Lilith

Seductress, Heroine or Murderer?

Janet Howe Gaines 08/11/2014
This Bible History Daily feature was originally published in September 2012. It has been
updated.Ed.

Winged spirits tumble across the night sk in !ew "ork artist #ichard $allner%s &'o(ers)
*irth o+ 'ilith, -1./401 now in a pri(ate collection2 3ccording to medie(al Jewish
tradition1 'ilith was 3dam%s +irst wi+e1 be+ore 4(e2 When 3dam insisted she pla a
subser(ient role1 'ilith grew wings and +lew awa +rom 4den2 3rtist $allner identi+ies the
large +igure -right o+ center0 as 'ilith2 'ilith%s character was not created out o+ whole
cloth1 howe(er5 the medie(al authors drew on ancient legends o+ the winged lil6tu7a
seducti(e1 murderous demoness known +rom *ablonian mtholog2 8n recent ears1
'ilith has undergone another trans+ormation as modern +eminists retell her stor2 8n the
accompaning article1 Janet Howe Gaines traces the e(olution o+ 'ilith2 Image: ourtesy
of !i"hard allner# $atham# %&.
9or 41000 ears 'ilith has wandered the earth1 +iguring in the mthic imaginations o+
writers1 artists and poets2 Her dark origins lie in *ablonian demonolog1 where amulets
and incantations were used to counter the sinister powers o+ this winged spirit who
preed on pregnant women and in+ants2 'ilith ne:t migrated to the world o+ the ancient
Hittites1 4gptians1 8sraelites and Greeks2 ;he makes a solitar appearance in the *ible1
as a wilderness demon shunned b the prophet 8saiah2 8n the <iddle 3ges she reappears
in Jewish sources as the dread+ul +irst wi+e o+ 3dam2
8n the #enaissance1 <ichelangelo portraed 'ilith as a hal+=woman1 hal+=serpent1 coiled
around the >ree o+ ?nowledge2 'ater1 her beaut would capti(ate the 4nglish poet @ante
Gabriel #ossetti2 &Her enchanted hair1, he wrote1 &was the +irst gold2,1 8rish no(elist
James Joce cast her as the &patron o+ abortions2,2 <odern +eminists celebrate her bold
struggle +or independence +rom 3dam2 Her name appears as the title o+ a Jewish women%s
magaAine and a national literac program2 3n annual music +esti(al that donates its
pro+its to battered women%s shelters and breast cancer research institutes is called the
'ilith 9air2
8n most mani+estations o+ her mth1 'ilith represents chaos1 seduction and ungodliness2
"et1 in her e(er guise1 'ilith has cast a spell on humankind2
>he ancient name &'ilith, deri(es +rom a ;umerian word +or +emale demons or wind
spirits7the lil'tu and the related ardat lil(2 >he lil'tu dwells in desert lands and open
countr spaces and is especiall dangerous to pregnant women and in+ants2 Her breasts
are +illed with poison1 not milk2 >he ardat lil' is a se:uall +rustrated and in+ertile +emale
who beha(es aggressi(el toward oung men2


To learn more about Bibli"al women with slighted traditions# ta)e a loo) at the Bible
History Daily feature Scandalous Women in the Bible# whi"h in"ludes arti"les on Mary
Magdalene and Jezebel.


>he earliest sur(i(ing mention o+ 'ilith%s name appears in *ilgamesh and the Huluppu+
Tree1 a ;umerian epic poem +ound on a tablet at Br and dating +rom appro:imatel 2000
*2$242 >he might ruler Gilgamesh is the world%s +irst literar hero5 he boldl slas
monsters and (ainl searches +or the secret to eternal li+e2a 8n one episode1 &a+ter hea(en
and earth had separated and man had been created1,C Gilgamesh rushes to assist 8nanna1
goddess o+ erotic lo(e and war2 8n her garden near the 4uphrates #i(er1 8nanna lo(ingl
tends a willow -huluppu0 tree1 the wood o+ which she hopes to +ashion into a throne and
bed +or hersel+2 8nanna%s plans are nearl thwarted1 howe(er1 when a dastardl trium(irate
possesses the tree2 Dne o+ the (illains is 'ilith) &8nanna1 to her chagrin1 +ound hersel+
unable to realiAe her hopes2 9or in the meantime a dragon had set up its nest at the base o+
the tree1 the Eu=bird had placed his oung in its crown1 and in its midst the demoness
'ilith had built her house2, Wearing hea( armor1 bra(e Gilgamesh kills the dragon1
causing the Eu=bird to +l to the mountains and a terri+ied 'ilith to +lee &to the desert2,
'ilithF 8n the 1.C0s1 scholars identi+ied the (oluptuous woman on this terracotta plaGue
-called the *urne #elie+0 as the *ablonian demoness 'ilith2 >oda1 the +igure is
generall identi+ied as the goddess o+ lo(e and war1 known as 8nanna to the ;umerians
and 8shtar to the later 3kkadians2 -*oth characters are +eatured in the poem Gilgamesh
and the Huluppu=>ree1 Guoted on this page20 >he woman wears a horned crown and has
the wings and +eet o+ a bird2 ;he is +lanked b owls -associated with 'ilith0 and stands on
the backs o+ two lions -smbols o+ 8nanna02 3ccording to <esopotamian mths1 the
demoness 'ilith -lil6tu or ardat lilH0 +lew at night1 seducing men and killing pregnant
women and babies2 >his night creature makes one appearance in the *ible1 in 8saiah C41
which enumerates the +ierce deniAens o+ the desert wilderness) henas1 goat=demons and
&the lilith, -8saiah C4)1402 -8n the ?ing James Iersion1 &lilith, is translated &screech
owl,7apparentl alluding to the demon%s night +lights in search o+ pre20 Image: ,rom
>he Great <other2
Driginating about the same time as the Gilgamesh epic is a terracotta plaGue1 known as
the *urne #elie+1 that some scholars ha(e identi+ied as the +irst known pictorial
representation o+ 'ilith2 -<ore recentl1 scholars ha(e identi+ied the +igure as 8nanna20
>he *ablonian relie+ shows her as a beauti+ul1 naked slph with bird wings1 taloned +eet
and hair contained under a cap decorated with se(eral pairs o+ horns2 ;he stands atop two
lions and between two owls1 apparentl bending them to her will2 'ilith%s association
with the owl7a predator and nocturnal bird7bespeaks a connection to +light and night
terrors2
8n earl incantations against 'ilith1 she tra(els on demon wings1 a con(entional mode o+
transportation +or underworld residents2 @ating +rom the se(enth or eighth centur *2$242
is a limestone wall plaGue1 disco(ered in 3rslan >ash1 ;ria1 in 1.CC1 which contains a
horri+ic mention o+ 'ilith2 >he tablet probabl hung in the house o+ a pregnant woman
and ser(ed as an amulet against 'ilith1 who was belie(ed to be lurking at the door and
+igurati(el blocking the light2 Dne translation reads) &D ou who +l in -the0 darkened
room-s01 / *e o++ with ou this instant1 this instant1 'ilith2 / >hie+1 breaker o+ bones2,4
Jresumabl1 i+ 'ilith saw her name written on the plaGue1 she would +ear recognition and
Guickl depart2 >he plaGue thus o++ered protection +rom 'ilith%s e(il intentions toward a
mother or child2 3t critical Kunctures in a woman%s li+e7such as menarche1 marriage1 the
loss o+ (irginit or childbirth7ancient peoples thought supernatural +orces were at work2
>o e:plain the high rate o+ in+ant mortalit1 +or e:ample1 a demon goddess was held
responsible2 'ilith stories and amulets probabl helped generations o+ people cope with
their +ear2
D(er time1 people throughout the !ear 4ast became increasingl +amiliar with the mth
o+ 'ilith2 8n the *ible1 she is mentioned onl once1 in 8saiah C42 >he *ook o+ 8saiah is a
compendium o+ Hebrew prophec spanning man ears5 the book%s +irst C. chapters1
+reGuentl re+erred to as &9irst 8saiah1, can be assigned to the time when the prophet li(ed
-appro:imatel L42ML01 *2$24202 >hroughout the *ook o+ 8saiah1 the prophet encourages
God%s people to a(oid entanglements with +oreigners who worship alien deities2 8n
$hapter C41 a sword=wielding "ahweh seeks (engeance on the in+idel 4domites1
perennial outsiders and +oes o+ the ancient 8sraelites2 3ccording to this power+ul
apocalptic poem1 4dom will become a chaotic1 desert land where the soil is in+ertile and
wild animals roam) &Wildcats shall meet henas1 / Goat=demons shall greet each other5 /
>here too the lilith shall repose / 3nd +ind hersel+ a resting place, -8saiah C4)1402N >he
'ilith demon was apparentl so well known to 8saiah%s audience that no e:planation o+
her identit was necessar2
>he e(il 'ilith is depicted on this ceramic bowl +rom <esopotamia2 >he 3ramaic
incantation inscribed on the bowl was intended to protect a man named OuGai and his
+amil +rom assorted demons2 >he spell begins) &#emo(ed and chased are the curses and
incantations +rom OuGai son o+ Gushnai1 and 3bi daughter o+ !anai and +rom their
children2, 3lthough 'ilith%s name does not appear1 she ma be identi+ied b comparison
with images o+ her on other bowls1 where she is shown with her arms raised aggressi(el
and her skin spotted like a leopard%s2 @ating to about /00 $2421 this bowl +rom Har(ard
Bni(ersit%s ;emitic <useum attests to the longe(it o+ 'ilith%s reputation in
<esopotamia as a seducer o+ men and murderer o+ children2 Image: ourtesy of the
Semiti" -usuem# Har.ard /ni.ersity.
>he 8saiah passage lacks speci+ics in describing 'ilith1 but it locates her in desolate
places2 >he *ible (erse thus links 'ilith directl to the demon o+ the Gilgamesh epic who
+lees &to the desert2, >he wilderness traditionall smboliAes mental and phsical
barrenness5 it is a place where creati(it and li+e itsel+ are easil e:tinguished2 'ilith1 the
+eminine opposite o+ masculine order1 is banished +rom +ertile territor and e:iled to
barren wasteland2
4nglish translators o+ 8saiah C4)14 sometimes lack con+idence in their readers% knowledge
o+ *ablonian demonolog2 >he ?ing James *ible%s prose rendition o+ the poem
translates &the lilith, as &the screech owl1, recalling the ominous bird=like Gualities o+ the
*ablonian she=demon2 >he #e(ised ;tandard Iersion picks up on her nocturnal habits
and tags her &the night hag, instead o+ &the lilith1, while the 1.1L Jewish Jublication
;ociet%s Holy S"riptures calls her &the night=monster2,/ >he Hebrew te:t and its best
translations emplo the word &lilith, in the 8saiah passage1 but other (ersions are true to
her ancient image as a bird1 night creature and beldam -hag02
While 'ilith is not mentioned again in the *ible1 she does resur+ace in the @ead ;ea
;crolls +ound at Oumran2 >he Oumran sect was engrossed with demonolog1 and 'ilith
appears in the Song for a Sage1 a hmn possibl used in e:orcisms) &3nd 81 the ;age1
sound the maKest o+ His beaut to terri+ and con+ound all the spirits o+ destroing
angels and the bastard spirits1 the demons1 'ilith2 2 21 and those that strike suddenl1 to
lead astra the spirit o+ understanding1 and to make desolate their heart2,L >he Oumran
communit was surel +amiliar with the 8saiah passage1 and the *ible%s sketch
characteriAation o+ 'ilith is echoed b this liturgical @ead ;ea ;croll2 -'ilith ma also
appear in a second @ead ;ea ;croll2 ;ee the +ollowing article in this issue20
$enturies a+ter the @ead ;ea ;crolls were written1 learned rabbis completed the
*ablonian >almud -+inal editing circa N00 to /00 $24201 and +emale demons Kourneed
into scholarl Jewish inGuiries2 >he >almud -the name comes +rom a Hebrew word
meaning &stud,0 is a compendium o+ legal discussions1 tales o+ great rabbis and
meditations on *ible passages2 >almudic re+erences to 'ilith are +ew1 but the pro(ide a
glimpse o+ what intellectuals thought about her2 >he >almud%s 'ilith recalls older
*ablonian images1 +or she has &long hair, -0rubin 100b0 and wings -%iddah 24b028 >he
>almud%s image o+ 'ilith also rein+orces older impressions o+ her as a succubus1 a demon
in +emale +orm who had se: with men while the men were sleeping2 Bnwholesome se:ual
practices are linked to 'ilith as she power+ull embodies the demon=lo(er mth2
Dne talmudic re+erence claims that people should not sleep alone at night1 lest 'ilith sla
them -Shabbath 1N1b02 @uring the 1C0=ear period between the death o+ 3bel and the
birth o+ ;eth1 the >almud reports1 a distraught 3dam separates himsel+ +rom 4(e2 @uring
this time he becomes the +ather o+ &ghosts and male demons and +emale Por nightQ
demons, -0rubin 18b02 3nd those who tr to construct the >ower o+ *abel are turned into
&apes1 spirits1 de(ils and night=demons, -Sanhedrin 10.a02 >he +emale night demon is
'ilith2
3bout the time the >almud was completed1 people li(ing in the Jewish colon o+ !ippur1
*ablonia1 also knew o+ 'ilith2 Her image has been unearthed on numerous ceramic
bowls known as incantation bowls +or the 3ramaic spells inscribed on them2 8+ the
>almud demonstrates what scholars thought about 'ilith1 the incantation bowls1 dating
+rom appro:imatel /00 $2421 show what a(erage citiAens belie(ed2 Dne bowl now on
displa at Har(ard Bni(ersit%s ;emitic <useum reads1 &>hou 'ilith2 2 2Hag and
;natcher1 8 adKure ou b the ;trong Dne o+ 3braham1 b the #ock o+ 8saac1 b the
;haddai o+ Jacob2 2 2to turn awa +rom this #ashnoi2 2 2and +rom Geonai her
husband2 2 2"our di(orce and writ and letter o+ separation2 2 2sent through hol angels2 2
23men1 3men1 ;elah1 HalleluahR,. >he inscription is meant to o++er a woman named
#ashnoi protection +rom 'ilith2 3ccording to popular +olklore1 demons not onl killed
human in+ants1 the would also produce depra(ed o++spring b attaching themsel(es to
human beings and copulating at night2 >here+ore1 on this particular bowl a Jewish writ o+
di(orce e:pels the demons +rom the home o+ #ashnoi2
Bntil the se(enth centur $2421 'ilith was known as a dangerous embodiment o+ dark1
+eminine powers2 8n the <iddle 3ges1 howe(er1 the *ablonian she=demon took on new
and e(en more sinister characteristics2 ;ometime prior to the ear 10001 The 1lphabet of
Ben Sira was introduced to medie(al Jewr2 The 1lphabet1 an anonmous te:t1 contains
22 episodes1 corresponding to the 22 letters o+ the Hebrew alphabet2 >he +i+th episode
includes a 'ilith who was to tantaliAe and terri+ the population +or generations to come2
>o some e:tent1 The 1lphabet of Ben Sira shows a +amiliar 'ilith) ;he is destructi(e1 she
can +l and she has a penchant +or se:2 "et this tale adds a new twist) ;he is 3dam%s +irst
wi+e1 be+ore 4(e1 who boldl lea(es 4den because she is treated as man%s in+erior2


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The 1lphabet%s narrati(e about 'ilith is +ramed within a tale o+ ?ing !ebuchadneAAar o+
*ablon2 >he king%s oung son is ill1 and a courtier named *en ;ira is commanded to
cure the bo2 8n(oking the name o+ God1 *en ;ira inscribes an amulet with the names o+
three healing angels2 >hen he relates a stor o+ how these angels tra(el around the world
to subdue e(il spirits1 such as 'ilith1 who cause illness and death2 *en ;ira cites the *ible
passage indicating that a+ter creating 3dam1 God realiAes that it is not good +or man to be
alone -Genesis 2)1802 8n *en ;ira%s +anci+ul additions to the biblical tale1 the 3lmight
then +ashions another person +rom the earth1 a +emale called 'ilith2 ;oon the human
couple begins to +ight1 but neither one reall hears the other2 'ilith re+uses to lie
underneath 3dam during se:1 but he insists that the bottom is her right+ul place2 He
apparentl belie(es that 'ilith should submissi(el per+orm wi+el duties2 'ilith1 on the
other hand1 is attempting to rule o(er no one2 ;he is simpl asserting her personal
+reedom2 'ilith states1 &We are eGual because we are both created +rom the earth2,10
>he (alidit o+ 'ilith%s argument is more apparent in Hebrew1 where the words +or man
-3dam0 and &earth, come +rom the same root1 adm -nst0 -adam PnstQ S 3dam5 adamah
P.nstQ S earth02 ;ince 'ilith and 3dam are +ormed o+ the same substance1 the are alike in
importance2
4(e1 meet 'ilith2 'ilith7depicted with a woman%s +ace and a serpentine bod7assaults
3dam and 4(e beneath the >ree o+ ?nowledge in Hugo (an der Goes%s &9all o+ 3dam
and 4(e, -c2 14L001 +rom the ?unsthistorisches <useum1 in Iienna2 3ccording to
medie(al Jewish apocrphal tradition1 which attempts to reconcile the two $reation
stories presented in Genesis1 'ilith was 3dam%s +irst wi+e2 8n Genesis 1)2L1 God creates
man and woman simultaneousl +rom the earth2 8n Genesis 2)L1 howe(er1 3dam is created
b himsel+ +rom the earth5 4(e is produced later1 +rom 3dam%s rib -Genesis 2)21M2202 8n
Jewish legend1 the name 'ilith was attached to the woman who was created at the same
time as 3dam2 Image: 0ri"h $essing71rt !esour"e# %&.
>he struggle continues until 'ilith becomes so +rustrated with 3dam%s stubbornness and
arrogance that she braAenl pronounces the >etragrammaton1 the ine++able name o+ the
'ord2 God%s name -"HWH01 translated as &'ord God, in most *ibles and roughl
eGui(alent to the term &"ahweh1, has long been considered so hol that it is unspeakable2
@uring the das o+ the Jerusalem >emple1 onl the High Jriest said the word out loud1
and then onl once a ear1 on the @a o+ 3tonement2 8n Jewish theolog and practice1
there is still mster and maKest attached to God%s special name2 >he >etragrammaton is
considered &the name that comprises all, -8ohar 1.a0211 8n the *ible%s burning bush
episode o+ 4:odus C1 God e:plains the meaning o+ the di(ine name as &8 am what 8 am1,
or &8 will be what 8 will be1, a kind o+ +ormula +or "HWH -.u.h01 associated with the
Hebrew root &to be2, >he whole o+ the >orah is thought to be contained within the hol
name2 8n The 1lphabet1 'ilith sins b impudentl uttering the sacred sllables1 thereb
demonstrating to a medie(al audience her unworthiness to reside in Jaradise2 ;o 'ilith
+lies awa1 ha(ing gained power to do so b pronouncing God%s a(owed name2 >hough
made o+ the earth1 she is not earthbound2 Her dramatic departure reestablishes +or a new
generation 'ilith%s supernatural character as a winged de(il2
8n the Gilgamesh and 8saiah episodes1 'ilith +lees to desert spaces2 8n The 1lphabet of
Ben Sira her destination is the #ed ;ea1 site o+ historic and smbolic importance to the
Jewish people2 Just as the ancient 8sraelites achie(e +reedom +rom Jharaoh at the #ed
;ea1 so 'ilith gains independence +rom 3dam b going there2 *ut e(en though 'ilith is
the one who lea(es1 it is she who +eels reKected and angr2
>he 3lmight tells 3dam that i+ 'ilith +ails to return1 100 o+ her children must die each
da2 3pparentl1 'ilith is not onl a child=murdering witch but also an amaAingl +ertile
mother2 8n this wa1 she helps maintain the world%s balance between good and e(il2
>hree angels are sent in search o+ 'ilith2 When the +ind her at the #ed ;ea1 she re+uses
to return to 4den1 claiming that she was created to de(our children2 *en ;ira%s stor
suggests that 'ilith is dri(en to kill babies in retaliation +or 3dam%s mistreatment and
God%s insistence on slaing 100 o+ her progen dail2
&*ind 'ilith in chainsR, reads a warning in Hebrew on this 18th= or 1.th=centur $242
amulet +rom the 8srael <useum intended to protect an in+ant +rom the demoness2 >he
image o+ 'ilith appears at center2 >he small circles that outline her bod represent a
chain2 >he di(ine name is written in code -called atbash0 down her chest2 ->he letters
yhwh appear instead as m9p920 *eneath this is a praer) &Jrotect this bo who is a
newborn +rom all harm and e(il2 3men2, ;urrounding the central image are abbre(iated
Guotations +rom !umbers /)22M2L -&>he 'ord bless ou and keep ou2 2 2,0 and Jsalm
121 -&8 li+t up m ees to the hills2 2 2,02 3ccording to the apocrphal 1lphabet of Ben
Sira1 'ilith hersel+ promised she would harm no child who wore an amulet bearing her
name2 Image: Israel -useum# :erusalem.
>o pre(ent the three angels +rom drowning her in the #ed ;ea1 'ilith swears in the name
o+ God that she will not harm an in+ant who wears an amulet bearing her name2
8ronicall1 b +orging an agreement with God and the angels1 'ilith demonstrates that she
is not totall separated +rom the di(ine2
'ilith%s relationship with 3dam is a di++erent matter2 >heir con+lict is one o+ patriarchal
authorit (ersus matriarchal desire +or emancipation1 and the warring couple cannot
reconcile2 >he represent the archetpal battle o+ the se:es2 !either attempts to sol(e
their dispute or to reach some kind o+ compromise where the take turns being on top
-literall and +igurati(el02 <an cannot cope with woman%s desire +or +reedom1 and
woman will settle +or nothing less2 8n the end1 the both lose2
Wh did the The 1lphabet%s unnamed author produce this tragedF What compelled the
author to theoriAe that 3dam had a mate be+ore 4(eF >he answer ma be +ound in the
*ible%s two $reation stories2 8n Genesis 1 li(ing things appear in a speci+ic order5 plants1
then animals1 then +inall man and woman are made simultaneousl on the si:th da)
&<ale and +emale He created them, -Genesis 1)2L02 8n this (ersion o+ human origins1
man and woman -&humankind, in the !ew #e(ised ;tandard Iersion0 are created
together and appear to be eGual2 8n Genesis 21 howe(er1 man is created +irst1 +ollowed b
plants1 then animals and +inall woman2 ;he comes last because in the arra o+ wild
beasts and birds that God had created1 &no +itting helper was +ound, -Genesis 2)2002 >he
'ord there+ore casts a deep sleep upon 3dam and returns to work1 +orming woman +rom
3dam%s rib2 God presents woman to 3dam1 who appro(es o+ her and names her 4(e2 Dne
traditional interpretation o+ this second $reation stor -which scholars identi+ as the
older o+ the two accounts0 is that woman is made to please man and is subordinate to
him2b
$onsidering e(er word o+ the *ible to be accurate and sacred1 commentators needed a
midrash or stor to e:plain the disparit in the $reation narrati(es o+ Genesis 1 and 22
God creates woman twice7once with man1 once +rom man%s rib7so there must ha(e
been two women2 >he *ible names the second woman 4(e5 'ilith was identi+ied as the
+irst in order to complete the stor2
3nother plausible theor about the creation o+ this 'ilith stor1 howe(er1 is that *en ;ira%s
tale is in its entiret a deliberatel satiric piece that mocks the *ible1 the >almud and
other rabbinic e:egeses2 8ndeed1 The 1lphabet%s language is o+ten coarse and its tone
irre(erent1 e:posing the hpocrisies o+ biblical heroes such as Jeremiah and o++ering
&serious, discussions o+ (ulgar matters such as masturbation1 +latulence and copulation
b animals212 8n this conte:t1 the stor o+ 'ilith might ha(e been parod that ne(er
represented true rabbinic thought2 8t ma ha(e ser(ed as lewd entertainment +or rabbinic
students and the public1 but it was largel unacknowledged b serious scholars o+ the
time2


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Whether the writer o+ The 1lphabet intended to produce earnest midrash or irreligious
burlesGue1 the treatise proclaims 'ilith un+it to ser(e as 3dam%s helper2 While medie(al
readers might ha(e laughed at the stor%s bawdiness1 at the end o+ this risGuT tale1 'ilith%s
desire +or liberation is thwarted b male=dominated societ2 9or this reason1 o+ all the
'ilith mths1 her portraal in The 1lphabet of Ben Sira is toda the most trumpeted1
despite the distinct possibilit that its author was spoo+ing sacred te:ts all along2
@ressed in a polka=dot bikini and high=heeled pumps1 'ilith hurls lightning bolts at
3dam1 in >e:as artist 3llison <erriweather%s color+ul &'ilith, -1...01 +rom the artist%s
collection2 >oda1 +eminists celebrate 'ilith +or insisting on being treated as 3dam%s
eGual2 8n repicturing 'ilith as a modern woman1 the draw hea(il on the medie(al
1lphabet of Ben Sira1 where 'ilith tells 3dam) &We are eGual because we are both created
+rom the earth2, *ut the author o+ >he 3lphabet might actuall ha(e intended his tale to
be interpreted as satire2 8ndeed1 the book is ri+e with dirt Kokes1 praise +or hpocrites and
biting sarcasm2 3nd the pious character *en ;ira1 who retells 'ilith%s stor in >he
3lphabet1 is identi+ied as the product o+ an incestuous relationship between the prophet
Jeremiah and his daughter2 Image: ourtesy of 1llison -erriweather.
>he ne:t milestone in 'ilith%s Kourne lies in the 8ohar1 which elaborates on the earlier
account o+ 'ilith%s birth in 4den2 >he 8ohar -meaning &;plendor,0 is the Hebrew title +or
a +undamental kabbalistic tome1 +irst compiled in ;pain b <oses de 'eon -12N0M1C0N01
using earlier sources2 >o the ?abbalists -members o+ the late medie(al school o+ mstical
thought01 the 8ohar%s mstical and allegorical interpretations o+ the >orah are considered
sacred2 >he 'ilith o+ the 8ohar depends on a rereading o+ Genesis 1)2L -&3nd God
created man in His image1 in the image o+ God He created him5 male and +emale He
created them,01 and the interpretation o+ this passage in the >almud2 *ased on the shi+t o+
pronouns +rom &He created him, to the plural &He created them1, in Genesis 1)2L1 the
>almud suggests that the +irst human being was a single1 andrognous creature1 with two
distinct hal(es) &3t +irst it was the intention that two Pmale and +emaleQ should be created
but ultimatel onl one was created, -0rubin 18a02 $enturies later the 8ohar elaborates
that the male and +emale were soon separated2 >he +emale portion o+ the human being
was attached on the side1 so God placed 3dam in a deep slumber and &sawed her o++ +rom
him and adorned her like a bride and brought her to him2, >his detached portion is &the
original 'ilith1 who was with him P3damQ and who concei(ed +rom him, -Eohar C4b02
3nother passage indicates that as soon as 4(e is created and 'ilith sees her ri(al clinging
to 3dam1 'ilith +lies awa2
>he 8ohar1 like the earlier treatments o+ 'ilith1 sees her as a temptress o+ innocent men1
breeder o+ e(il spirits and carrier o+ disease) &;he wanders about at night time1 (e:ing the
sons o+ men and causing them to de+ile themsel(es Pemit seedQ, -8ohar 1.b02 >he passage
goes on to sa that she ho(ers o(er her unsuspecting (ictims1 inspires their lust1 concei(es
their children and then in+ects them with disease2 3dam is one o+ her (ictims1 +or he
+athers &man spirits and demons1 through the +orce o+ the impurit which he had
absorbed, +rom 'ilith2 >he promiscuit o+ 'ilith will continue until the da God destros
all e(il spirits2 'ilith e(en attempts to seduce ?ing ;olomon2 ;he comes in the guise o+
the Oueen o+ ;heba1 but when the 8sraelite king spies her hair legs1 he realiAes she is a
beastl impostor2
3t se(eral points1 the 8ohar breaks awa +rom the traditional presentation o+ the di(ine
personalit as e:clusi(el male and discusses a +emale side to God1 called the ;hekhinah2
->he ;hekhinah1 whose name means &the @i(ine Jresence, in Hebrew1 also appears in
the >almud20 8n the 8ohar1 the lust that 'ilith instills in men sends the ;hekhinah into
e:ile2 8+ the ;hekhinah is 8srael%s mother1 then 'ilith is the mother o+ 8srael%s apostas2
'ilith is e(en accused o+ tearing apart the >etragrammaton1 the sacred name o+ the 'ord
-"HWH02
>he 8ohar%s +inal inno(ation concerning the 'ilith mth is to partner her with the male
personi+ication o+ e(il1 named either ;amael or 3smodeus2 He is associated with ;atan1
the serpent and the leader o+ +allen angels2 'ilith and ;amael +orm an unhol alliance
-8ohar 2Cb1 NNa0 and embod the dark1 negati(e sphere o+ the depra(ed2 8n one o+ the
man stories o+ ;amael and 'ilith1 God is concerned that the couple will produce a huge
demonic brood and o(erwhelm the earth with e(il2 ;amael is there+ore castrated1 and
'ilith satis+ies her passions b dalling with other men and causing their nocturnal
emissions1 which she then uses to become pregnant21C
While 'ilith appears in the 8ohar and man anonmous +olktales throughout 4urope1
o(er the centuries she has attracted the attention o+ some o+ 4urope%s best=known artists
and writers2 German%s Johann Goethe -1L4.M18C20 re+ers to 'ilith in ,aust1 and 4nglish
Iictorian poet #obert *rowning -1812M188.0 penned &3dam1 'ilith and 4(e1, another
testament to the she=demon%s enduring power2 >he Jre=#aphaelite poet and painter @ante
Gabriel #ossetti -1828M18820 imaginati(el describes a pact between 'ilith and the
*ible%s serpent2 3 scheming and spite+ul 'ilith con(inces her +ormer lo(er1 the snake1 to
loan her a reptilian shape2 @isguised as a snake 'ilith returns to 4den1 con(inces 4(e and
3dam to sin b eating the +orbidden +ruit1 and causes God great sorrow214 #ossetti
maintains that &not a drop o+ her blood was human, but that 'ilith ne(ertheless had the
+orm o+ a beauti+ul woman1 as can be seen in his painting entitled &'ad 'ilith1, begun in
18/4 -see the sidebar to this article02
8n the 1.N0s $2;2 'ewis in(oked 'ilith%s image in The hroni"les of %arnia b creating
the White Witch1 one o+ the most sinister characters in this imaginar world2 3s the
daughter o+ 'ilith1 the White Witch is determined to kill the sons o+ 3dam and the
daughters o+ 4(e2 ;he imposes a perpetual +reeAe on !arnia so that it is alwas winter but
ne(er $hristmas2 8n an apocalptic tale o+ good o(ercoming e(il1 3slan7creator and king
o+ !arnia7kills the White Witch and ends her cruel reign2


he") out <Rare Magic 'nscri%tion on (uman S)ull= in the -ar"h71pril 2003 issue of
BAR for more information about magi" in the an"ient world.


>oda the tradition o+ 'ilith has enKoed a resurgence1 due mainl to the +eminist
mo(ement o+ the late 20th centur2 #enewed interest in 'ilith has led modern writers to
in(ent e(er more stories2 8gnoring or e:plaining awa 'ilith%s unsa(or traits1 +eminists
ha(e +ocused instead upon 'ilith%s independence and desire +or autonom2
3 +eminist parable b Judith Jlaskow Goldenberg tpi+ies the new (iew o+ 'ilith2 3t +irst
Goldenberg%s +anci+ul tale +ollows the basic *en ;ira plot line) 'ilith dislikes being
subser(ient to 3dam1 so she +lees Jaradise and her absence inspires God to create 4(e2
*ut in Goldenberg%s retelling1 the e:iled 'ilith is lonel and tries to re=enter the garden2
3dam does e(erthing he can to keep her out1 in(enting wildl untrue stories about how
'ilith threatens pregnant women and newborns2 Dne da 4(e sees 'ilith on the other side
o+ the garden wall and realiAes that 'ilith is a woman like hersel+2 ;winging on the
branch o+ an apple tree1 a curious 4(e catapults hersel+ o(er 4den%s walls where she +inds
'ilith waiting2 3s the two women talk1 the realiAe the ha(e much in common1 &till the
bond o+ sisterhood grew between them2,1N >he budding +riendship between 'ilith and
4(e puAAles and +rightens both man and deit2
;oon a+ter Goldenberg%s prose piece1 Jamela Hadas produced a 12=part poem that
e:amines 'ilith%s dilemma +rom the +emale (antage point -see the sidebar to this article02
>itled &>he Jassion o+ 'ilith1, the poem e:plores the she=demon%s +eelings in the +irst
person b beginning with the Guestion &What had the likes o+ me / to do with the likes o+
3damF,1/ >he +irst two people are cast as opposites who do not understand one another
and cannot learn to appreciate each other%s strengths2 'ilith regards hersel+ as an e:ample
o+ God%s &a+ter=whim / or black humor2,
Hadas%s 'ilith complains that she +eels super+luous because she cannot ield to the dull1
artless and monotonous restrictions o+ Jaradise2 >he +emale mis+it +lees the scene and
tries to satis+ her maternal instincts b approaching women in childbirth and newborn
babies1 to their detriment1 o+ course2 Hadas%s +eminist perspecti(e is most apparent at the
poem%s conclusion1 howe(er1 when 'ilith sees her li+e o+ pain as Guali+ing her +or
sainthood2 Ha(ing been created +rom God%s breath1 'ilith asks &old bald God, to marr
her1 to breathe her in again2 When the 'ord re+uses1 she is hurt1 angr and le+t with +ew
options1 e:cept to tra(el the world alone2
'ilith%s peregrinations continue toda2 >his winged night creature is1 in e++ect1 the onl
&sur(i(ing, she=demon +rom the *ablonian empire1 +or she is reborn each time her
character is reinterpreted2 >he retellings o+ the mth o+ 'ilith re+lect each generation%s
(iews o+ the +eminine role2 3s we grow and change with the millennia1 'ilith sur(i(es
because she is the archetpe +or the changing role o+ woman2


Lilith b Janet Howe Gaines appeared in the Dctober 2001 issue o+ Bible !e.iew2


Notes
a2 ;ee >A(i 3busch1 &Gilgamesh) Hero1 ?ing1 God and ;tri(ing <an1, 1> 0C)042
b2 *ut see @a(id #2 9reedman1 &Woman1 a Jower 4Gual to <an1, BAR 0.)012
12 @ante Gabriel #ossetti1 &*od%s *eaut1, in The House of $ife: 1 Sonnet+Se?uen"e
-$ambridge1 <3) Har(ard Bni(2 Jress1 1.2801 p2 18C2
22 James Joce1 /lysses1 chap2 141 &D:en o+ the ;un2,
C2 3ll Gilgamesh Guotations are +rom ;amuel !2 ?ramer1 *ilgamesh and the Huluppu+
Tree: 1 !e"onstru"ted Sumerian Te@t1 >he Driental 8nstitute o+ the Bni(ersit o+ $hicago
3ssriological ;tudies 10 -$hicago) Bni(2 o+ $hicago1 1.C802
42 >ranslated b >heodor H2 Gaster in ;iegmund HurwitA1 $ilithAThe ,irst 0.e
-4insiedeln1 ;witAerland) @aimon1 1..201 p2 //2 3nother translation does not mention
'ilith%s name and reads1 &*e o++1 terri+ing ones1 terrors o+ m night2,
N2 Bnless otherwise indicated1 all *ible Guotes are +rom T1%1BH: The Holy S"riptures
-Jhiladelphia) Jewish Jublication ;ociet1 1.8N02
/2 >hese items ma arise +rom 'ilith%s association with darkness2 ;ome translators and
commentators ha(e mistaken the etmolog o+ 'ilith%s name2 'ilith1 lylyt PtllQ1 was not
deri(ed +rom the Hebrew word +or night1 lylh PhllQ1 as the supposed2 8nstead1 'ilith%s
name originated in her depiction as a mthic <esopotamian +iend and +oe o+ Gilgamesh2
L2 4ON102 ;ee Joseph <2 *aumgarten1 &Dn the !ature o+ the ;eductress in 4O1841,
!e.ue de Cumran 15 -1..1M1..201 pp2 1CCM14C2
82 3ll talmudic re+erences are to The Babylonian Talmud1 trans2 8sidore 4pstein1 1L (ols2
-'ondon) ;oncino1 1.4802
.2 #aphael Jatai1 The Hebrew *oddess1 Crd enlarged ed2 -@etroit) Wane ;tate1 1..001 p2
22/2
102 >he translation is m own2 >he +ull Hebrew te:t o+ The 1lphabet of Ben Sira is +ound
in >9ar -idrashim: 1 $ibrary of Two Hundred -inor -idrashim -!ew "ork) J2@2
4isenstein1 1.1N01 (ol2 11 pp2 CNM4.2
112 3ll re+erences to the 8ohar are to the edition translated b Harr ;perling and
<aurice ;imon1 2nd ed2 -'ondon) ;oncino1 1.8401 (ol2 12
122 @a(id ;tern and <ark Ja <irsk1 eds21 !abbini" ,antasies -Jhiladelphia) Jewish
Jublication ;ociet1 1..002
1C2 Joseph 3dler1 &'ilith1, -idstream 4N)N -Jul/3ugust 1...01 p2 /2
142 #ossetti1 &4den *ower1, in Doems -'eipAig) *ernhard >auchnitA1 18LC01 pp2 C1M412
1N2 Judith Jlaskow Goldenberg1 &4pilogue) >he $oming o+ 'ilith1, in !eligion and
Se@ism1 ed2 #osemar #ad+ord #uether -!ew "ork) ;imon and ;chuster1 1.L401 pp2 C41M
C4C2
1/2 Jamela White Hadas1 &>he Jassion o+ 'ilith1, in In $ight of *enesis -Jhiladelphia)
Jewish Jublication ;ociet1 1.8001 pp2 2M1.2