The Shanshu Prophecy was a prophecy contained within the Scrolls of Aberjian and, as translated by Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, foresaw the coming of a vampire with a soul that would play a pivotal role in the apocalypse. As a reward, he would be restored into a mortal human being. Translated from its oldest root, the word "shanshu" meant both to live and to die, thus meaning that Angel would "live to die" by becoming human and eventually dying a mortal death. It was assumed that Angel's role will be one of good, but many people pointed out that the prophecy did not specifically say so.