volume 13, issue 2, 2021, pages 155-179

DOI: https://doi.org/10.64438/sbsCJTE7165
Published online: 2021-12-01
Published in print: 2021-12-30

Abstract: The description of the rites of the Day of Atonement in Lev 16 also contains the problematic term Azazel. Uncertainties arise from the translation of this term in LXX or other textual versions. The contribution exposes an overview of possible interpretations of the term Azazel. Originally, it was probably the name of a demon, as evidenced by several nonbiblical sources. It could be the demonized pagan god Azizos, whose cult was not completely eliminated due to its great popularity. Azizos became a fallen angel, and under the name Lucifer he takes on the attributes of the devil in Christianity as well. In the priestly ritual of the Book of Leviticus, however, he is no more a demon, but simply a designation of the place where the sins of the people are sent. The goat for Azazel is a simple vehicle that takes these sins into the desert, to a place of disorder and chaos. With Christianity, the scapegoat becomes a symbol of Christ, and the ceremony of the sending away of scapegoat becomes a type of atonement performed by him.