Religious References in Neon Genesis Evangelion

A

• Adam (First Angel) [First human being of Genesis]

• Angels (Sammael in OP and Angels #03 to #17 in the show) [Taken from Judaic lore]

• Apostles (Translation of shito, Japanese counterpart of "Angel")

• Ark ("Ark called Eva", EoE)

B

• Bethany Base [Bethany (Beth anya ,"house of the suffering") was the birthplace of Mary mother of Jesus. In Eva 2.0 Bethany Base is where Mari is introduced.]

C

• Chamber of Guf (#21', #23, #26') [Judaism, realm where souls originate]

• Cocytus (Section of Bethany Base in Eva 2.0) [ninth circle of Hell in Dante's Inferno]

• Cross / Crucifiction (#01, #02, #19, #25': Cross-shaped explosions of Sachiel, Zeruel, EVA-02, and EVA-01; Lilith on the cross; #18, EVA-03's aerial transport; #23, "double cross"-shaped depression in Terminal Dogma; #26', "crucifiction" of EVA-01 and Shinji, shape of Tree of Life, pose assumed by harpies upon death and EVA-01 upon going dormant, green crosses that form to launch souls into the air and float away once HIP fails]

D

• Dead Sea Scrolls (Seele's Secret/Ura Dead Sea Scrolls) [The documents discovered in Qumran]

• Divine Retribution/The Flood (World flooding from Second Impact) [Story of Noah]

• Doors of Guf: See Chamber of Guf

E

• Eva [First woman in Genesis, Chavvah/Eve, made from Adam]

• Evangelion [Greek word for "gospel"]

F

• Fruit of Life & Fruit of Knowledge/Wisdom (#26') S² Engine and Human's ability to reason

G

• Giant of Light (Form Adam assumes leading to Second Impact) [In Judaic lore, Adam before consuming the Fruit of Knowledge]

• "God" [Used loosely throughout NGE is various senses of the term]

• Golgotha Base (Golgotha was where Jesus was crucified)

H

• Haloes (#23', appear above EVA-00 right before she self-destructs, Rebuild of Evangelion)

L

• Lilith (Progenitor of humanity and Adam's counterpart) [Babylonian/Assyrian night demoness --> First wife of Adam in "Alphabet of Ben-Sira"]

• Lilin (#24, spoken by Kaworu) [Demonic offspring of Judaic Lilith)

• Lingam/Yoni (#26', Tree of Life entering GNR's Third Eye) [Sacred union of male and female, "fountain of life" placed in "source of all that exists", from Hinduism]

M

• Malebolge System (Section of Bethany Base in Eva 2.0) [The eight circle of Hell in Dante's Inferno]

• Many-Eyed Ones (OP, #26': Eyes on wings of Sammael, EVA-01, harpies; also sprouted by Tree of Life) [Description of various angels]

• Marduk Marduk Institute [Central Babylonian/Assyrian god]

• Medium/Yorishiro (#26', used in reference to EVA-01) [exact religious connotations undetermined]

R

• Rainbow (whenever an angel dies) [The covenant between God and humanity not to destroy the world with water]

• Red Earth (#14, referenced in Rei's monologue) [Judaism, used to form the first human(s)]

• Red Earth Purification Ceremony (#26', mentioned by Seele) [exact source unknown]

S

• Sephirotic Tree of Life (OP; ceiling of Gendo's office; #25', layout of circular "pools" in Terminal Dogma, with Rei inside Malkhuth; #26', projected into sky by Eva Series) [In Kabbalah, the Tree of Life diagramatically representing the path to become one with God, also to reunite God with Shekinah]

• Seven Eyes of YHWH (Seele's crest, Lilith's mask) [YHWH described with 7 eyes throughout Bible; is this in Judaism, as well?]

• Shekinah (concept possibly encompassed by Giant Naked Rei) [Divine presence; in Kabbalah, female emanation of God and antithesis of Lilith]

• Souls [no comment ]

• Spear of Longinus (organic weapon) [Spear used by Longinus to confirm Jahshua's/Jesus' death]

• Stigmata (#26', given to EVA-01 and Shinji - in the wrong place!) [Nail wounds on the wrists (or, inaccurately, palms) of Jesus]

• Star of David (#19, Gendo's Desk) [Symbol of Judaism]

• Styx Shaft (Section of Bethany Base in Eva 2.0) [Styx was he fifth circle of Hell in Dante's Inferno and in Greek mythology the river separating Earth from the Underworld]

T

• Tabgha Base ( Tabgha, "seven springs", was a valley in nothern Israel mentioned many times in the Bible)

• Third Eye (#26', when GNR takes in the ToL, Eva 2.0 Evangelion Unit-08 and Eva Pseudo-Evolution) [from Eastern mysticism]

• Three Wise Men (The MAGI Supercomputers: Balthasar, Caspar, Melchior)

• Tree of Life (OP: diagram by Fludd; #26': fusion of EVA-01 and Spear) [Archetypal religious concept, found in Judaism and central to Kabbalah]

• Trinity (Seele's crest, three triangles-within-a-triangle; #26', symbol formed by EVA-01 andharpies, only visible very briefly) [Christian concept of a tripartite god]

W

• 12 Wings (OP: Sammael, EVA-01; #26': Lilith, EVA-01) [Number of wings possessed by Sammael/Satan]

• Wheels of Fire (#23, Armisael) [Used to describe the choir of angels called ophanim]

• Wings of Light (#12, Adam; EoE, EVA-01) [Used to describe angels in general]