Agrat bat Mahlat

Agrat bat Mahlat (אגרת בת מחלת) is a demon in Jewish mythology.

Etymology

Considering Mahlat and Agrat as proper names and bat as "daughter of" (Hebrew), Agrat bat Mahlat means 'Agrat daughter of Mahlat'. Sometimes Agrat is used alone, or with variations (Agrath, Igrat, Iggeret). Iggeret means in Hebrew 'letter or missive' while 'agrah' means 'reward'. Mahlat may be from the word "mahalah" meaning sickness.

In ancient texts

In Zoharistic Kabbalah, she is a queen of the demons and one of four angels of sacred prostitution, who mates with archangel Samael. Her fellow succubi are Lilith, Naamah, and Eisheth. In the Rabbinic literature of Yalḳuṭ Ḥadash, on the eves of Wednesday and of the Sabbath, she is "the dancing roof-demon" who haunts the air with her chariot and her train of eighteen myriads of messengers of destruction. She dances while Lilith howls.[1] She is also "the mistress of the sorceresses" who communicated magic secrets to Amemar, a Jewish sage.[2]

According to the Kabbalah and the school of Rashba, Agrat bat Mahlat mated with King David and bore a cambion son Asmodeus, king of demons.[3] The spiritual intervention of Hanina ben Dosa and Rabbi Abaye curbed her malevolent powers over humans.[4]

Some authors, such as Donald Tyson, refer to them as manifestations of Lilith.

References

  1. Jewish Encyclopedia shedim
  2. Jewish Encyclopedia demonology
  3. Kabbala: Lilith, Queen of the Demons
  4. Geoffrey W. Dennis, The encyclopedia of Jewish myth, magic and mysticism. p. 126


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