![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Paolo_de_Matteis_-_The_Annunciation.jpg/640px-Paolo_de_Matteis_-_The_Annunciation.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Archangel
Second lowest rank of angel / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Archangels?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Archangels are described as the second-lowest rank of angel in De Coelesti Hierarchia (On the Celestial Hierarchy) written by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 5th or 6th century.[1][2][3] The Bible itself uses the term very rarely, with no mention in the Old Testament, and does not mention a hierarchy of angels in any detail. The word is usually associated with the Abrahamic religions; similar beings exist in several other religions.
![Thumb image](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Paolo_de_Matteis_-_The_Annunciation.jpg/320px-Paolo_de_Matteis_-_The_Annunciation.jpg)
Archangel is derived from Greek archángelos (ἀρχάγγελος), with the Greek prefix arch- meaning 'chief'. A common misconception is that archangels constitute the highest rank of angel in Christianity; this likely stems from the etymology of their name, as well as their presentation in John Milton's Paradise Lost.[4]
In Judaism, 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.[5] 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.[6][7][8][9]