Archangel, Commander of the Heavenly Host
Michael is the only angel the Hebrew Bible calls a 'great prince,' and his name is itself a challenge: mi-kha-el, 'Who is like God?' The Book of Daniel names him three times — one of the chief princes who came to help against the 'prince of Persia,' the protector of Daniel's people, and the one who will arise in the final time of trouble to deliver the elect. Within the Bible's angelology he is the guardian of Israel and commander of the armies of heaven.
The New Testament carries the figure forward. Jude 9 recalls that when Michael contended with the devil over the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce judgment, saying only, 'The Lord rebuke you.' Revelation 12 describes war in heaven: Michael and his angels fight the dragon, and the ancient serpent, called the devil and Satan, is thrown down to earth with his angels. This passage fixed the enduring image of Michael as the armored warrior-angel, lance or sword in hand, standing on a defeated dragon.
Devotion to Michael flourished in medieval Europe. The cave sanctuary of Monte Gargano in southern Italy drew pilgrims from the late fifth century, and the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel off the Norman coast took him as patron from the eighth. Medieval art also shows him holding scales, weighing souls at the Last Judgment. In Islamic tradition he is Mika'il, named alongside Gabriel in the second sura of the Quran.
