Abaddon

[[File:Christianandapollyon.jpg|upright|165px|thumb|Christian and Abaddon having a friendly wrestling match as depicted in Bunyan's ''The Pilgrim Progress'']]
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'''Abaddon''' (meaning "destruction") or '''Apollyon''', is used in two ways: as an alternate term for the [[afterlife|underworld]] in [[Judaism|Jewish mythology]],<ref name="Job">See {{bible|Job|31|12}} for an example.</ref> and as the name of an [[angel]] who "leads an army of locusts" during [[Armageddon]].<ref group="notes">How he would get a bunch of mindless insects to become his personal army is beyond current [[science|scientific understanding]].</ref>

==Judaism==
In the case of the [[Hebrew Bible]], it indicates that the Jewish conception of the underworld has changed over time, because when, say, the [[Book of Job]], which contains the vast majority of references to Abaddon in the [[Tanakh]], was written, the popular understanding of the underworld was simply as the land of the [[death|dead]]. The modern conception of [[Hell]] would only come about due to the influence of [[Zoroastrianism]] on the Jewish religion, when [[Cyrus the Great]] allowed the Jews to return to [[Jerusalem]] after the long {{wpl|Babylonian exile}} that resulted from {{wpl|Nebuchadnezzar|Nebuchadnezzar's}} conquest of the {{wpl|Kingdom of Judah||.}}<ref>"[https://www.greenwichtime.com/opinion/article/Syncretism-and-the-Zoroastrian-influence-on-4732682.php Syncretism and the Zoroastrian influence on the Jewish religion]" — ''Greenwich Time''</ref> Interestingly, the concept of Abaddon's existence in the first place indicates the ancient Jews believed in more than one underworld, given the references to going either to ''Sheol'' (the land of the dead), or ''Abaddon'', the "land of destruction".<ref name="Job" /> Alternatively, this could have been taken from {{wpl|Ancient Mesopotamian Underworld#Conditions|Mesopotamian beliefs}} that claimed those who did not receive a proper burial (ie, those who had died in fires and whose bodies had been burned or those who died alone in the desert) would simply cease to exist without going to the Underworld so Abaddon would simpy refer to oblivion.

==Christianity==
In [[Christianity]], Abaddon is considered to be a single entity, specifically some sort of [[demon]] or entity associated with the [[apocalypse]]. In {{bible|Revelation|9|11}}, Abaddon is described as "Destroyer",<ref name="biblegateway">{{cite web|url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%209:11&version=NIV |title=Revelation 9:11 NIV – They had as king over them the angel of |publisher=Bible Gateway |date= |accessdate=2014-04-05}}</ref> the angel of the abyss,<ref name="biblegateway"/> and as the king of a plague of locusts resembling horses with crowned human faces, women's hair, lions' teeth, wings, iron breast-plates, and a tail with a scorpion's stinger that torments for five months anyone who does not have the seal of [[God]] on their forehead.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation%209:7-10&version=NIV |title=Revelation 9:7-10 NIV – The locusts looked like horses prepared |publisher=Bible Gateway |date= |accessdate=2014-04-03}}</ref>

===Gnosticism===
The [[Gnostics]] placed an important emphasis on Abaddon; the [[Gospel of Thomas]] names him as the [[devil]] himself.

Abaddon is given particularly important roles in two sources: a homily entitled "The Enthronement of Abbaton" by pseudo-Timothy of Alexandria, and the Apocalypse of Bartholomew.<ref name=Aziz>{{cite book|last1=Atiya|first1=Aziz S.|title=The Coptic Encyclopedia|date=1991|publisher=Macmillan [u.a.]|location=New York|isbn=0-02-897025-X}}</ref> In the homily by Timothy, Abbaton was first named ''Muriel'', and had been given by [[God]] the task of collecting the earth that would be used in the creation of [[Adam]]. Upon completion of this task, the angel was appointed as a guardian. Everyone, including the angels, demons, and corporeal entities, feared him. Abbaton was promised that any who venerated him in life could be saved. Abaddon is also said to have a prominent role in the [[Last Judgement]], as the one who will take the [[soul]]s to the {{wpl|Valley of Josaphat||.}}<ref name=Aziz/> He is described in the Apocalypse of Bartholomew as being present in the Tomb of Jesus at the moment of his [[resurrection]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pseudepigrapha.com/LostBooks/bartholomew.htm |title=Gospel Of Bartholomew |publisher=Pseudepigrapha.com |date= |accessdate=2014-04-03}}</ref>

===Protestantism===
There's no consensus among [[Protestants]], as should be [[Protestant Reformation|expected]], as to ''whom'' Abbadon actually is. Some denominations, like the [[Methodists]], consider him to be an [[angel]] of [[God]],<ref>{{cite book|last1=Keck|first1=Leander E.|title=The New Interpreter's Bible: Hebrews – Revelation (Volume 12)|date=1998|publisher=Abingdon Press|location=Nashville, Tenn.|isbn=0687278252|edition=[Nachdr.]}}</ref> whereas the pastor {{wpl|Matthew Henry}} identified Abaddon as the [[Antichrist]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID%3D4%26contentID%3D1868%26commInfo%3D5%26topic%3DRevelation |title=Archived copy |accessdate=18 March 2013 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150607035557/http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=4&contentID=1868&commInfo=5&topic=Revelation |archivedate=7 June 2015 }}</ref> whereas the Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary (1871) and {{wpl|Henry H. Halley}} identified the angel as [[Satan]].<ref name="jfb">{{cite web|url=http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/jfb/Rev/Rev_009.cfm=Revelation |title=Archived copy |accessdate=20 January 2014 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150102101859/http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/jfb/Rev/Rev_009.cfm%3DRevelation |archivedate=2 January 2015 }}</ref><ref name="halley">Halley (1922) ''Halley's Bible Handbook with the New International Version'', p936.</ref>

==Notes==
<references group="notes" />

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

[[Category:Judaism]]
[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Religion]]
[[Category:Folklore]]
[[Category:Afterlife]]

Categories: Judaism, Christianity, Religion, Folklore, Afterlife