Have You Ever Heard of Lilith? Who is Lilith?
Lilith is a figure that appears in a variety of sources: Gnostic accounts, Jewish folktales, esoteric occult sources (such as material written for the self-proclaimed Vampire community), some New Age writings, Goddess spirituality, and feminist theological writings. Lilith gets around quite a bit for someone who never existed. These are some of the teachings about Lilith:
- She is alleged to have been the first wife of Adam but she refused to submit to him; so, according to some tales, she left him by sprouting wings and flying away
- She became the consort of Satan, even bringing evil offspring into the world
- She is an early feminist heroine who defied a mean God who allegedly wanted women to be subservient to men
- She is a demon, or the Queen of demons
When I searched for Lilith images, I found her depicted with wings, as a demon, a scary nightmarish figure, or a beautiful goddess type figure.
Biblical Reference to Lilith?
The only reference using this word is Isaiah 34:14 where the transliterated word lilith has been translated night demon, night monster, night creature, night bird, nocturnal animal, or screech owl.
Examples of translations:
The desert creatures will meet with the wolves, The hairy goat also will cry to its kind; Yes, the night monster will settle there And will find herself a resting place. New American Standard
The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest. King James
And wild animals shall meet with hyenas; the wild goat shall cry to his fellow; indeed, there the night bird settles and finds for herself a resting place. ESV
The context is the prophetic pronouncement of God’s judgment on the nations, depicting the desolation faced by these nations. Since the verse seems to list animals, the screech owl or night bird makes the most sense. Another way to see it is that allowing demons to inhabit the emptied lands reveals the abandonment of God (see Matthew 12:43 for a possible reference to this idea).
Lilith in Contemporary Beliefs
Lilith plays a role in some occult beliefs. I have come across references to her in vampire fantasy literature, witchcraft sources, goddess beliefs, and in the Kabbalah, both before I was a Christian and afterwards.
“In some Kabbalistic texts, Lilith is described as a queen of demons, ruling over realms that are beyond the reach of the divine light. Her association with the demonic realm speaks to the Kabbalists’ understanding of the necessity of confronting and integrating the shadow aspects of the self and the divine.
Despite her fearsome reputation, Lilith is also acknowledged as a source of hidden wisdom. Her knowledge of the divine name and her role in the cosmic drama make her a figure of great power and potential insight for those who dare to engage with her mysteries.” (Source)
Another variation is that
“Lilith uttered the name of God, grew wings, and flew way from the Garden of Eden. She hid in a cave by (or under) the sea, where she had (presumably more liberated relations with demons) and bore them children…..She became known as the Queen of the Demons, and is described as having long, wild hair and wings. Sometimes she is presented as the consort of Ashmedai, king of the Jewish demons; other times, as the companion of Samael, the purely evil ruler of the godless demons.” (Source)
Warning: This article continues in giving more tales about Lilith and her demon children and gets quite dark and distasteful.
A site for Jewish feminists gives this information:
“Lilith’s character has evolved throughout the years. She began as a female demon common to many Middle Eastern cultures, appearing in the book of Isaiah, Babylonian Talmud, and incantation bowls from ancient Iraq and Iran. She is described as threatening the sexual and reproductive aspects of life, especially childbirth. A medieval Jewish text called the Alphabet of Ben Sira describes her as Adam’s first wife who disobeyed him and God and asserted her equality to Adam, giving a legendary origin to her demonic behavior. She also appears in Kabbalah as an evil reflection of the feminine aspect of God along with Samael. Jewish feminists, seizing upon her assertion of equality, have reclaimed Lilith as a symbol of autonomy, independence, and sexual liberation.” From article by Rebecca Lesses
Keep in mind these Jewish fables are not based on any biblical evidence, but are merely myths which appear to be from Gnostic sources.
In the New Age and Goddess Spirituality, Lilith is more of a feminist figure who defies God and is therefore an archetype of a strong woman. The well-known Lilith Fair in the 1990s, which featured female artists, was undoubtedly based on this image of Lilith.
It may be that we will hear more about Lilith due to the changing landscape of the culture and church, so it is worthwhile to know who she is and to know she is a myth and has no grounding in reality.
“and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:4
Although this verse does not refer specifically to Lilith, the idea is that Christians can turn from facts to myths. Myths are always presented in the New Testament in contrast to God’s truth.
Scholarly history of Lilith from Virtual Jewish Library
IMAGE from here
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