Azazel is the Hebrew name associated with the scapegoat sent into the wilderness on Yom Kippur.
The ritual is described in Leviticus 16, where the High Priest presented two goats before God. Lots determined which goat would be sacrificed as an offering and which would be designated “for Azazel.” The latter goat symbolically carried away the sins and impurities of the Israelites before being sent into the desert.
The meaning of Azazel is debated. It may refer to a place of rough terrain, a force or being associated with the wilderness, or the idea of complete removal. Because the Hebrew term is unusual, some English Bible translations render it “scapegoat” or “goat of departure” rather than preserving Azazel as a proper name.
The ritual belonged to the ancient Temple service and could not continue in its original form after the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 CE. Azazel is also portrayed as a fallen angel in the later Book of Enoch, but that figure should not be confused with the specific Yom Kippur goat ritual in Leviticus.