Lilith: The Lore Begins
Enter this Dungeon at your own risk
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Lilith may be the oldest surviving mythological (and I do not mean myth in a modern sense, I mean myth in a real sense) character that we have to date in the Abrahamic lore. She is a being that shows herself throughout multiple times, civilizations, and writings. We don’t know for certain the direct origins, but we can deduce that she was prevalent in many different civilization’s lore and stories.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF LILITH [Lilith Institute]
The mythical figure of the ‘dark goddess’ Lilith…
According to Jewish legend, Lilith was Adam’s first wife and Eve’s predecessor. In the most commonly-told version of the tale, she is made from the earth, as is Adam. For this reason, she refuses to lie beneath Adam sexually, and when he insists, she mutters God’s secret name, leaves the Garden of Eden and Adam, and flies off to the Reed Sea [today called the Red Sea] to live her own life. After Adam complains to God about being alone and Eve comes into the picture, we learn—in traditional patriarchal recountings—that she is warned against the ‘evil’ Lilith and feels Lilith is a rival competing for Adam’s affections. In a contemporary feminist midrash or reinterpretation of this legend by Judith Plaskow, however, we see Lilith painted as Eve’s counterpart, confidante, and friend (Womanspirit Rising, 1979).
Lilith is consistently portrayed in many cultures first as a demon, who might have been good or bad, then as a child-killer and temptress; as a woman embodying or representing the devil and often personified by Eden’s serpent. In literary and iconographic representations, she is clearly depicted as symbolizing the “evil” inherent in all women. Yet many contemporary women see in her the embodiment of the Goddess, Great Creatrix, Queen of Heaven and Earth, Goddess of Love and War, designations she shares with her counterparts Inanna, Ishtar, Asherah, Anath and Isis. As a goddess of love, beauty and things erotic she is akin to the Greek Aphrodite and the Roman Venus; in her wildness and thirst for justice she and Bhadra Kali, the Hindu goddess, could be thought of as sisters. The question of how bloodthirsty she may or may not be—and whether the role of avenger is a positive or negative one—remains an open one. There is also the question, which has gone largely unexplored, of the royal or divine status which may be signified by her serpentine crown and the rings she holds, usually recognized as symbolizing Sumerian royal authority. “She also holds the ring and rod of power. Thus she joins the first rank of gods” (Johnson, 1988).
Lucia Chiavola Birnbaum, in her landmark work Black Madonnas (1993), calls Adam’s treatment of Lilith “the first violence done to women”. If one reads this as rape, as some writers do (Philips, 1984; Ostriker, 1993), one begins to view the Garden of Eden as more prison than paradise. No wonder, then, that Lilith left Adam and Eden; in so doing–as Aviva Cantor wrote in the first issue of LILITH Magazine (1972)—Lilith chose loneliness over subservience.
The patriarchy’s treatment of Lilith has been similar to its treatment of Eve. Both have been demonized – Lilith for her independence and open sexuality, and Eve for her quest for knowledge.
We can trace Lilith’s development through both art and text; through mythological as well as Talmudic, pseudepigraphic, and apocryphal sources. They include: the 3rd millennium story of Gilgamesh and the Huluppu Tree; a 2400 BCE text referring to a Sumerian storm demon; the famous terracotta relief of Lilith known as the Burley plaque from circa 2300 BCE; in Babylonian legends dating from roughly 1800 BC; in Aramaic incantation texts found in bowls around 600 CE in Nippur, Babylonia (Iraq), Arslan Tash (Syria) and Persia (Iran); in Rabbinic literature, midrashim and folklore from the 5th to the 12th Centuries CE, in 15th and 16th Century European sculpture and woodcuts, in Kabbalistic sources beginning in the 12th and appearing through the 17th Century CE, in literature carrying her through to the present day. The only actual Biblical reference to Lilith or ‘the liliths’ is in the Hebrew Bible (Isaiah 34:14); whether or not it truly represents this mysterious figure is a matter of conjecture.
The above is an excerpt from a non-Christian historical view, I find this to be important because we can quickly and overtly take a bias when analyzing a character found in Scripture. This is the trick of the book of Job, Zophar is us, and Job is like “No, God is a moral monster” and who is right?
Quick breakdown of her mentioned lore
1. Mesopotamian Mythology
In ancient Babylonian texts, Lilith appears as a class of winged female demons known as “the lilith.” These demons were believed to attack pregnant women and infants. The concept of Lilith spread beyond Babylonia, influencing neighboring regions such as Anatolia, Syria, Israel, Egypt, and Greece. Scholars have also connected Lilith to the Mesopotamian demon Lamashtu, who shares similar traits and occupies a comparable position in mythology.
2. Hebrew Bible and Jewish Tradition
Lilith’s most famous association is with the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish folklore, she was Adam’s first wife, created simultaneously with him from the same clay. However, Lilith refused to be subservient to Adam and left him. She then coupled with the archangel Samael, embodying themes of rebellion, freedom, and feminine power. The Babylonian Talmud contains references to Lilith:
In Eruvin 100b, Niddah 24b, Shabbat 151b, and Bava Batra 73a, she is described as Adam’s original wife.
The Zohar § Leviticus 19a refers to her as “a hot fiery female who first cohabited with man”.
3. Greco-Roman Influence
Lilith’s presence extends beyond Jewish tradition. In Greco-Roman, Indian, and Persian folklore, she assumes various forms. Some depict her as an angelic figure with wings, while others portray her as an impudent and mischievous spirit. Her character adapts to the cultural context, emphasizing her allure and mystery.
4. Islamic and Arabic Perspectives
Lilith also features in Islamic mythology. Her multifaceted persona continues to intrigue scholars and storytellers. Whether as a demon, a rebellious wife, or a supernatural being, Lilith remains a symbol of complexity and defiance.
Some Quotes on Lilith from Rabbinic Literature
Isaiah 34:14:
Babylonian Talmud, Niddah 24b:
Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 151b:
Shenei Luchot HaBerit, Torah Shebikhtav, Ki Teitzei, Torah Ohr 71-72:
This mystical text connects Lilith to malevolent forces and impurity. It also mentions that Lilith is one of two female figures associated with promiscuity, the other being Mahalath, daughter of Ishmael1.
My Theory
It’s striking to me that the Rabbinic literature tells us that Eve wasn’t Adam’s first wife, but rather God reset humanity through Eve who is a central character for Christianity moving forward, that is Eve falls, and Mary becomes the New Eve, keeping the typological nature of the Old and New Testament coherent.
Therefore, on this basis alone, I think I dismiss the notion that Lilith was ever created to be with Adam, but rather I do believe she is an entity of some kind. However, I’ll finish with that.
If you’ve seen the Pirates of the Caribbean you’ve seen references to mermaids who swoon men into their pity, as well as within Harry Potter you have the Veela who are so attractive they make men lose their minds essentially. This idea is as old as civilization itself, that man must blame women for their sexual iniquity and lust patterns, while there is credence for this because of such writings throughout every civilization — ever — it’s the notion that bogs my mind down to suggest that Lilith is merely a depiction of this same type, that men struggle so they embody a “witch” or “scapegoat” that’s causing them harm.
Women were witches, women were mermaids, women were Veela, and Lilith is the epitome of all of these. She’s Malificent but without the good! Now, the Bible does give credence to these things being reality rather than mere mind and nature issues — that being the battle is against: Ephesians 6:12:
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."
According to these scriptures, Christians are engaged in a spiritual battle against:
Spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12)
Demonic powers and strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:3-4)
The devil (1 Peter 5:8-9; James 4:7)
Worldly influences opposed to God (1 John 4:4)
Therefore, though I may suggest man creates his own demons (witches, mermaids, etc) the Bible, in turn, gives credence to the idea that these things are realities, they are real, Lilith could be real, she could be the Spirit that devours men in the night lusting after porn, lusting after women, perverting their minds to no extent, beyond hope.
Hear me out, what if Lilith’s demonic spawns ARE actually “behind the bushes” and preying on men who live alone, who seek lust, who cannot deny themselves like Origen who castrated himself just to stop lusting? What if what we need to do is pray against Lilith and her spawns? What if Lilith was never Adams, but also the Adversary’s?
What if we, who live surrounded by the material consumer world in America, took a step back and looked at what Scripture said reality really was?