Gabriel
Gabriel | |
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Detail of Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1472–1476 | |
| Archangel Divine Herald Angel of Revelation | |
| Venerated in |
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| Feast |
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| Attributes | Carrying a lily, a trumpet, a shining lantern, a branch from Paradise, a scroll, and a scepter |
| Patronage | messengers (including telecommunication workers, postal workers, radio broadcasters, diplomats, and ambassadors), stamp collectors, Santander, Cebu |
In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel (/ˈɡeɪbriəl/ GAY-bree-uhl) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to mankind, as the messenger of God. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran.
In the Book of Daniel, Gabriel appears to the prophet Daniel to explain his visions. The archangel also appears in the Book of Enoch and other ancient Jewish writings not preserved in Hebrew. Alongside the archangel Michael, Gabriel is described as the guardian angel of the Israelites, defending them against the angels of the other peoples.
In the New Testament, the Gospel of Luke, Gabriel appears to Zechariah foretelling the birth of John the Baptist. Gabriel later appears to the Virgin Mary to announce that she would conceive and bear a son through a virgin birth. Many Christian traditions – including Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism – revere Gabriel as a saint.
Islam regards Gabriel as an archangel sent by God to various prophets, including Muhammad. The first five verses of the Al-Alaq, the 96th chapter of the Quran, are believed by Muslims to have been the first verses revealed by Gabriel to Muhammad.