Demonology: Who Is Lilith
by Simona | Oct 23, 2017 |
Lilith is mentioned only once in the Bible in Isaiah 34:14, where the Hebrew word is translated as the screech owl.
In the verse, Isaiah prophesizes that Lilith would be one of the demonic nocturnal creatures who would haunt the destroyed kingdom of Edom.
This Hebrew word for the demoness Lilith is thought to be from the root word which stands for night or gloom. In Arabic and Akkadian, this word stands for night as well.
However, it is believed by some researchers that the name Lilith comes from the Sumerian lil which means air, and in some cuneiform inscriptions, the terms lilitu and lilit stand for the disease-bearing wind spirits .
According to the same source, the first time that we find this demon mentioned is at around 3,000 BC, as a class of Sumerian storm spirits called lilitu:
The Lilitu were said to prey upon children and women, and were described as associated with lions, storms, desert, and disease. Early portrayals of lilitu are known as having Zu bird talons for feet and wings. Later accounts depict lilitu as a name for one figure and several spirits. Similar demons from the same class are recorded around this time frame. Lilu, a succubus, Ardat lili , who would come to men in their sleep and beget children from them, and Irdu lili, the succubus counterpart to Ardat lili.
Further quoting from the New World Encyclopedia:
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Book Excerpt: Adams First Wife Wasnt Eve But Lilith Heres Why They Broke Up
If we look back at how it all began, we find that, worldwide, sex and gender issues have been expressed in oral traditions such as myths and origin stories, fairytales, animal fables, love poems or cradle songs and proverbs. Such oral wisdom, transmitted from generation to generation, represents a fascinating cultural history. Proverbs, the worlds smallest literary genre, are a most telling part of that serial narrative about humankind. They are our main topic here, but a first brief look into how men and women came into being, as presented in creation myths is an illuminating point of entry.
An oral narrative from the Congolese Kuba people tells of how, in the beginning, God has a sick stomach. He feels so ill that his whole body aches and he begins to throw up. He creates everything from his insides, by vomiting all the plants, trees, animals, and human beings, one after the other onto the earth.
Apparently, being on top during sexual intercourse is an enviable position of power. In Tanzania I recently attended a discussion about who was entitled to have the couples children after divorce, the husband or the wife. Most men insisted that it ought to be the husband, and one of their half-joking arguments was that it is the man who is physically on top when the children are being made. The main conclusion of the Lilith story is that equality between men and women is not such a good idea.
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Why Isnt Lilith In The Bible
Assuming that Isaiah 34s word Lilith isnt connected to the character Lilith, there are no references to Lilith in the Bible. The simple answer to why the Bible doesnt feature Lilith is that she doesnt appear in the Book of Genesis, which is the Bibles account of the earths creation and of Adam and Eve. Scholars have debated the extent to which Genesis creation account is allegorical. However, conservative theologians have maintained that Adam and Eve were real people and that the story of Adam and Eves sin in the garden of Eden is a historical account.
In contrast to Adam and Eve, Lilith is a folklore character added later. The Babylonian Talmud wasnt written until 300-600 AD, and scholars estimate The Alphabet of ben Sirach was written at the earliest in 700 AD. Some scholars have argued that Lilith appears in, or is informed by Ancient Near Eastern mythologies and folklore, such as Lilu, an Akkadian word for a spirit that has demonic associations. Regardless of whether Lilith appears in these stories, she has the qualities of a mythological character, rather than a historical person.
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Her Name Isn’t Mentioned Directly In The Bible
Lilith appears in the Bible only once, and it’s not even by name. In Isaiah 34:14, the author refers to the “night bird,””night monster,” or “nocturnal creature,” depending on which translation of the Bible you’re reading.
When the Book of Isaiah mentions a nefarious night creature living among the ruins, Biblical scholars believe the passage is referring to Lilith. Later translations of the Bible have
Meet Lilith Adams First Wife That Nobody Wants To Talk About
Many people heard the story about Adam and Eve. However, they rarely understand the story of Adams first wife, whose name is Lilith. In some religious texts, Lilith is believed to be the serpent in the Garden of Eden.
While less is known about Lilith than Eve, she is still a significant part of historic religious tests. She is believed to be the first woman and considered the first real feminist in history and created as an equal to Adam.
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Lilith As Adams First Wife
Scholars are not certain where the character of Lilith comes from, though many believe she was inspired by Sumerian myths about female vampires called Lillu or Mesopotamian myths about succubae called lilin. Lilith is mentioned four times in the Babylonian Talmud, but it is not until the Alphabet of Ben Sira that the character of Lilith is associated with the first version of Creation. In this medieval text, Ben Sira names Lilith as Adams first wife and presents a full account of her story.
According to the Alphabet of Ben Sira, Lilith was Adams first wife but the couple fought all the time. They didnt see eye-to-eye on matters of sex because Adam always wanted to be on top while Lilith also wanted a turn in the dominant sexual position. When they could not agree, Lilith decided to leave Adam. She uttered Gods name and flew into the air, leaving Adam alone in the Garden of Eden. God sent three angels after her and commanded them to bring her back to her husband by force if she would not come willingly. But when the angels found her by the Red Sea they were unable to convince her to return and could not force her to obey them. Eventually, a strange deal is struck, wherein Lilith promised not to harm newborn children if they are protected by an amulet with the names of the three angels written on it:
How Lilith Became A Demon
So far, we can see two distinct images of Liliththe woman and the demonbut what happened in this middle ground from when she was created up until she became a demon?
Stories explaining this were developed in much more detail around the Middle Ages, so from the 5th century to the 15th. The tales of Ben Sira and the alphabet of Sirach are pieces of work that echo a sentiment that many scholars and scribes seem to agree upon.
When Adam and Lilith were created, neither one of them wanted to submit to the other. To some, this just meant who assumed the dominant role in the relationship, whereas others took this to mean neither one wanted to assume the bottom position during sex, as it was a sign of subservience.
With neither one of them willing to compromise, Lilith then fled the Garden of Eden, out loud she then pronounced Gods real name, and in doing so, she instantly became a winged demon.
When the Angels pursued her, in the hopes of bringing her back, she told them she had no intention of returning.
As punishment for her disobedience, the three angels who found her promised to kill 100 of her demon children every dayher purpose now was only to cause illness and sickness to the infants of others.
The lack of information regarding her origin is made up for by how popular her story was. The Middle Ages mark this period like no other with numerous telling and interpretations.
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Praise Lilith A Chill Demon Cast From Eden For Refusing Missionary Position
I should have known from the first chapter that Bible study wasnt going to be much fun. You know the deal: Snake tempts Eve, Eve tempts Adam, they both eat an apple and get kicked out of the Garden of Eden and into the world of sin and death. Thanks, womankind.
I was frustrated with the Bible from an early ageas the child of a Catholic mother and someone who has always felt drawn to spirituality, I tried to embrace Catholicism, but I never really felt like it embraced me. Most disappointing was the fact that there were very few female characters in the Bible that I felt I could look up to I remember running a Google search one day when I was around 13 to see if there were any strong, scriptural female role models to whom I could relate, which is how I found Lilith.
Lilith has a curious and complicated history, even as spiritual beings go. If you search her name today, youll come up with hundreds of images of scantily clad demon women. Shes been a subject of debate for centuries, and of appreciation and homage in recent yearsbut to quote the famous Vine, who is she?
As a demonic figure strongly associated with darkness and infanticide, Lilith appeared throughout the ancient legends of the Hittites, Egyptians, Israelites, and Greeks. She is mentioned just once in scripture, in Isaiah 34:14, though her name is sometimes translated as screech owl or night hag.
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The Alphabet Of Ben Sira
Liliths image as a dangerous demon persists in the Alphabet of Ben Sira, where she becomes the first wife of Adam . As Scholem remarks, this tale sets out to explain the already widespread custom of writing amulets against Lilith. God created Lilith from the earth after the creation of Adam. They immediately began to fight over who would be on top during sexual intercourse. Lilith said, We are equal to each other inasmuch as we were both created from the earth. Lilith then pronounced Gods name and flew away into the air. At Adams request, God sent three angels to bring Lilith back, but she refused. According to one version of the tale, she told them that she could not return to her first husband because she had already slept with the Great Demon. She told the angels that she was created only to sicken newborn babies and that she had dominion over males until the eighth day and over females until the twelfth day after birth. The angels then told her that they would not force her to go back to Adam as long as she agreed to leave the child alone when she saw an amulet inscribed with the angels names and forms. Many amulets have been made against Lilith that refer to this tale. For example, Sefer Raziel contains instructions, with drawings, of how to make an amulet against Lilith. Even today, it is possible to purchase amulets made according to this model in Jerusalem shops that sell religious articles.
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Lilith And The Catholic Bible
Having seen the origin of Lilith, it is imperative that we now look at the relationship and significance if any with the Catholic bible and faith.
Although not expressly mentioned in the Bible, it is believed that Lilith was created at the same time or within the same period as Adam. In Genesis 1:27, the Bible reads:
So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them male and female he created them.
In the Hebrew Bible, the name Lilith is mentioned only once with regards to a prophecy passed on the Edomites. In Isaiah 34:14, the Bible says:
And desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and goat-demons will call out to each other. There also Liliths will settle and find for themselves a resting place.
In other versions, Lilith is referred to as the night-monster.
In the Jewish writings of the 700-1000 AD, especially the Alphabet of Ben Sira, newborn babies had an amulet placed around their necks to protect them against Lilith until their circumcision.
Her Name Isnt Mentioned Directly In The Bible
Lilith appears in the Bible only once, and its not even by name. In Isaiah 34:14, the author refers to the night bird,night monster, or nocturnal creature, depending on which translation of the Bible youre reading.
When the Book of Isaiah mentions a nefarious night creature living among the ruins, Biblical scholars believe the passage is referring to Lilith. Later translations of the Bible have
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Lilith In The Bible And Mythology
Connections between Lilith, Adams first wife, and Jadis, the White Witch of Narnia
C.S. Lewiss character Jadis, the White Witch of Narnia, in his The Chronicles of Narnia novels is said to have descended from Lilith, Adams first wife. Pictured here is Tilda Swinton as Jadis, the White Witch of Narnia, in the film adaptation The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe .
C.S. Lewis, one of the most beloved authors of the 20th century, created a magical, fictional world called Narnia. The primary villain of the first book of this series, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, is Jadis, the White Witch. Below is the character Edmunds description of the White Witch when he first meets her:
A great lady, taller than any woman that Edmund had ever seen. She also was covered in white fur up to her throat and held a long straight golden wand in her right hand and wore a golden crown on her head. Her face was whitenot merely pale, but white like snow or paper or icing-sugar, except for her very red mouth. It was a beautiful face in other respects, but proud and cold and stern.
Jadis, the White Witch, is beautifuland terrifying. Although she looks like a human, she is not. According to the character Mr. Beaver, the White Witch was descended from Lilith, Adams first wife, on one side and from giants on the other.
Interestingly enough, this story begins at the beginningin Genesis 1.
BAS Library Members:From Eden to EdnahLilith in the Garden
In Case The Other Versions Of Lilith Weren’t Weird Enough
The esoteric school of Jewish mysticism known as Kabbalah presents several alternate takes on Lilith that can sometimes stray pretty significantly from the more mainstream understanding of her as either Adam’s first wife or even just a demon. A Kabbalistic demonology known as the Treatise on the Left Emanation says that Lilith was not created with Adam, but rather that Samael and Lilith were created at the same time as Adam and Eve to be their dark mirror. Both couples were created as double-faced, androgynous beings containing aspects of both male and female, with the implication being that they were the earthly reproduction of an androgynous God. Another passage from this treatise names Lilith as the serpent who tempted Eve in the garden, a figure who is generally associated with Satan in modern understanding.
One of the most important works in Kabbalah is a group of books known as the Zohar, which contain commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah, and of course the Zohar has some ideas about Lilith. According to this version, when God created Adam, his body was without a soul, and a thousand evil spirits tried to attach themselves to him. God drove the demons off with a cloud and he gave Adam a soul, at which point a female formed, joined at his side. Adam and his conjoined, literal soulmate came to life and God sawed them in two. This woman was Lilith and she immediately flew out to the sea to have demon babies.
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Lilith Is Proof Man And Woman Were Created At The Same Time
People often feel that Adam came before Eve. If you remember, Eve was as this meant man was always supposed to protect a woman. While this story remains biblically correct, Liliths story proves that man and woman were created at the same time.
This proof shows up during the same time the Bible proves Lilith existed. In Genesis 1: 27, the King James version states, And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him male and female he created them.
Enter The Serpent A Classic Trickster Figure
In the biblical story of Adam and Eve, God places his human creations in the Garden of Eden, and tells them they can freely eat of every tree of the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, âfor when you eat from it you will certainly die,âGod warns.
Then along comes the serpent, more cunning than other animals , and asks Eve what God said about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When she repeats the prohibition against eating its fruit, the serpent scoffs, âYou will not certainly die ⦠For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.â
So Eve, seeking wisdom, takes a bite of the forbidden fruit and gives some to her husband, Adam. As the serpent promised, they donât die and their eyes are indeed opened to the existence of good, evil and shame . But as punishment for breaking Godâs commandment, they are expelled from the garden into our fallen world of pain and toil.
Later Christian theologians cast Satan in the role of the serpent, but to the ancient authors of Genesis, the snake represented an even older mythological figure: the trickster. In mythology, a trickster is a slippery figure who inhabits both the heavenly and earthly realms and refuses to play by anyoneâs rules. Loki is the infamous trickster of Norse mythology and Anansi is the trickster of many African myths.
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