Azazel: Biblical Dramatization

[Abishai100]

Azazel (/əˈzəzɛl/), also spelled Azazael (Hebrew: עֲזָאזֵל‎, translit. ʿAzazel‎; Arabic: عزازيل‎, translit. ʿAzāzīl‎), appears in the Bible in association with the scapegoat rite. In some traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam it is the name for a fallen angel. In Rabbinic Judaism, it is not a name of an entity but rather means literally "for the complete removal", i.e., designating the goat to be cast out into the wilderness as opposed to the goat sacrificed "for YHWH" (source of information: Wikipedia).

This Biblical term seems to carry with it a special significance regarding the experience of sacrifice and the idea of transplanting blame to create a punishment-authority 'dominion.'

We can therefore imagine that the misuse or desanctification of 'Azazel' can mean a disattachment from a sacred contemplation of suffering and also authority itself.

They say the Devil has many names and many faces, and understanding the proper use of terms denoting a spiritual struggle or even metaphysical alienation can bring us closer to an appreciation of the 'valuation' of the divine and therefore a contemplation of Hell.

This kind of linear thinking is employed by many storytellers and film-makers too who seek to reference/inference spiritual/Biblical concepts for perdition/purgatory dialogue (we see such presentations in evocative religion-oriented films such as Rosemary's Baby, Fallen, and Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist).

That seems to be the real challenge of religious discourse in the modern age --- proper translation of spiritual profundity.


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GOD: Don't fool around with 'Azazel,' because things can get hairy...
ADAM: I want to make a movie about Azazel.
GOD: Make a movie about Abraham instead!
ADAM: No way, I like comic books and pulp fiction...
GOD: Azazel is not meant to be used for 'pulp fiction.'
ADAM: I want to exorcise my paranoia with liberal storytelling.
GOD: Be careful what you designate as 'useful.'
ADAM: In the age of media, open dialogue is vital to communication and networking.
GOD: Well, stick to Facebook and avoid the complexities of 'networks.'
ADAM: Maybe someday we'll find a way to understand/discuss religious dogma!

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[Abishai100]

Submission


I wanted to add a note about the characterizations of unwanted demons or domineering presences (be they good or evil) which lead the mind to contemplate conditions of subjugation/submission (be they educational or scarring) and evocation (be they tempting or meditative).

A demonic-figure may remind us of the possibility that our soul is being invaded or worse (harmed, raped, tortured, etc.), requiring us to entreat instincts to flee or hide.



The 'after-effect' of being exposed to an imposing or domineering presence (be it positive or negative) may be imaginations (or even hallucinations) of escapism, delight, self-doubt, horror, or even fantasy.

Whatever is the 'experience,' submitting to a force of undeniable influence/intrigue requires social dialogue, and folk/pop-culture renditions and representations of mystical 'entities' (e.g., characters in the Bible) signify our interest in analyzing the intelligibility and communicability of ideas/totems about divinity (e.g., Azazel).

Such 'curiosity' is imprinted in mysticism-oriented films such as The Devil's Advocate, Spawn, and Oh God! You Devil. Therefore, we should not arguably cast these 'pop-culture' story-presentations as heretical or negligible 'slang.' Plus, in a free-speech society, dialogue is always more sacred than censorship or slander...