Archangel
second lowest rank of angel
Archangels () are the second-lowest rank of angel in the hierarchy of angels, based on and put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 5th or 6th century in his book De Coelesti Hierarchia (On the Celestial Hierarchy).
The Bible uses the term "archangel" two times referring to the angel Michael only in the New Testament. The Bible does not mention a particular hierarchy of angels in any detail aside from this. The word is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions and many offshoots with which they are historically associated.
Archangel is derived from Greek archángelos (ἀρχάγγελος), with the Greek prefix arch- meaning 'chief'. In Catholic theology, archangels constitute the second-lowest rank of angel; much of modernized imaging of Archangels as we have today likely stems from the etymology of their name, as well as their presentation in John Milton's Paradise Lost.
In many offshoots of Judaism, with the oldest text coming from Enoch 1, the highest ranking angels such as Michael, Raphael, Gabriel and Uriel, who are usually referred to as archangels in English, are given the title of śārīm (Hebrew: שָׂרִים 'princes'; sing. שָׂר śār), to show their superior rank and status. Two examples of this can be seen in Daniel 10:13 and 12:1, where Michael, Chief of the Heavenly Host, is referred to as ʾaḥaḏ haśśārīm hārišōnīm (אַחַד הַשָּׂרִים הָרִאשֹׁנִים 'one of the chief princes') in the former, and haśśar haggāḏōl (הַשַּׂר הַגָּדוֹל 'the great prince') in the latter. Other listings of archangels include Jophiel who is an archangel of beauty and art.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Archangel” as second lowest rank of angel. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
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The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as second lowest rank of angel. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 29, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q178342. The Library of Congress control number is sh97007612. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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This entry incorporates text from “Archangel” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.