Tobit, Tobias & the Angel

Tobit

The Grateful Dead is ancient legend material in which a man buries a corpse, then somehow is rewarded by the deceased for the good deed. The apocryphal/deuterocanonical Book of Tobit plays on this theme. Tobit is a righteous and generous Israelite who lives under the reign of the kings of Assyria. He, illegally, takes it upon himself to give honorable burial to fellow Israelites executed by Assyrian authority, who were meant to lie unburied or tossed into a pit. Tobit’s burying them is found out and he is condemned to death, but evades the authorities and lives, though under great hardship. God hears his plight and his prayer and sends the angel Raphael to deliver him; and also to be guardian for his son Tobias as they travel on a mission. It’s a great story on the ancient theme of The Grateful Dead.

For this Epiphany Season, both in Sunday School and in Tuesday morning Bible Seminar we are studying the Apocrypha and reading some of the books. With fourteen chapters, Tobit probably is too long to read in our hour long sessions. The lesson, besides the charming tale of Tobit, Tobias and Raphael (disguised as Azariah), and Sarah the beautiful young bride, is about the joys, virtues and rewards of charitable living. 

The name Raphael means “God heals.” St. Raphael the Archangel is known as the patron saint of travelers, of the blind and those with eye problems, of those who need healing, of happy marriages, and of physicians. All of which comes out of the story of Tobit. He is also known as the patron saint for those who have nightmares, and the Roman Church has prayers for seeking his help, "Good Saint Raphael .."
Paintings of Raphael, Tobit, and Tobias have been done by many artists, prominently including Rembrandt. 

Rembrandt's are all too dark. My favorite, above: Tobias and Raphael traveling, with the fish, after Adam Elsheimer, 17th C. National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London.

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Top: Verrocchio, Tobias and the Angel, 16th C., National Gallery, London