Old Testament Notes

            Tobit, Anna and Tobias. Their story is told in the Book of Tobit (Apocrypha). Tobit was a Jewish exile in the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. In defiance of royal edicts Tobit buried the bodies of certain Jews, who had been executed as criminals. For this crime Tobit's property was confiscated. He himself had to flee along with his wife, Anna, and his son Tobias. Once he fall asleep and some sparrow droppings fell into his eyes and blinded him.
      Meanwhile in the family of his brother Raguel his only daughter Sara became a prey of a demon who killed her every new husband and already put to death 7 men. God send archangel Raphael to help the family. Raphael and the son of Tobit, Tobias, started their journey to Raguel in another town. While crossing Tigris they were attacked by a gigantic fish. Archangel Raphael advised Tobias to catch the fish and take its gall, heart and liver. On arriving to Raguel Tobias married his cousin Sara (again on Raphael's advice) and grilled the fish's liver in the nuptial chamber. The smell scared off the demon and Sara was free. Then they all returned to Tobias, and cured him with the fish's gall.
See: Filippino Lippi Tobias and the Angel.
Pietro Perugino Archangel Raphael with Tobias.
Rembrandt. Tobit and Anna, Tobias Returns Sight to His Father, Tobit and Anna, The Archangel Leaving the Family of Tobias, Tobit's Wife with a Goat.
Andrea del Verrocchio Tobias and the Angel.