Raguel as Interpreter of Moses' Throne Vision: The Transcendent Identity of Raguel in the Exagoge of Ezekiel the Tragedian

Abstract

Ezekiel the Tragedian's second-century BCE drama about the Exodus contains one of the earliest examples of a merkavah vision. The Exagoge exalts Moses, likely in polemic with Enochic traditions. Moses not only has a vision of God's heavenly throne: he is instructed by God to sit on the throne and is given God's scepter and crown. Moses then sees the whole universe, and angels (`stars') pass in military formation before him. Moses' dream is later interpreted in the text by Raguel. The exalted and divinized Moses is the hero of the drama, yet it is Raguel who discerns the meaning of Moses' throne vision. This article argues that Raguel's supernatural interpretive ability, as well as the name, titles, and characteristics attributed to him in the drama, suggest a transcendent identity. Raguel may, in fact, be an angel, a parallel to the angelic figures in other apocalyptic works who accompany the exalted patriarchs in their ascent and interpret their visions.