Abaddon

Abaddon and its Greek equivalent Apollyon are used in the Bible as both a place of destruction and an angel of the abyss. In the Hebrew Bible, abaddon is used to refer to a bottomless pit, often alongside the place Sheol, meaning the resting place of dead peoples. In the Book of Revelation, an angel called Abaddon is described as the king of an army of locusts, with his name transcribed as Ἀβαδδώv and translated as Ἀπoλλύωv, Apollyon. In medieval Christian literature, Abbadon's portrayal diverges significantly, as seen in the 11th-century epic poem "Song of Roland," where he is depicted as part of a fictional trinity, Mahome (Mahound) and Termagant (Termagaunt), which attributes to the religious practices of Muslims.
The Hebrew word "Abaddon" is an intensive form of the Semitic root "perish" and verb stem "destroy", found 184 times in the Hebrew Bible. The Septuagint, an early Greek translation, renders it as "ἀπώλεια" (apṓleia), while the Greek word is "apollýon".
== Background ==
=== Christianity ===
The New Testament contains the first known depiction of Abaddon as an individual entity instead of a place. The Hebrew text of Proverbs 6:32 does not contain the noun abaddon, but a participial form of the verb shachath. The Septuagint uses apoleian, the accusative case of the noun apoleia, to translate abaddon in five of the six Hebrew verses that contain the word. In Revelation 9:11, Abaddon is described as "Destroyer", the angel of the Abyss, and as the king of a plague of locusts.
The identity of Abaddon is open to interpretation, with Protestant commentator Matthew Henry believing Abaddon to be the Antichrist, while the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary and Henry Hampton Halley identified the angel as Satan. John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress, which permeated Christianity in the English-speaking world for 300 years, describes Abaddon fighting "over half a day" with the demon Apollyon. However, the Methodist publication The Interpreter's Bible states that Abaddon is an angel of God, performing his work of destruction at God's bidding. Jehovah's Witnesses also cite Revelation 20:1-3, where the angel having "the key of the abyss" is shown to be a representative of God, concluding that "Abaddon" is another name for Jesus after his resurrection.
==== Medieval Christian literature ====
Medieval Christian literature often depicts Abaddon in relation to the religious and cultural contexts of the time. The Song of Roland, an 11th-century epic poem, associates Abaddon with figures like Mahome, Apollyon, and Termagant, who are deities in the poem's portrayal of Muslims. The inclusion of Apollyon, a name sometimes linked to Abaddon in Christian texts, highlights the interpretative approaches of the period towards Islamic practices. These literary representations reflect the broader context of interfaith understanding and relations during the Middle Ages.
=== Mandaeism ===
Mandaean scriptures like the Ginza Rabba mention the Abaddons as part of the World of Darkness. The Right Ginza mentions the "upper Abaddons" and "lower Abaddons," while the Left Ginza's final poem mentions the "House of the Abaddons." The Mandaic word ʿbdunia is believed to be a Hebrew borrowing.
=== Apocryphal texts ===
In the 3rd-century Gnostic text Acts of Thomas, Abaddon is referred to as a demon or the devil himself. He is given significant roles in two sources: a homily by pseudo-Timothy of Alexandria, The Enthronement of Abaddon, and the Book of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ by Bartholomew the Apostle. In the homily, Abaddon is first named Muriel and is given the task by God to collect earth for Adam's creation. He is feared by all entities and is promised salvation for those who venerate him in life. Abaddon is also mentioned in the Last Judgment as the one who takes souls to the Valley of Josaphat.
Category:Demon
Category:Angel
Category:Supernatural
Category:Antagonist
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Category:Hell
Category:Religion