Azazel: Between Sacrifice and Demon

How the Books of Enoch and the Yom Kippur Ritual Reveal the First Angel of Destruction

Between altar and wilderness, a single name stands at the heart of an ancient riddle: Azazel. The addressee of the scapegoat on Yom Kippur is deliberately left undefined in the Torah—demon, place, or symbol? This book takes that open space seriously and traces the figure of Azazel from Leviticus 16 and Genesis 6:1–4 through the voices that have accompanied the biblical text for centuries.

To sharpen the picture, the study brings Scripture into dialogue with extracanonical and historical witnesses: 1 Enoch and Jubilees, the writings of Qumran, rabbinic Midrash and Talmud, the kabbalistic Zohar, as well as the Qur’an and classical commentaries. Alongside these stand ancient Near Eastern parallels to the scapegoat ritual. What emerges is a coherent framework in which Azazel is not isolated, but situated within the resonant field of his traditions.

The presentation remains narrative in form and exacting in method, respectful in tone and free of sensationalism. The book guides readers securely through sources and motifs—toward a sober, yet compelling understanding of Azazel and Yom Kippur.