Asmodeus In The Bible: Asmodeus is a demon or evil spirit mentioned in the apocryphal Book of Tobit, and was also referenced in the English translations of the biblical books of Judith and Ecclesiasticus (Sirach). Asmodeus entered popular culture as a comedic character, an antagonist to Bugs Bunny. Check out the Asmodeus seven deadly sins and the Asmodeus demon symbol.
Asmodeus is the demon of lust and envy who was created by God to test the faithfulness of Sarah and Abraham. He was a serpent who transformed into a man and asked for her hand in marriage. When she refused, he threatened to kill her son, Isaac. After Abraham had grown old and his wife was no longer able to bear children, Asmodeus convinced Sarah that she could have a child if she were to sleep with him. When she agreed, God sent an angel to stop the act from occurring.
Many people have heard of the biblical figure Asmodeus. He is often depicted as a demon or an evil spirit, and he is one of the seven princes of Hell. But what many people don’t realize is that he was also once a human being who was given powers by God to confront other demons.
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at how Asmodeus ended up in Hell and why he has been portrayed negatively throughout history.
Who is Asmodeus in The Bible?
Asmodeus is a member of the Seven Princes of Hell and the embodiment of Lust, one of the Seven Deadly Sins. As the demon of lust, he manipulates the sexual desires of humans. He is one of the Kings of Hell under Lucifer the emperor. He incites gambling, and is the overseer of all the gambling houses in the court of Hell. Some Catholic theologians compared him with Abaddon. Yet other authors considered Asmodeus a prince of revenge.
Asmodeus, a powerful supernatural being, is mentioned in various religious texts including the Bible. He is often depicted as a malevolent demon or fallen angel with great powers and influence. In the Bible, Asmodeus is associated with various characters and has been a subject of fascination and interpretation by scholars and believers alike.
Asmodeus is often symbolized in various forms in different cultural and religious traditions. However, there is no specific symbol that universally represents Asmodeus as a demon or fallen angel.
In certain occult and demonological traditions, a depiction of Asmodeus may include elements such as snakes or serpents, representing deceit and temptation. Others may attribute dark, menacing features to symbolize his malevolence and destructive nature.
It is important to note that symbols associated with Asmodeus may vary depending on individual or cultural interpretations and should be considered within the specific context of those beliefs.
Asmodeus In The Bible
Asmodeus is the name of a demon found in the Bible. According to the book of Tobit, Asmodeus was one of seven princes of demons who lived in a city called “Lebanon.” The other six were Astaroth, Beelzebub, Belphegor, Leviathan, Moloch and Nergal.
According to the legend surrounding him, he would kidnap young women and force them into marriages with men they did not love. His actions were so notorious that some rabbis believed that he had been responsible for the death of Sarah’s husband, Abraham. He was also said to be responsible for the deaths of many strange people throughout history who had done evil deeds throughout their lives.
He is mentioned several times in the Book of Tobit as well as in other books such as Chronicles and Daniel, where he is sometimes referred to as Azazel (his Hebrew name).
ASMODEUS
ASMODEUS (Ashmedai ), an “evil spirit” or “evil demon,” In the Talmudic aggadah, Asmodeus is described as “king of the demons” (Pes. 110a). According to Rapoport, the concept of such a personage originated in Babylonian myth, though the name is Hebrew, derived from the root שמד, “to destroy.” It is more likely, however, that the name derives from the Persian aesma daeva or aesmadiv, i.e., “the spirit of anger,” which accompanies the god of evil.
Asmodeus first appears in the apocryphal book of Tobit (3:8, 17), which describes how, in a fit of jealousy, he slew the successive husbands of a young girl. He is again depicted as a malefactor—and in particular as the sower of discord between husband and wife—in the Testament of Solomon (first century c.e.). Throughout the later aggadah, however, Asmodeus is a gay creature, inclined at worst to drunkenness, mischief, and licentiousness. The Talmud nowhere identifies him as an evildoer and, in fact, often assigns him the specific function of preserving the ethical order of the world.
Asmodeus does, to be sure, usurp the throne of King Solomon in the celebrated talmudic account of his confrontation with the king (Git. 68a–b; Num. R. 11:3). But even here, the demon is not vindictive; his actions are presented as opening the king’s eyes to the emptiness and vanity of worldly possessions. What is more, the Asmodeus of this story is the source of considerable benefit to Solomon. He provides the king with the shamir, a worm whose touch cleaves rocks, and so enables Solomon’s builders to hew stones for the temple without the use of prohibited iron tools.
Asmodeus is described in the Talmud as “rising daily from his dwelling place on the mountain to the firmament,” where he “studies in the academy on high” (Git. 68a). As a result of this practice, he possesses exact foreknowledge of the fate of human beings, knowledge that often prompts him to act in a seemingly inexplicable fashion. While on his way to Solomon, for example, Asmodeus weeps at the sight of a wedding party, only later explaining that the bridegroom has but a short time to live.
Similarly, on the same journey, the demon goes out of his way to set a drunkard on the right path; “it was proclaimed in heaven,” he later reveals, “that he is wholly wicked, and I have conferred a boon upon him in order that he may consume his share in the world to come in this world” (Git. 68b). Such stories of Asmodeus’ enigmatic behavior provided the model for a long line of Jewish folktales, in which the apparently unjust acts of an angel or prophet are eventually justified by circumstances and thus demonstrate the infinite wisdom of God.
Asmodeus Demon Symbol
In Jewish folklore, though still the king of demons, Asmodeus often appears as a degraded hero—the butt of popular irony and humor. Typical stories relate to how he is duped by the men with whom he enters into a partnership or how his various lusts and loves on earth are exposed. For the most part, however, Asmodeus is regarded as a beneficent demon and a friend of man. He plays a similar role in the Kabbalah, where his name is frequently invoked in spells and incantations.
The story of Asmodeus’ enigmatic deeds and sayings (Git. 68a–b) is the narrative nucleus of the widespread international style type known as “Angel and Hermit.” The talmudic and Jewish oral traditions of the Solomon-Asmodeus cycle penetrated the early Russian apocryphal literature and became the narrative archetype of the Solomon-Kitovras folk legends.
Asmodeus Powers
Asmodai appears as the king ‘Asmoday’ in the Ars Goetia, where he is said to have a seal in gold and is listed as number thirty-two according to his respective rank.[32]
He “is strong, powerful and appears with three heads; the first is like a bull, the second like a man, and the third like a ram; the tail of a serpent; and from his mouth issue flames of fire.”[33] Also, he sits upon an infernal dragon, holds a lance with a banner and, amongst the Legions of Amaymon, Asmoday governs seventy-two legions of inferior spirits.
Asmodeus Seven Deadly Sins
1. Lucifer
“Lucifer” usually refers to the great angel cast into hell. However, in the two places in the Bible where the term appears (Isaiah 14:3–20 and 2 Peter 1:19), the word “Lucifer” means the Morning Star—the appearance of Venus in dawn. Only since the New Testament has the title changed to mean a demon responsible for the sin of pride.
2. Mammon
Mammon, in the Christian Bible, refers to wealth and greed. Matthew 6:24 personifies Mammon as a false god: “No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
3. Asmodeus
Asmodeus is the king of demons, appearing, among other books, in the Kabbalah and Book of Tobit. He is accountable for lust, and distorts sexual desires. Those who succumb to these sins spend eternity in the second level of hell.
4. Leviathan
Leviathan is a sea monster and the gatekeeper to hell, mentioned six times in the Hebrew Bible. He is similar to serpent demons found in ancient Near Eastern mythology. Leviathan is the demon of envy in the seven deadly sins.
5. Beelzebub
The name “Beelzebub” literally translates to “Lord of the Flies”. He was a Semitic deity, worshipped in the Philistine city of Ekron. Beelzebub is responsible for gluttony. He appears in the Bible in 2 Kings 1:2: “Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury.”
6. Satan
Satan is accountable for sins of wrath in the seven deadly sins. Exiled from heaven, Satan is the antagonist of God and tempts mankind to rebuff Him. Revelations 12:9 mentions Satan: “The dragon, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan” and later at 20.2 as “the deceiver.”
7. Belphegor
Belphegor aids people in the creation of inventions to bring them wealth. His power is stronger in the month of April, according to some 16th-century demonologists. Binsfeld designated Belphegor as the demon of sloth, from a belief that Belphegor’s seductions stem from laziness. He also symbolizes vanity.
Asmodeus was a demon in the Bible, mentioned in the Book of Tobit. He was described as “the prince of demons” and lived in the city of Damascus.
He was also known for possessing King Solomon’s concubines (1 Kings 11:14), who were later killed by Solomon’s servants.
Asmodeus was said to have been killed by throwing him into a well with a large stone tied around his neck (Tobit 3:8). This is considered one of the first examples of someone being killed by dropping them into water or something else that would cause their death.