Within the book Apocalypse of Abraham, there is a mighty archangel called Yahoel, who is said to be a spiritual guide sent to accompany Abraham. Depending of which translation you happen to come across, Yahoel's name might also appear as Iaoel. When Yahoel introduces himself to Abraham, he states that the meaning of his name is ineffable, or incapable of being expressed with human words, which is also the case for God's own name. For those of you who are not familiar with the Apocalypse of Abraham in which Yahoel appears, it is a pseudepigraphic Jewish literary work that was largely based on Old Testament scripture. The precise date of it's authorship is not known, however many scholars believe it was written between 70 to 150 AD. As it's Jewish in origin, it's considered to be an integral piece of Apocalyptic literature. Due however to it's noncanonical foundation, most Orthodox Jews and mainstream Christian don't recognize it as official.
Legend has it that the archangel Yahoel is so close to God in his nature and form, that he could be accurately described as a manifestation of God's power. It is also stated that Yahoel is one of the grand choir masters in heaven, and that he personally instructs legions of angels with their singing. It is also believed by some that Yahoel has the power over all earthly serpents and reptiles, as well as all of the reptilian like creatures found within the sea and air. Some scholars have interpreted that last attribute as possibly meaning that Yahoel was the heavenly archangel that both created and exterminated the dinosaurs that used to roam the earth, as there are bits of scripture that could be thought to mean that he was on the earth conducting tasks for God before man arrived. One of the other attributes he holds and shares equally with the archangel Michael, is that Yahoel is a sworn protector of Israel, even the new Israeli state of today.
With regard to accounts of Yahoel's physical description, it is stated that he has a human face that was carved out of pure chrysolite, a green like stone that looks like Peridot when it's cut. Yahoel's hair is also said to flow like pure white snow, and upon the top of his head he wears a turban that looks like it is made out of a thick spirit like mist of rainbow colors, and it also radiates a bright heavenly light. Yahoel is also said to wear a robe like garment, which is long flowing and a bright royal purple in color. In his right hand he holds a solid gold scepter, which is a symbol of the absolute power that God has granted him. There have also been some translations that claim that Yahoel sits on a great throne of clouds. There are a lot of Christians and Jews that take grave offense to the description of Yahoel, with some stating that it represents a form of blasphemy. His persona is too closely linked with God's power for some, as he almost mimics the Holy Ghost.
Artistic representations and interpretations of Yahoel are fairly commonplace, however I have yet to come across any earlier period pieces. In the contemporary works that I have seen, Yahoel is usually depicted as a great archangel with a human like form, and he is almost always emitting a bright burning spiritual light of many colors. Often times you will see Yahoel painted hovering over a large river or ocean, with tall mountains seen off in the distance. What is strange is that I have not come across any paintings of him that represent his exact description in scripture, which is of him having a green face and flowing white hair. I have however seen him painted as a gray dolphin swimming in an emerald colored ocean. I'm assuming that is a play on the fact that he said to have power over creatures of the sea, despite the fact that dolphins are not swimming serpents. Anyway, I hope you learned a quick thing or two about the powerful archangel named Yahoel.
