Plural of archangel; the highest-ranking divine messengers in religious hierarchies, such as Michael and Gabriel.
From Greek 'archi-' (chief) plus 'angelos' (messenger), from 'aggellein' (to announce). The concept emerged in Zoroastrianism and was adopted by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, each tradition naming different archangels with specific responsibilities.
Archangels are bizarrely standardized across religions—Michael is basically universally the warrior, Gabriel is the announcer, and Uriel is often the punisher, as if ancient religions consulted the same job description document!
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