Agrat bat-Mahlat ( Heb. אגרת בת מחלת - “Agrat is the daughter of Mahlat”), sometimes Agrat or Igrat is a demoness in Jewish mythology . In the kabalistic literature, it is one of the four supreme succubus , copulating with Samael , the progenitors of demons, along with Lilith , Naama and Ayshet. [ clarify ] . She rushes through the air in a chariot; its retinue consists of tens of thousands (according to various sources, up to 180 thousand) angels of anger. Sometimes she is identified with Lilith
In rabbinic literature (in particular, “Yalkut Khadash” of the XVII century), it is published twice a week on Wednesday night and on Saturday night. At these moments she has the right to harm people.
Presumably, the nights on Wednesday and Saturday are nights in which the roads are deserted more than on other days of the week, since on the eve of Saturday ( Shabbat ) the Orthodox Jews are preparing for the holy day. As for the night on Wednesday, at the time of the Talmud it was the most deserted night of the week - the markets were organized on Mondays and Thursdays. So, the peasants with their goods went to the cities on Monday and Thursday nights. If they stayed in the city, they would return at night on Tuesday and Friday.
Unlike other succubus, Agrat bat-Makhlat does not try to seduce anyone, but appears only in cases of unjust behavior of people in the sexual sphere.
According to some Kabbalistic sources and the school of the Spanish Rabbi Shlomo ben Aderet Aghrat gave birth to the king of demons Asmodeus from King David .
Origin
The origin of Agrat bat Mahled in ancient sources is not considered.
The only source of its origins is given in the book Katem Paz ("Red Gold", 1570), and it says:
"In ancient times, in Egypt, there lived one person, a great connoisseur of everything related to witchcraft. Somehow in the desert he came across a cave, and in it lay an ancient book in which many witch recipes were cited. And he began to study them, and behave in accordance with these recipes so that he became the greatest sorcerer in the whole earth, not even a single Egyptian sorcerer could compare with him, and he had a daughter whom he taught all the witch sciences. When Abraham’s son Ishmael began to live in the Paran desert , then the mother found him an Egyptian wife. Here is this Egyptian Yankee was the same witch, the sorcerer's daughter. She seduced Ishmael into all sorts of things and misled him until Abraham came to visit them and did not persuade Ishmael to part with her. Being pregnant, she went into the desert and gave birth to a beautiful woman There was no beauty like her. And that part of the desert was owned by a devil named Igertiel. He fell in love with her, and from that love a daughter was born in honor of her father named Agrat. This is Agrat bat Makhlat, daughter of Ishmael, who is accompanied by a retinue. one hundred and eighty thousand angels of wrath
- “Ketem Paz” Shimon Lavi (Ibn Lavi), Rabbi from Tripoli
Links
- Demonology // The Brockhaus and Efron Jewish Encyclopedia . - SPb. 1908-1913.
- Demonology - article from the Electronic Jewish Encyclopedia
- Judaistic religious ideas // Ancient World. Encyclopedic dictionary in 2 volumes. - M .: Tsentrpoligraf. W. D. Smooth. 1998
Literature
- Meir Badhen. Jewish devilry. - Bridges of Culture / Gesharim, 2006. - p. 49-52. - 320 s. - (Kabbalah and Jewish tradition). - ISBN 5-93273-241-5 .