W.E. Crum, "Texts Attributed to Peter of Alexandria"
Journal of Theological Studies 4 (1903) 387-97.

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'and he gave his hand and raised him up, saying, "Fear not, Daniel, thou man greatly beloved. The Lord hath sent me to thee to tell thee all things about which thou shalt ask. I am Michael, the captain (archistratig) of the host of the Lord."[1] Ye know that there is none greater than M. among the angels; if he is the captain, is it not then (oukoun) he who is the greatest of them all? But let us not bandy ( Pet 1:16, sophizein) words, in the manner of some who take account of the Genesis (genesis)which Enotes composed, to set against the Genesis of Moses, when it says [2] that the Devil (diabolos) was cast out of heaven because of the evil (kakia) which he had brought forth and that Michael was set (kathistanai) in his place, that he might be associated with (synistanai) the just judge (krites), and might be the ambassador (presbeuein) for all creation; for he is good (agathos). What are the words which Sietes in his madness wrote? That [3] after the
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Lord had created Adam, He said unto Sanatiel, "Come thou too and worship the work of my hands." And he said, "I will not worship; for there is none greater than I excepting thee,' saying (besides?), "I too desire to be equal (isos) to the (MS my) demiurge (demiourgos) and like him." When God had found in him this wickedness (kakia), He caused one of the Cherubim to drag him from (?) the midst of the fiery stones [4] (and) He cast him down upon the earth and with him a multitude of angels besides whom he had deceived. Forthwith God commanded to close (koluein) the place of ascent for a long time, between (them and) the other angels of God, that they should not be able to descend upon the earth.

I see the listeners (akroates) wishing to ask me, saying "Shall no scoffer (skoptein) nor scoundrel (loimos) keep festival at the feast of the archangel Michael?" I will relate to you what my father Theôna, that nourished me, told me; for I too asked him.'

  1. Cf. Daniel 10:11ff.back
  2. I have found no traces of the legend of Satan's displacement by Michael beyond the allusion in Assump. of Moses, ed. Charles p. 39, and in the 'Prayer of the Virgin,' ed. Basset, Apocr. éthiop. v, and Proc. Soc. Bibl. Arch. xix 217.back
  3. This legend is met with in Byzantine and Syrian literature, and was incorporated in the Koran (v. Bonwetsch'es 'Questions of Bartholomew,' Göttingen Nachr., 1897, 36 ff.). Apparent traces of it in earlier times are noted by W. Meyer in the Munich Abhandlungen xiv 3, 198. A rabbinic version is given by M. Grünbaum, Neue Beiträge 70. It is related as follows in another Coptic encomium on Michael, attributed to Chrysostom (Paris 1311, 43):

    'The angels beheld the likeness and image of God in Adam and they fell down and worshipped him and gave him glory as the likeness of God. But Mastêma, which is Sataniêl, saw the honour that was given to Adam and he was greatly jealous. He stiffened his neck before the Lord and said unto the angels: "it befits not us to worship Adam, for he is virgin (parthenikos) of earth; but we are angels (formed) of flames of fire and honourable, (made) from the elements (hyle pl.) of fire, while he is earth from the earth." And he desired in his wickedness to lead astray (skandalizein) the angels, going in and stiffening his neck before God. But Michael the archangel and all the orders (tagma pl.) of heaven marvelled at the pride of the devil (diabolos) and his vainglory (kenodoxia) and they hardened their hearts against his tyranny (tyrannos) beseeching him daily that he would leave his pride and repent and become humble and remain in his honour. But he would not hear them, but he conceived trouble, &c.' (Ps 7: 15;17).

    On the name Mastêma v. Rönsch, B. der Jubileen 107. Other occurrences in Coptic texts: Proc. Soc Sibl. Arch., l.c.; Mission franç. iv 776; cf. Pereira, Abba Samuel 146. The legend of Sataniel had reached Severus of Ashmunain (v. Renaudot, Litt. Or. Coll., ed. 1847, i 278).back

  4. Cf. Ezek 28:16 (LXX) and perhaps Secrets of Enoch, ed. Morfill and Charles, 35.back