Azazel
/ˌæzəˈzɛl/noun
A name in the Hebrew Bible associated with a wilderness figure or the ritual scapegoat sent into the desert.
Did you know?In Leviticus, the term is linked to the Day of Atonement rite, and scholars still debate whether Azazel was a place, a being, or a symbolic force of removal.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Hebrew
Hebrew
עֲזָאזֵל
“A ritual term in Leviticus, likely referring to the scapegoat destination or a wilderness entity”
3rd–2nd Century BCE
Greek
Αζαζήλ
“Transliterated into Greek Jewish texts as a name or term”
Late Antiquity
Aramaic
עזאזל
“Used in Jewish interpretive traditions as a wilderness demon or place”
Latin Middle Ages
Latin
Azazel
“A demonized proper name in Christian and Jewish commentary”
Modern English
English
Azazel
“A name used for a desert demon or fallen angel in later literature and occult tradition”