Okay, let me tell you exactly how I tackled this question for today’s post. It started yesterday when someone in the comments straight up asked: “Yo, where can I even find legit info about the seven archangels?” Great question, right? I realized I kinda thought I knew, but couldn’t point to solid sources off the top of my head. Time to dig in!
First thing I did? Grabbed my laptop, plopped down at the kitchen table – coffee mandatory. Started simple: punched “seven archangels” straight into a search engine. Boom, tons of links. But honestly? Most looked kinda… sketchy. Either super fluffy new-age stuff, or super dry academic papers way over my head. Or worse, folks trying to sell me crystals or something. Not helpful.
Scrolled past maybe five pages of results, feeling frustrated. Then I remembered someone ages ago mentioned old religious texts sometimes have this stuff buried inside. Duh! Shifted gears. Searched for “archangels in Bible” and “archangels in apocrypha”. Apocrypha – that’s the fancy word for those ancient religious writings that didn’t make it into the official Bible, but people still study ’em. Much better!
This got me to some serious-looking university websites and digital library archives. Found mentions popping up mainly in:
- The Book of Enoch (super old Jewish text)
- The Book of Tobit (part of Catholic/Orthodox Bibles)
- Various Christian mystical traditions (stuff beyond Sunday school basics)
Okay, progress! Names started appearing: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael… but lists varied! Sometimes four archangels, sometimes seven. Who were the others? Needed clarity.
My next move? Hit the books. Like, actual physical books. I keep a small shelf of religious studies references and mythology encyclopedias for this kinda deep dive. Pulled down a few hefty volumes:
- A Dictionary of Angels (sounds cheesy, but surprisingly scholarly!)
- A Guide to Jewish Traditions
- A book on Early Christian Beliefs
Started flipping pages, index finger doing the walking. Cross-referencing names like Uriel, Raguel, Remiel, Sariel… These books were gold! They didn’t just list names; they gave context – what traditions they came from, what roles people believed they played, sometimes even how ideas changed over time. Way more reliable than random websites.
Double-checked the info across at least two, preferably three, sources. Didn’t want to pass on some weird fan-fiction version, ya know? One source listed Jehudiel and Barachiel instead of Raguel and Remiel! See? Conflicting info everywhere. Had to see which names had the strongest historical roots in those apocryphal texts and early traditions.
Finally, after coffee number three and a slightly sore neck, I felt like I had a solid grip. The most consistently referenced sources point back to texts like Enoch and Tobit, expanded by later religious thought. The takeaway? You gotta dig past the quick Google results. Look into:
- Ancient Apocryphal Texts (Enoch, Tobit, Esdras)
- Scholarly Reference Books (Dictionaries of Angels, Religious Encyclopedias)
- Studies on Jewish Mysticism & Early Christian Traditions
And honestly? Be prepared for some variation in the lists. That’s just how it is with these ancient traditions. Found some fascinating symbolic meanings too, which totally sparked ideas for a future story! Phew, mission accomplished. Now go dig for yourselves!
