Azazel

AZAZEL, or Hazazel¹; in Greek, Apopompaios; in Latin, Emissarius. This is what we commonly call the Scape-goat, Levit. xvi. 5, 7, 8, &c.and shall speak of it under this title. Upon the day of solemn expiation, the Elders of the people presented two Goats for the sins of all Israel. It was determined by lot which of the two should be sacrificed, and which set at liberty. This last was the Azazel, or Scape-goat, and Let-go. Thus the Septuagint, Aquila, Symmachus, Theodoret, Cyril of Alexandria, and many other Interpreters explain it. They think that this Goat thus set at liberty, and loaded with the imprecations of the High-Priest and the sins of all the people, was like those animals, which the Heathens consecrated to some of their Deities, and left at liberty². Az-azel in Hebrew may signify the Goat that goes away or escapes.

Others think that Azazel is the name of a Mountain; which some of the Rabbins³ assert to be ninety furlongs, or eleven thousand nine hundred and five and twenty paces, distant from Jerusalem. Bochart will have it, that this word signifies Departure or Removal. Spencer says, it signifies some Demon, and that when the Scripture tells us of sending a Goat to Hazazel, it means that it was given to the Devil. Mark, the Head of the Marcosian Hereticks⁴, called the Devil, whose name he made use of in forming his juggling tricks, Azazel. The same Spencer cites the Cabalists, and Julian the Apostate, as favouring his opinion⁵. M. Le Clerc translates Azazel, præcipitium. He believes that the Scape-goat was sent to some steep and inaccessible place, where it perished. He grounds his translation upon the 21st verse, where it is said, that the Goat Azazel was sent into the Wilderness, and in the 22d verse into some inaccessible place, in terram præruptam. He derives Azazel from two Arabick words Aza to be hard, and Azala to be in pain. But we had better keep to the version of the old Greek Interpreters, who derived Azazel from the Hebrew Haz or Hez, a Goat, and Azal, he went away. See Spencer’s Dissertation on the Scape-goat. Bochart, De animal. sacr. part. i. l. ii. c. 54. & seq. Marsham, Canon. Chronol. Egypt. Sæcul. ix.

You have here the Ceremonies, which, as the Hebrews tell us⁶, were observed in the several particulars relating to the Scape-goat. Two Goats were led into the inner-court of the Temple, and presented to the High-Priest on the North side of the Altar of Burnt-offerings : these two Goats were placed one on the right, the other on the left hand of the High-Priest. After this an urn was brought and placed between two, and two lots cast into it of wood, silver, or gold: but under the second Temple they were always of gold. Upon one of these lots was engraven, for the Lord, and upon the other for Azazel. After the urn had been well shook, the High-Priest put both his hands at once into it, and in each drew out a lot: that in his right hand decided the sate of the Goat placed on his right, that in his left of the Goat on his left hand. The Jews tell us, that during the whole Pontificate of Simon the Just, the lot which he drew with his right hand was always that on which was written for the Lord, which was understood as a happy Omen ; whereas after his death this varied, and sometimes the lot on the right hand, sometimes that in the left was for the Lord.

Isai. i. 18.After this the High-Priest fastned a long fillet, or narrow piece of scarlet to the head of Azazel, or the Scape goat ; which piece under the Pontificate of Simon the Just appear’d always to be white, which was a particular favour of Heaven, and a sign that God granted the People the remission of their sins ; whereas under other High-Priests it appeared sometimes white and sometimes of its natural colour, scarlet. To this the following words of Isaiah are applied, Tho’ their sins were as scarlet, yet shall they be white as snow, &c.

After the sacrifice of the Goat which was for the Lord, the Scape-goat was brought to the High-Priest, who put both his hands upon the head of this animal, and confessed all his own sins, and those of the people ; then it was conducted into the wilderness by some person chosen for this office, and left upon the brinks of a precipice at twelve miles distance from Jerusalem ; thus it was supposed to carry away with it all the sins of the people of Israel. Under the Pontificate of the same Simon the Just above mentioned, before the Scape-goat or Azazel had got half way down the precipice from whence he was cast, he was broken in pieces ; whereas after the death of this High-Priest he fled alive into the desart, and was there met with by the Saracens, who took and eat him. See hereafter Solemn Expiation.

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