Lilith the First Wife to Adam(Shirley Smothers) The Rabbinic tale starts with Adam and his first wife Lilith. They were both made from the Earth. In this tale Adam commands Lilith, “You lie beneath me for the purpose of sex.” Lilith refuses and says, “We are both equal, we are both made from the Earth”. They would not budge; Lilith leaves The Garden of Eden. God then makes a second wife for Adam from his rib this woman he called Eve.

In this tale Lilith defies both Adam and God. She defies Patriarchy, submissive sex and marriage altogether. Lilith set her own boundaries and chose to live freely.

God sends three Angels to fetch Lilith in some languages they are named Senoi, Sansenoi, and Sammangelof. In other translations they read as Sanvi, Sansanvi, and
Samangel. In one version the three Angels find Lilith in the sea. They grab her and say, “If you will return with us all will be good and well, but if you refuse we will drown you in the sea. In another version they find her in a cave bearing Children. Whose Children I cannot say. They threaten to kill one hundred of her children everyday until she returns.

Lilith chose to become a Demon rather than return and live under God and Adam’s authority.

The Tale also says the three Angels would not leave her alone until she swore to them. “I will have dominion over the Male children until the eight day. I will have dominion over the female children until the twentieth. But in any place I see you or your names in an amulet I will have no power over these Children.

Lilith is known as “A stealer of Children”. This is mentioned in the above paragraph. But some tales say that she has sisters. One Sister, the magical Hecate has been demonized to become a Baby killing Hag, who knows maybe this is another name for Lilith. Then some say another sister Mary Magdalene was demonized to become a sinful whore. Some people theorize that Mary Magdalene was in fact Wife to Jesus and Mother of his child/children.

The Bible only mentions Lilith once, as a dweller in waste places. But her characterization of seducer of Men and slayer of children in the ancient Babylonian religion has been around for thousands of years.

There was a bowl from the first Century inscribed in Hebrew, which reads, “Designated in this bowl for the sealing of the house of this Geyonai Bar Mamai that they flee from the evil Lilith”. Images of Lilith, which show her hands bound, appear to be a visual magic for containing her. A tablet, which was discovered, from the seventh century at Arslan Tash, Syria inscribed with the words, “O flyer in a dark chamber, go away at once o lili!”

In the Ninth or Tenth Century a collection of legends titled the ALPHABET OF BEN SIRA tell of Adam and his first wife Lilith. In this tale Lilith is a stealer of Babies (mentioned in paragraph Six). Some people believe these tales are a bit misogynistic.
But because of these tales numerous Amulets have been made for pregnant Women and Babies from medieval through modern times to ward off Lilith.

Lilith is the most notorious demon in Jewish Mysticism. As mentioned in paragraph seven, a version of Lilith has been around from the ancient Babylonian religion for thousands of years.

In tradition Men are not allowed to sleep alone in a house. The tradition claims Lilith will fertilize herself with these Men in order to birth other demons. This claims calls to mind recent tales of Aliens who steal sperm from Men or unborn infants from pregnant Women to make half-breed beings.

Numerous modern Jewish poets and authors have written accounts of Lilith that use old stories to express new ideas. Some claim that Lilith snuck back into the Garden of Eden and befriends Eve. They become companions and allies in the search for knowledge. Who knows maybe the famous serpent was Lilith in disguise. Some believe Lilith wanted Eve to live the Embodiment of The Divine. She wanted Eve to think for herself.

In Lynn Gottlieb’s story of Lilith she is made from the sky and Adam from Earth. Lilith chooses to forget she came from the sky and becomes Eve, happy but ignorant of her true origins.

The poet Lapidus wrote the poem “Eden” in this poem he encourages people to accept Lilith and Eve as the same person.

Once much feared, Lilith has become an icon of freedom. The fearsome Lilith has become a symbol of repression denied. Repression of sexuality, repression of free will, and the attitude of “What if I just left it all behind?” Lilith harnessed her life force energy to do as she wished without explanation or apology.

Lilith’s character has evolved. She began as a female demon common to some Middle Eastern cultures. Appearing in the book of Isaiah, Babylonian Talmud, and incantation bowls from ancient Iraq and Iran. In the feminists movements of the 1960s she became a high status for independent Women. She is thought of as an icon of freedom to live a spiritually free life.

My personal feelings are that Lilith is a folk tale. She was created to create fear in Women and make them obedient to their Husbands or Fathers. I feel if Lilith is real her punishment has gone on long enough and she should be freed of her burdens.

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