The Beings of Light are a mysterious race that travel using the Ship of Lights. Called angels by the primitive people on Kobol, these creatures helped them develop the civilization that would become the Twelve Colonies (TOS: "War of the Gods, Part II").
Many of their number appear as humanoids wearing ethereal robes, with most of the face (sans eyes) covered by a niqab (TOS: "War of the Gods, Part II"), although one by the name of John later presents itself in a more distinctly, professional human form (TOS: "Experiment in Terra").
Apparently mistakes were made in the past by these advanced beings, as they seem reluctant to interfere directly with the Colonials or the Terrans. They help Apollo and battlestar Galactica save the Terrans from themselves (TOS: "Experiment in Terra").
Count Iblis is a fallen member of this race, who has chosen to use his powers for selfish and malignant purposes (TOS: "War of the Gods, Part II").
Galactica 1980
Angela is another likely member of the Beings of Light and, like John, wore white, appeared and disappeared suddenly (in this case on a desolate planet where Starbuck and Cyrus are marooned), and spoke in riddles. She is revealed to be the mother of Doctor Zee, which may account for the young boy's superhuman abilities (1980: "The Return of Starbuck"), and was sent to the Fleet as a means to help the surviving humans find the Thirteenth Colony.
A scrapped episode entitled "The Wheel of Fire" would have had Starbuck rescued from a lonely asteroid by more representatives of this mysterious race.
Notes
- The term Seraph (plural: Seraphim) has been associated to these beings in various comic book incarnations from both Maximum Press and Dynamite Entertainment. In real-world theism, Seraph is the Hebrew word for Angel. Later Jewish imagery perceived them as having human form, and in that way they passed into the ranks of Christian angels. In the Christian angelic hierarchy, seraphim represent the highest rank of angels.