Satan, also known as the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an entity in Abrahamic religions that seduces humans into sin or falsehood. In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the yetzer hara, or "evil inclination". In Christianity and Islam, he is usually seen as a fallen angel or jinn who has rebelled against God, who nevertheless allows him temporary power over the fallen world and a host of demons. In the Quran, Shaitan, also known as Iblis, is an entity made of fire who was cast out of Heaven because he refused to bow before the newly created Adam and incites humans to sin by infecting their minds with waswās.
Illustration of the Devil on folio 290 recto of the Latin, Bohemian Codex Gigas, dating to the early thirteenth century
Balaam and the Angel (1836) by Gustav Jäger. The angel in this incident is referred to as a "satan".
The Examination of Job (c. 1821) by William Blake
The sound of a shofar (pictured) is believed to symbolically confuse Satan.
Fallen angels are angels who were expelled from Heaven. The literal term "fallen angel" does not appear in any Abrahamic religious texts, but is used to describe angels cast out of heaven or angels who sinned. Such angels often tempt humans to sin.
The Fallen Angels (1893), by Salvatore Albano. Brooklyn Museum, New York City
Fountain of the Fallen Angel (1877), by Ricardo Bellver. Retiro Park, Madrid, Spain
Chester Beatty XII, Greek manuscript of the Book of Enoch, 4th century
The Fall of the Rebel Angels (Apocryphal) (c. 1250), by William de Brailes. God sits on a throne within a mandorla. The rebelling angels are depicted as falling out of heaven and into a hell, in the shape of a mouth. As they fall, the angels become demons.
