Archangel Selaphiel Wooden Iconography from Mount Athos

Hand painted icon of Archangel Selaphiel made on Mount Athos, on natural wood. The icon is delivered in a wooden box.

The Archangel Selaphiel is one of the Archangels of the Orthodox Church and is particularly associated with prayer and the spiritual life of humanity. His name is interpreted as “he who prays to God.” In ecclesiastical tradition, Archangel Selaphiel is considered the angel who helps people turn to prayer with reverence, humility, and concentration. Selaphiel is also mentioned in an apocryphal text concerning Adam and Eve, where God sends him together with another angel to assist them after they were deceived by Satan. In this account, Selaphiel leads them down from a high mountain and guides them to a cave, according to God’s command. In iconography, he is often depicted holding a censer, a symbol of prayer and worship. The Church commemorates Archangel Selaphiel on November 8, during the Synaxis of the Archangels.