implausibility of Satan] by Paul Doland
* [http://www.sacred-texts.org Sacred Texts site] hosts texts--scriptures, literature and scholarly works--on Satan, Satanism and related religious matters
* [http://knol.google.com/k/lev-regelson/satan-and-antichrist/1i7aar4mqflvt/8#.htm Bible Texts about Satan a. Antichrist]
[[Category: General Reference]]
[[Category: Mythology]]
[[Category: Religion
'''Satan''' (Standard Hebrew '''Satan'el''', [[English]] ''accuser'') is a term that originates from the [[Abraham]]ic religions, being traditionally applied to an [[angel]] in Judeo-Christian belief, and to a [[Genie|jinn]] in [[Islamic]] [[belief]].
Originally, this figure was the one who challenged the religious [[faith]] of humans in the Hebrew Bible. Since then, the Abrahamic religions have variously regarded Satan as a rebellious fallen angel or [[demon]] that tempts humans to [[sin]] or commit [[evil]] deeds. Others regard the Biblical Satan as an [[metaphor|allegory]] that represents a crisis of faith, [[individual]]ism, [[free will]], [[wisdom]] and enlightenment.
==Etymology==
The word 'Satan', and the Arabic ''شيطان'' "shaitan", may derive from a Northwest Semitic root ''śṭn'', meaning "to be hostile", "to accuse.[http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/S301.html] An alternative explanation is provided by the Hebrew in |Job|1:7. When [[God]] asks him whence he has come, Satan answers: "From wandering (''mi'ŝuṭ'') the earth and walking on it" (מִשּׁוּט בָּאָרֶץ, וּמֵהִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּה). The root ''ŝuṭ'' signifies wandering on foot or sailing. 'Satan' would thus be "the Wanderer".
'Satan' is שָׂטָן ''Satan'' in Standard Hebrew, ''Śāṭān'' in Tiberian Hebrew, סטנא ''Sāṭānā''' in Aramaic, Σατανάς ''Satanás'' in Koine Greek, شيطان ''Šeytân'' in Persian, شيطان ''Šayṭān'' in Arabic,'Sāyṭān'' in Ge'ez, ''Şeytan'' in Turkish, and شيطان ''Shāitān'' in Urdu.
==In Judaism==
===In the Hebrew Apocrypha===
[[The Apocrypha]] are religious writings which are not generally accepted as scripture by Judaism and many modern-day Protestant sects of Christianity. These works usually bore the names of ancient Hebrew worthies in order to establish their validity among the true writers' contemporaries. To reconcile the late appearance of the [[text]]s with their claims to primitive antiquity, alleged authors are represented as "shutting up and sealing" (Dan. XII. 4:9) the works until the time of their fulfillment had arrived; as the texts were not meant for their own generations but for far-distant ages (also cited in [[Assumption of Moses]] I. 16:17).
In the [[Book of Wisdom]], the devil is represented as the being who brought death into the world.
:"But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world" - Book of Wisdom II. 24
The 2nd Book of Enoch, also called the Slavonic Book of Enoch, contains references to a Watcher Grigori called Satanael. It is a [[pseudepigraphal]] text of an uncertain date and unknown authorship. The text describes Satanael as being the prince of the Grigori who was cast out of heaven
:"And I threw him out from the height with his angels, and he was flying in the air continuously above the bottomless" - [[2 Enoch]] 29:4</ref> and an evil spirit who knew the difference between what was "righteous" and "sinful"."The devil is the evil spirit of the lower places, as a fugitive he made Sotona from the heavens as his name was Satanail, thus he became different from the angels, but his nature did not change his intelligence as far as his understanding of righteous and sinful things"
A similar story is found in the book of [[1 Enoch]]; however, in that book, the leader of the Grigori is called Semjâzâ.
In the [[apocryphal]] [[literature]], Satan rules over a host of angels.Mastema, who induced God to test Abraham through the sacrifice of Isaac, is identical with Satan in both name and nature.
For the Chasidic Jews of the eighteenth century, Ha-satan was ''Baal Davar''.
The [[Book of Enoch]] contains references to Satariel, thought also to be Sataniel and Satan'el (etymology dating back to Babylonian origins). The similar spellings mirror that of his angelic brethren [[Archangel Michael|Michael]], [[Raphael]], [[Uriel]] and [[Gabriel]], previous to his expulsion from Heaven.
===In the Bible===
Where Satan does appear in the Bible, he plays the role of the Accuser.
According to the article on 'Satan' in the Jewish Encyclopedia, Satan's role as the accuser is found:
:"in the prologue to the Book of Job, where Satan appears, together with other celestial beings before the Deity, replying to the inquiry of God as to whence he had come, with the words: 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.' (Job 1:7) Both question and answer, as well as the dialogue which follows, characterize Satan as having the evil purpose of searching out men's sins and appearing as their accuser. He is, therefore, the celestial prosecutor, who sees only iniquity; for he persists in his evil opinion of Job even after the man of Uz has passed successfully through his first trial by surrendering to the will of God, whereupon Satan demands another test through physical suffering.
:Yet it is also evident from the prologue that Satan has no power of independent action, but requires the permission of God, which he may not transgress. He cannot be regarded, therefore, as an opponent of the Deity; and the doctrine of monotheism is disturbed by his existence no more than by the presence of other beings before the face of God. This view is also retained in Zech. 3:1-2, where Satan is described as the adversary of the high priest [[Joshua]], and of the people of God whose representative the hierarch is; and he there opposes the 'angel of the Lord' who bids him be silent in the name of God.
:In both of these passages Satan acts only under permission; but in I Chron. 21:1 he appears as one who is able to provoke [[David]] to destroy Israel. The Chronicler (third century B.C.) regards Satan as an independent agent, a view which is the more striking since the source whence he drew his account (II Sam. 24:1) speaks of God Himself as the one who moved David against the children of [[Israel]]. Since the older conception refers all events, whether good or bad, to God alone, (I Sam. 16:14; I Kings 22:22; Isa. 45:7; etc) it is possible that the Chronicler, and perhaps even [[Zechariah]], were influenced by [[Zoroastrianism]], even though in the case of the prophet Jewish [[monism]] strongly opposed [[Iran]]ian [[dualism]]. [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=270&letter=S|title=Jewish Encyclopaedia]
===In the Talmud and other Rabbinic Sources===
The Talmud mentions the Satan in many places. In all of these places, the Satan is merely an agent of God, and has no independent existence. Sometimes the Satan is conflated with various demons, such as Asmodai. At times there is even some sympathy for him. Commenting on the Book of Job, the rabbis express sympathy that his job was to "break the barrel but not spill any wine."
In Kabbalistic literature and its derivative, Hasidic literature, the Satan is seen as an agent of God whose job is to tempt one into [[sin]], and then turn around and accuse the sinner on high. An additional understanding of Satan is from a parable to a prostitute who is hired by the King (God) to tempt his son (a Jew). The prostitute has to do the best she can to tempt the son; but deep down she hopes the son will pass the test. Similarly, Kabbalistic/Hasidic thought sees the Satan in the same situation. His job is to tempt us as best he can; turn around and accuse us; but deep down his wish is that we would resist his blandishments.
==In Christianity==
In Christianity, terms that are synonymous with 'Satan' include:
* The most common English synonym for 'Satan' is 'Devil', which descends from [[Middle English]] ''devel'', from [[Old English]] ''dēofol'', that in turn represents an early Germanic borrowing of Latin ''diabolus'' (also the source of 'diabolical'). This in turn was borrowed from Greek ''diabolos'' "slanderer," from ''diaballein'' "to slander": ''dia-'' "across, through" + ''ballein'' "to hurl."[http://www.bartleby.com/61/94/D0179400.html] In the [[New Testament]], 'Satan' occurs more than thirty times in passages alongside ''Diabolos'' (Greek for "the devil"), referring to the same person or thing as Satan.
* [[Lucifer]] is sometimes used in Christian theology to refer to Satan, as a result of identifying the fallen "son of the dawn" of Isaiah 14:12 with the "accuser" of other passages in the Old Testament.
* [[Beelzebub]] is originally the name of a [[Philistine]] god (more specifically a certain type of [[Baal]], from ''Ba‘al Zebûb'', lit. "Lord of Flies") but is also used in the New Testament as a synonym for Satan. A corrupted version, "Belzeboub," appears in [[The Divine Comedy]].
* "The dragon" and "the old serpent" in the [[Book of Revelation]] 12:9, 20:2 have also been identified with Satan, as have "the prince of this world" in the [[Book of John]] 12:31, 14:30; "the prince of the power of the air" also called Meririm, and "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience" in the [[Book of Ephesians]] 2:2; and "the god of this world" in [[2 Corinthians]] 4:4.
* [[Leviathan]] is described as "that crooked serpent," which is also used to describe Satan in Revelation 12:9. 'Sar ha Olam,' a possible name for [[Metatron]], is described as Satan by [[Michael (archangel)|Michael]], [[Jehoel]] and [[Paul of Tarsus|St. Paul]].
[[Image:Gustave Dore Inferno34.jpg|thumb|left|235px|Satan as depicted in [[Cocytus|the Ninth Circle of Hell]] in [[Dante Alighieri]]'s
In mainstream Christianity's understanding of the holy Hebrew scriptures, the Torah, Satan is a synonym for the Devil. For most Christians, he is believed to be an [[angel]] who rebelled against [[God]]— and also the one who spoke through the [[Helianx|serpent]] and seduced Eve into disobeying God's command. His ultimate goal is to lead people away from the love of God — to lead them to fallacies which God opposes. Satan is also identified as the accuser of [[Book of Job|Job]], the tempter in the [[Gospels]], the secret power of lawlessness in , and the dragon in the [[Book of Revelation]]. Before his alleged insurrection, Satan was among the highest of all angels and the "[[Lucifer|brightest in the sky]]." His pride is considered a reason why he would not bow to God as all other angels did, but sought to rule heaven himself. The popularly held beliefs that Satan was once a prideful angel who eventually rebels against God, however, are barely portrayed explicitly in the Bible and are mostly based on inference. Moreover, in mainstream Christianity he is called "the ruler of the demons" (Matt. 12:24), "the ruler of the world" and even "the god of this world." (2 Cor. 4:4). The Book of Revelation describes how Satan will be cast out of Heaven, down to the earth, having "great anger" and waging war against "those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of [[Jesus]]". Ultimately, Satan is thrown into the "lake of fire" , not as ruler, but as one among many, being tormented day and night for all eternity.
In other, non-mainstream, Christian beliefs (e.g. the beliefs of the the word "satan" in the Bible is not regarded as referring to a supernatural, personal being but to any 'adversary' and figuratively refers to human sin and temptation.
==In Islam==
''Shaitan'' (شيطان) is the equivalent of Satan in [[Islam]].
While Shaitan (شيطان, from the root šṭn شطن) is an adjective (meaning "astray" or "distant", sometimes translated as "devil") that can be applied to both [[man]] ("al-ins", الإنس) and [[Genie|Jinn]], [[Iblis]] (pronounced|ˈibliːs) is the personal name of the Devil who is mentioned in the [[Koran|Qur'an]]ic account of [[Genesis]].[http://www.themystica.org/mystica/articles/i/iblis.html Iblis]
Whenever the Qur'an refers to the creature who refused to prostrate before [[Adam and Eve|Adam]] at the time of the latter's creation, it refers to him as [[Iblis]]. The Islamic view of Iblis has both similarities and differences with Christian and Jewish views. The [[character]] of Satan is generally similar to the one presented in Judeo-Christian [[belief|thought]]. However, according to Islamic belief, Satan is not considered to be a 'fallen' angel, but a [[Genie|jinn]] who was among the ranks of angels due to his [[wisdom]] and piety; in Islamic belief, angels always follow God's commands, but jinns (like humans) have [[free will]], which explains why Satan was able to rebel against God's command of bowing to Adam.
In hinduism Satan is reffered to as "Sathan".
==Other instances of Satan==
Although some other faiths may have an evil figure or entity ''likened'' to Satan, few have a figure actually named 'Satan'.
===Yazidism===
An alternate name for the main deity in the tentatively Indo-European pantheon of the [[Yazidi]], Malek Taus, is Shaitan.[http://www.avesta.org/yezidi/peacock.htm]</ref>
===In the Bahá'í Faith===
In the [[Bahá'í Faith]], 'Satan' is not regarded as an independent evil power as he is in some faiths, but signifies the "base nature" of humans. [[`Abdu'l-Bahá]] explains: "This lower nature in man is symbolized as Satan -- the evil ego within us, not an evil personality outside." [http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/ab/PUP/pup-96.html]
==Images of Satan==
In [[art]] and [[literature]], Satan has been depicted in numerous ways throughout [[history]]. According to one interpretation of the book of ''[[Genesis]]'', Satan is identified as the [[Helianx|serpent]] who convinced [[Eve (Bible)|Eve]] to eat the forbidden fruit; thus, Satan has often been depicted as a serpent. (However, some care to argue that [[Lilith]] was the one who persuaded Eve to take this act upon herself.) This interpretation goes back at least as far as the time of the writing of the book of Revelation, which specifically identifies Satan as being the serpent (Rev. 20:2). In [[truth]], Genesis makes no direct reference to the serpent having another [[identity]], Satan or any other. It has been postulated by many Biblical scholars that Eden's snake is just a snake, able to speak, reason, and tempt Eve because it serves the explanatory purpose.
==Quote==
For three hundred thousand years Caligastia had been in charge of Urantia when '''Satan''', ''Lucifer's assistant'', made one of his periodic inspection calls. And when Satan arrived on the planet, his appearance in no way resembled your caricatures of his nefarious majesty. He was, and still is, a [[Lanonandek]] Son of great brilliance. "And no marvel, for Satan himself is a brilliant creature of [[light]]."
In the course of this inspection Satan informed [[Caligastia]] of [[Lucifer]]'s then proposed "Declaration of Liberty," and as we now know, the Prince agreed to betray the planet upon the announcement of the [[Lucifer Rebellion|rebellion]]. The loyal universe personalities look with peculiar disdain upon Prince Caligastia because of this premeditated betrayal of trust. The [[Creator Son]] voiced this contempt when he said: "You are like your leader, Lucifer, and you have sinfully perpetuated his iniquity. He was a falsifier from the beginning of his self-exaltation because he abode not in the [[truth]]."
Shortly after Satan's inspection and when the planetary administration was on the eve of the realization of great [[things]] on [[Urantia]], one day, midwinter of the northern continents, Caligastia held a prolonged conference with his associate, Daligastia, after which the latter called the ten councils of Urantia in session extraordinary. This assembly was opened with the statement that Prince Caligastia was about to proclaim himself absolute sovereign of Urantia and demanded that all administrative groups abdicate by resigning all of their functions and powers into the hands of Daligastia as trustee, pending the reorganization of the planetary government and the subsequent redistribution of these offices of administrative authority."[http://urantia.org/cgi-bin/webglimpse/mfs/usr/local/www/data/papers?link=http://mercy.urantia.org/papers/paper67.html&file=/usr/local/www/data/papers/paper67.html&line=31#mfs]
==References==
===Notes===
#"American Heritage Dictionary: Semitic roots: sn". http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/S301.html. Retrieved on 2006-05-31.
# "But by the envy of the devil, death came into the world" - Book of Wisdom II. 24
#2 Enoch 18:3
#"And I threw him out from the height with his angels, and he was flying in the air continuously above the bottomless" - 2 Enoch 29:4
#"The devil is the evil spirit of the lower places, as a fugitive he made Sotona from the heavens as his name was Satanail, thus he became different from the angels, but his nature did not change his intelligence as far as his understanding of righteous and sinful things" - 2 Enoch 31:4
#Martyrdom of Isaiah, 2:2; Vita Adæ et Evæ, 16)
#Book of Jubilees, xvii. 18
#The Dictionary of Angels" by Gustav Davidson, © 1967
#"Jewish Encyclopaedia". http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=270&letter=S.
# "American Heritage Dictionary: Devil". http://www.bartleby.com/61/94/D0179400.html. Retrieved on 2006-05-31.
# Revelation 12:9
#2 Corinthians 2:2
#"Do you Believe in a Devil? He is a saint.". http://www.christadelphia.org/pamphlet/devil.htm. Retrieved on 2007-05-29.
#Iblis
# Qur'an 17:61; Qur'an 2:34
#Drower, E.S. The Peacock Angel. Being Some Account of Votaries of a Secret Cult and their Sanctuaries. London: John Murray, 1941. [1]
#From The Promulgation of Universal Peace p. 470 [2]
===Bibliography===
* Bamberger, Bernard J. (2006). Fallen Angels: Soldiers of Satan's Realm. Jewish Publication Society of America. ISBN 0-8276-0797-0.
* Forsyth, Neil (1987). The Old Enemy: Satan & the Combat Myth. Princeton University Press; Reprint edition. ISBN 0-691-01474-4.
* Forsyth, Neil (1987). The Satanic Epic. Princeton University Press; Reprint edition. ISBN 0-691-11339-4.
* Gentry, Kenneth L. Jr (2002). The Beast of Revelation. American Vision. ISBN 0-915815-41-9.
* Graves, Kersey (1995). Biography of Satan: Exposing the Origins of the Devil. Book Tree. ISBN 1-885395-11-6.
* Pagels, Elaine (1995). The Origin of Satan. Vintage; Reprint edition. ISBN 0-679-72232-7.
* Rudwin, Maximilian (1970). The Devil in Legend and Literature. Open Court. ISBN 0-87548-248-1.
* Russell, Jeffrey Burton (1977). The Devil: Perceptions of Evil from Antiquity to Primitive Christianity. Cornell University Press; Reprint edition. ISBN 0-8014-9413-3.
* Russell, Jeffrey Burton (1992). The Prince of Darkness: Radical Evil and the Power of Good in History. Cornell University Press; Reprint edition. ISBN 0-8014-8056-6.
* Russell, Jeffrey Burton (2005). The Birth of Satan : Tracing the Devil's Biblical Roots. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1-4039-6933-7.
==External links==
* [http://www.churchofsatan.com/ Church Of Satan]
* [http://www.thebaptist.org/Lucifer.htm Lucifer - Know His Devices] a Baptist Christian perspective
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04764a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia]
* [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=270&letter=S&search=Satan Jewish Encyclopedia]
* [http://www.secweb.org/index.aspx?action=viewAsset&id=310 Internet Infidels - The Implausibility of Satan] by Paul Doland
* [http://www.sacred-texts.org Sacred Texts site] hosts texts--scriptures, literature and scholarly works--on Satan, Satanism and related religious matters
* [http://knol.google.com/k/lev-regelson/satan-and-antichrist/1i7aar4mqflvt/8#.htm Bible Texts about Satan a. Antichrist]
[[Category: General Reference]]
[[Category: Mythology]]
[[Category: Religion
