Raphael the Savior: Tobit's Adaptation of the Angel of the Lord Tradition

Attention has been given in recent scholarship to Tobit's use of Israel's angel tradition in its depiction of Raphael, but the exodus account and the role of the angel of the Lord has been overlooked. This article argues that Tobit adapts that account to depict a ‘micro’ exodus with a ground-breaking portrayal of the angel of the Lord who condescends as an Israelite to deliver suffering exiles. In doing so, Tobit bears witness to a belief in a condescending heavenly savior that is found in several other texts of Second Temple Judaism.