Lilith, Adam’s First Wife

Early Likeness of Lilith

In Jewish folklore, Lilith (Latin – Lami) is described as Adam’s first wife, who was created at about the same time and from the same earthen clay as Adam. This is in contrast with Eve, who was created from one of Adam’s ribs. The legend was expanded upon during the middle Ages (1000 – 1500 AD), in the tradition of Jewish mysticism. During the 13th Century writings of Rabbi Isaac ben Jacob ha-Cohen, for example, Lilith is said to have left Adam after she refused to become subservient to him and refused to return to the Garden of Eden after she mated with archangel Samael, who in Jewish mysticism was the angel of death.

A similar account argues that for her discrepancies, she was banished from the Garden of Eden, as opposed to refusing to return, when she declined to make herself subservient to Adam (in particular, her refusal to agree to the missionary position with him during sex). When she was cast out, she was made into a demon figure, and Adam was given a second wife, Eve; fashioned from his rib so as to ensure her obedience to her man, or to borrow a popular phrase: ensure that she would “stand by her man”.

In any event, as a result of her actions it didn’t take long for her image or reputation to become that of the evil woman, who was described as being beautiful but who could transform into a blue, butterfly-like demon, associated with the power of seduction.

There is continuing scholarly debate as to whether the concept of Lilith occurs in the Holy Bible. The only possible occurrence is in the Book of Isaiah 34:13–15, which describes the devastation of kingdom of Edom, where-in the Hebrew word lilit (or Lilith) appears in a list of eight unclean animals, some of which may have demonic associations. However, the Dead Sea Scrolls contains one indisputable reference to Lilith in fragment 1 of the Songs of the Sage.      

In brief summation, the idea in the biblical text of Genesis that Adam had a wife prior to Eve may have developed from an interpretation of the Book of Genesis and its dual creation accounts: wherein, Genesis 1:27, indicates that both man and woman was made: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.”    However, Genesis 2:22 describes God’s creation of Eve from Adam’s rib. 

Traditional thinking places the first account of her (Lilith’s) creation shortly after God’s comment in Genesis 2:18: “It is not good for man to be alone”; following this statement God is said to have formed Lilith out of the clay from which he made Adam but she and Adam bickered with each other, apparently a lot. Lilith was strong in her belief that since she and Adam were created in the same way they were equals and she therefore refused to submit to Adam or mortal man; enter archangel Samael.   On the other hand, perhaps the creator determined that it was “not good for man to be alone” shortly after the adulteress Lilith refused to set aside her new, and perhaps superior friend / lover Samael.  Regardless, strong-willed Lilith will forever remain the unfaithful woman who Adam was unable to control.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lilith                                                                 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamia_(mythology)                     http://www.skeptically.org/oldtestament/id18.html                              http://www.art.net/~schong/lilithmyth.html