Sandalphon (Sandalfon)

A giant angel who in rabbinic lore is a weaver of prayers, and the twin brother of the mighty Metatron. The name Sandalphon means “co-brother.” In rabbinic lore, Sandalphon is so big that his size strikes fear into the heart of MOSES when the prophet is taken into heaven to receive the Torah. There he finds the angel weaving garlands out of the prayers of Israel, which place themselves on the head of God upon com- pletion. In addition he fights Samael (Satan) endlessly, a job he shares with the archangel Michael. He also determines the sex of the unborn. Sandalphon’s abode is placed variously in the third, sixth and seventh HEAVENS in rabbinic literature, and in the fourth heaven in Islamic lore.