"Why Did Angels Need Names and Ranks? — Religious Reception and Transformation under Babylonian, Hellenistic, and Roman Rule"

This study analyzes the transformation of angels from anonymous "messengers of God" in the Hebrew Bible into named and ranked beings in Second Temple apocalyptic literature. The list of seven archangels in 1 Enoch 20 mirrors the functional division of Greco-Roman deities (war, healing, light, the underworld, justice, mediation, resurrection), providing concrete evidence of Hellenistic cultural influence. This paper argues that the naming and hierarchical structuring of angels did not originate... Thus, the angelic system of names and ranks functioned as a symbolic structure reflecting imperial bureaucracy and mythological parallels, offering both identity preservation and consolation under foreign rule. Using textual criticism, comparative religion, and cultural-historical analysis, this study contends that angels must be interpreted less as doctrinal revelations and more as cultural-historical constructs. This approach allows for a balanced understanding of angel-belief in its ancient context.