URIEL-An oft-named member of the seven archangels and one of the most important angels in all of the heavenly host, with Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Unlike those three archangels, however, the existence and labors of Uriel are not supported in any way by the Scriptures, meaning that he is known entirely through legend, tales, and angelic lore. Nevertheless, Uriel, whose name means "fire of God," is truly a formidable angel, so much so that until the eighth century he was accepted entirely as an archangel to be honored by the Church and its faithful. Uriel is named as both a cherub and a seraph, holding a wide variety of offices and titles: regent of the sun, prince of the sun, angel of the presence, archangel of salvation, patron of prophecy, angel of music, and master of Tartarus. According to the First Book of Enoch, he is the angel over thunder and terror and was sent to Noah to give him warning of the coming deluge. Two characteristics seem to predominate in the legends surrounding Uriel: his sharpness of mind and eye and his total, objective, and impersonel fulfillment of the divine will. Long accepted as one of the seven archangels in the Christian Church, Uriel's position was first scrutinized only in the eighth century. The Christian Church had grown alarmed at the rampant and excessive zeal with which many of the faithful were revering angels. At a council in Rome in 745 under Pope Zachary, seven angels were removed from the ranks of the Church's recognized angels. One of them was Uriel. Although stripped of his post as an archangel, Uriel was still honored by the Church under the name St. Uriel. As an angel he bore the symbols of the scroll and the book; as St Uriel he had the symbol of an open hand bearing a flame.

USIEL-See Uzziel.

UZZAH-An angel whose name means "the Lord is strength" and who is listed in the Third Book of Enoch with Azzah and Azael as ministering angels who were against the transformation of the patriarch Enoch into the angel Metatron. It is possible that Uzzah can be identified with the fallen angel Semyaza. In the Bible there is a possibly related tale told in 2 Samuel (6:2-7) of Uzzah, a man who violated the law and touched the Ark of the Covenant, whereupon he was struck dead.

UZZIEL-Also Usiel, and angel originally in Jewish lore who was ranked variously as a member of the cherubim and of the virtues. In the apocryphal Book of the Angel Raziel, he is one of the seven exalted angels who have the cherished position of standing before the very throne of God. Uzziel is also at times listed as the patron protector of Egypt, a role normally given to Duma or Rahab.

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