Christians believe him to have foretold the births of John the Baptist and Jesus. In Islam, he is thought to have been the medium through which God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad.

In Biblical tradition, he is sometimes regarded as the angel of death, the prince of fire and thunder, but more frequently as one of God's chief messengers.

The Talmud described him as the only angel that can speak Syriac and Chaldee. In Islam, Gabriel is one of God's chief messengers but other above mentioned titles are not given to him (for example the angel of death is Azrael).

Gabriel in Judaism

Gabriel in Jewish history and the Hebrew Bible

Gabriel is mentioned twice by name:

"..And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it; and, behold, there stood before me as the appearance of a man. And I heard the voice of a man between the banks of Ulai, who called, and said:' Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision.' So he came near where I stood; and when he came, I was terrified, and fell upon my face; but he said to me: 'Understand, son of man; for the vision belongs to the time of the end.." (Daniel 8:15-17).

It is towards the end of the rule of Babylonia yet Gabriel is sent to elaborate and explain matters also relating to the "End of Days" (See Jewish eschatology) such as when the kingdoms of Persia, Greece and Rome will tumble from dominating the world.

"..And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God; and while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, approached close to me about the time of the evening offering. And he made me understand, and talked with me, and said: 'Daniel, I have now come to make you skilful of understanding..Seventy weeks are decreed upon your people and upon your holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sin, and to forgive iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal vision and prophet, and to anoint the most holy place" (Daniel 9:20-24).

Here is where Gabriel tells Daniel about the mysterious "Seventy weeks" (shavu-im shivim) that seem to indicate the end of the Babylonian captivity which lasted seventy years when Cyrus the Great allowed the return to Zion and the rebuilding of the Temple by the Jews in his empire.

His name also occurs in the apocryphal Book of Enoch.

Gabriel in the Talmud

Gabriel is also, according to the mythology of the Jews, the voice that told Noah to gather the animals before the great flood; the invisible force that prevented Abraham from slaying Isaac; the invisible force that wrestled with Jacob; and the voice of the burning bush.

Gabriel in Christianity

Gabriel in the canonical New Testament

Gabriel's visit to Mary in the Gospel of Luke is often called "The Annunciation," (Luke 1:26 et al.), an event that is celebrated on March 25 (see image above). It is also commemorated as the "First Joyful Mystery" each time the rosary is prayed.

Gabriel also visited Joseph. After learning about Mary's pregnancy, Joseph considered calling off the marriage, but Gabriel appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that the conception was caused by the Holy Spirit.

Gabriel in Islam

Gabriel's physical appearance is described in the Hadith (4:54:455):

Narrated By Abu Ishaq-Ash-Shaibani: I asked Zir bin Hubaish regarding the Statement of God: "And was at a distance Of but two bow-lengths Or (even) nearer; So did (God) convey The Inspiration to His slave (Gabriel) and then he (Gabriel) Conveyed (that to Muhammad). (53:9-10) On that, Zir said, "Ibn Mas'ud informed us that the Prophet had seen Gabriel having 600 wings."

Gabriel's primary tasks are to bring messages from God to his messengers and to accompany the angel Azrael ("Angel of Death") to take the soul of a person who dies with ablution. As in Christianity, Gabriel is said to be the angel that informed Mary (Arabic Maryam) of how she would conceive Jesus (Isa):

She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our Ruh [angel Jibrael (Gabriel)], and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects. She said: "Verily! I seek refuge with the Most Beneficent (God) from you, if you do fear God." (The angel) said: "I am only a Messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son." She said: "How can I have a son, when no man has touched me, nor am I unchaste?" He said: "So (it will be), your Lord said: 'That is easy for Me (God): And (We wish) to appoint him as a sign to mankind and a mercy from Us (God), and it is a matter (already) decreed, (by God).' "(Quran, 19:17-21)

Muslims believe Gabriel to have accompanied Muhammad in his ascension to the heavens, where Muhammad is said to have met previous messengers of God, and was informed about the Islamic prayer (Bukhari 1:8:345). Muslims also believe that Gabriel descends to Earth on the night of Lailat-ul-Qadr ("The Night of Power"), a night in the last ten days of the holy month of Ramadan in the Islamic calendar.

Gabriel in Angelology and the Occult

Some Christian sects in South America also consider him to be the patron of writers.

Gabriel in music

The modern rock musician Sting performed Gabriel's Message on the Christmas compilation CD, "A Very Special Christmas".

In 2006, British singer/songwriter Foy Vance recorded the song "Gabriel and the Vagabond", and the single was featured on the Grey's Anatomy episode "Superstition". The song tells the tale of the angel helping a begger, who in turns helps others, inspiring a town of people and causing them to repent.