Die Engel und der Krieg

While guardian angels are popular topics in biblical studies, warlike and fighting angels have been barely noticed in angelology so far. The present study focuses for the first time on the issue of the war angels in Daniel and 2 Maccabees, showing that each of the books has its own specific understanding of warlike angels. In the book of Daniel, the motif of a battle of the angels is intended to highlight the meaning of the Divine revelation. In 2 Maccabees, the angelic beings appear in armour on horses to support the Maccabees in their battle on earth. These motifs are analysed against the background of different traditions, assessing Ancient Near Eastern and Greek Hellenistic sources.