HANAMEEL (
; R. V. Hanamel).
Son of Shallum and cousin of Jeremiah. The latter purchased a field from him for seventeen shekels of silver in token of his belief that the Israelites would return to their land (Jer. xxxii. 7-12).
Hanameel was the son of Shallum, the man who was miraculously resurrected from the dead (Pirḳe R. El. xxxiii.). His mother was the prophetess Huldah. Like his parents, he was possessed of great piety and learning; he knew the names of the angels, and could conjure them at will (see Incantation). Thus when the Chaldeans were besieging Jerusalem he conjured angels, who, in obedience to his summons, came down from heaven as warriors and put the enemies of Israel to flight. Thereupon God changed the names of the angels so that Hanameel's conjurations would be unavailing to prevent the destruction of Jerusalem. Hanameel, however, summoned the "Prince of the World" (
), an archangel in charge of the government of the world (see Meṭa-ṭron), who actually lifted Jerusalem up to heaven. The city could not then be destroyed until God had cast it down again, and had made it impossible for the "Prince of the World" to come to its aid (Ekah Zuṭa, ed. Buber, p. 62). A legend closely related to this haggadah is found in Lam. R. ii. 2 (ed. Buber, p. 110, end). On his father's as well as his mother's side Hanameel was a descendant of Rahab by her marriage with Joshua, being one of eight prophets that resulted from this marriage (Sifre, l.c.; Meg. l.c.; comp. Seder 'Olam. R. xx.).
