What if guardian angels weren’t the gentle, watchful figures we imagine—but were instead invoked through gritty, complex rituals that reveal a far more intense and human side of ancient belief?
While romantic depictions of guardian angels depict angels protectively hovering above little children, the reality of ancient angel magic in antiquity was much messier.
We'll examine some ancient artifacts and texts from the late Roman period that show how people called upon angels for protection.
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Dr. Andrew Henry
Dr. Andrew Henry is a scholar of late Roman religion and the creator of Religion for Breakfast. Andrew holds a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Boston University, where he focused on magic and demonology in the late Roman Empire.
His fieldwork includes excavations in Athens, Greece with the American School of Classical studies. He also served as the Educational and Cultural Affairs Research Fellow at the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem.
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