Isaiah 34 and Lilith

Tim Bench, Abilene, TX.

The most influential Genesis
character for us today is
(arguably) not Adam, or Eve, Or
Cain, Abel, Moses, Abraham, or
any of the well-known Genesis
characters.
Instead, the most effecting
character (as we will soon see)
may well be a woman many of us
have never heard of….
‫…לילית‬.Lilith.
 “Lilith” defined
As per Strong's Concordance-
3917.
“lilith: a female night-demon
Transliteration: lilith
Short Definition: monster”
 Lilith (1892)
by John Collier in Southport Atkinson Art Gallery
 “Lilith”….Adam’s first wife??
As per Jewish folklore, the two “creation
versions” dictate that Eve was NOT Adam’s
first wife.
“Lilith” (the name perhaps inspired by
Sumerian mythology about female
vampires called “Lillu” or Mesopotanian
myths about succubae (female night
demons) called “lilin”) is mentioned four
times in the Babylonian Talmud. It is not
until the Alphabet of Ben Sira (800-900s)
that Lilith is associated with the first
version of Creation.
 “Lilith”….Adam’s first wife??
According to the Alphabet of Ben Sira, Lilith
was Adam’s first wife but the couple fought
constantly. Lilith ultimately decided to
leave Adam. She uttered God’s name and
flew away into the air, leaving Adam alone
in the Garden of Eden.
God sent three angels after her and
commanded them to bring her back to her
husband, one way or another. When the
angels found Lilith by the Red Sea they
were unable to convince her to return and
could not force her to obey them.
A deal is ultimately reached…Lilith vowed
not to harm newborn children if they are
protected by an amulet with the names of
the three angels written on it…
 “The Story of Lilith: The Alphabet of
ben Sira Question #5 (23a-b)
www.jewishchristianlit.com.

 “The Alphabet of ben Sira is the earliest form we know of the

Lilith legend familiar to most people (that is, to most people
who are familiar with Lilith at all). It is here that we find
Lilith as Adam's first wife. Scholars tend to date the Alphabet
between the 8th and 10th centuries, CE.
 Whether the story itself is older, or, if so, how much older is
not possible to say. Amulets like the one described in the
first paragraph are, of course, much older. The author of the
Zohar, R. Moses de Leon, was aware of the Alphabet's
version of Lilith, at least according to Gershom Scholem
(Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, p. 174), but he also
knows other, probably older, Lilith traditions which do not
mesh well with this one…
 The idea of Eve having a predecessor is also not new to ben
Sira, and can be found in Genesis Rabbah . But those
traditions make no mention of Lilith, and, in fact, do not
mesh well with ben Sira's version of the story.”
 13th century Kabbalah text, the Sefer ha-
Zohar ("The Book of Splendour"),
written by Spaniard Moses de Leon (c. 1240-1305).

“At the same time Jehovah created Adam,

he created a woman, Lilith, who like Adam
was taken from the earth. She was given
to Adam as his wife. But there was a
dispute between them about a matter that
when it came before the judges had to be
discussed behind closed doors. She spoke
the unspeakable name of Jehovah and
vanished.”
 “Lilith”, by Alan G. Hefner.
“Adam complained to God who then sent three
angels, Sanvi, Sansanvi and Semangelaf, to bring
Lilith back to Eden. Lilith rebuffed the angels by
cursing them. While by the Red Sea Lilith became
a lover to demons and producing 100 babies a
day. The angels said that God would take these
demon children away from her unless she
returned to Adam. When she did not return, she
was punished accordingly. And, God also gave
Adam the docile Eve.”
 “Eve and the identity of women”
by Christopher Witcombe.
“Despite the threat from the three angels
that if she didn't return to Adam one
hundred of her sons would die every day,
she refused, claiming that she was created
expressly to harm newborn infants.
However, she did swear that she would not
harm any infant wearing an amulet with
the images and/or names of the three
angels on it.”
 Isaiah 34 and Lilith
“The creature’s Hebrew name is “‫( לילית‬Liyliyth)” or “Lilith.” The
KJV translators most likely followed Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra (1089
— 1164) who interpreted this word as meaning "the screech owl"
(Rabbi A. J. Rosenberg, Isaiah: A New English Translation, Vol. 2,
(The Judaica Press Inc. : New York, 1989), p. 281). The precise
meaning of the word has been debated. The New English
Translation’s footnote says, “The precise meaning of ‫( לילית‬lilit) is
unclear, though in this context the word certainly refers to some type
of wild animal or bird.” The ESV translates the word as “night bird,”
which is compatible with the KJV reading since the screech owl is a
night bird.
Over time Lilith came to be regarded as a demoness in the
Hebrew demonology. However, the demonization of Lilith occurred
through the Talmud and Midrash which came centuries after Isaiah
referred to the name. Nonetheless, the KJV translators may have
acknowledged the possibility of Lilith being a demon by suggesting
“night-monster” in the margin.”
“Is the creature in Isaiah 34:14 a "screech owl"?” at www.kjvtoday.com
 Lilith defined
The only appearance of “Lilith”
in the entire Bible is Isaiah
34:14….thus, the Hebrew word Lilith
in this verse is a hapax legomenon,
meaning that the appropriate
definition for the word cannot be
determined by comparison to other
passages.
 Isaiah 34:14 and various
translations
KJV: "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.“
night-owl (Young, 1898)
night-spectre (Rotherham Emphasized Bible, 1902)
night monster (ASV, 1901; NASB, 1995)
vampires (Moffatt Translation, 1922)
night hag (RSV, 1947)
Lilith (Jerusalem Bible, 1966)
lilith (New American Bible, 1970)
Lilith (The Message, 1993)
night creature (NIV, 1978; NKJV, 1982; NLT, 1996)
nightjar (New World Translation, 1984)
night bird (English Standard Version, 2001)
 Isaiah 34:14 and “screech owl”
“….the “screech-owl” is the Lilith, the
she-vampire, who appears in the legends
of the Talmud as having been Adam’s first
wife, who left him and was turned into a
demon. With the later Jews, Lilith, as
sucking the blood of children, was the
bugbear of the nursery. Night-vampire
would, perhaps, be the best rendering.”
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
 Isaiah 34:14 and “screech owl”
“The screech-owl…'Night-monster.' The
word ‫ לילית‬lıı̂ ylıı̂ yt (from
‫ ליל‬layil, night)
properly denotes a night-spectre - a
creature of Jewish superstition. The
rabbis describe it in the form of a female
elegantly dressed that lay in wait for
children at night - either to carry them off,
or to murder them.
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible.
 Isaiah 34:14 and “screech owl”
“By the name "Lilith", it appears to be
a night bird, which flies and is heard
in the night. The Jews call a she
demon by this name, which, they
say…has a human face, and has
wings, and destroys children as soon
as born…”.
Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible.
 Isaiah 34:14 and “screech owl”
“The word here used, lilith, occurs only in this place.
It may be doubted whether any bird, or other animal, is
meant. Lilit was the name of a female demon, or wicked
fairy, in whom the Assyrians believed - a being thought
to vex and persecute her victims in their sleep.
The word is probably a derivative from leilah, night,
and designates" the spirit of the night" - a mischievous
being, who took advantage of the darkness to play
fantastic tricks.
A Jewish legend made Lilith the first wife of Adam,
and said that, having pronounced the Divine Name as a
charm, she was changed into a devil. It was her special
delight to murder young children…”
Pulpit Commentary.
 “Lilith, Adam's mythological
first wife”
www.paracleteforum.org.

"According to Hebrew legend, the first

woman God created as a companion for the
first man Adam was a strong-willed lady
named Lilith.
As both had been created from dust, Lilith
considered herself equal to Adam…Lilith up
and left him, winding up in rabbinic
tradition as a baby-killing demoness who
seduces sleeping men. Lilith is mentioned
in Isa. 34:14, though the KJV renders lilith
as 'screech owl.' This first wife of Adam
may safely be called the world's first uppity
woman.”
 “According to the "first Eve" story Lilith was created by God from dust
and placed to live in the garden with Adam until problems arose between
Adam and Lilith when Adam tried to exercise dominance over Lilith. One
story tells that Lilith refused to lay beneath Adam during sex. She believed
they were created equal, both from the dust of the earth, thus she should
not have to lay beneath him. After Adam disagreed, Lilith fled the Garden
of Eden to gain her independence. Adam told God that Lilith had left and
God sent three angels, Senoi, Sansenoi, and Sammangelof, to retrieve her.
The three angels found Lilith in a cave bearing children but Lilith refused
to come back to the garden. The angels told her they would kill 100 of her
children every day for her disobedience. In revenge, she is said to rob
children of life and is responsible for the deaths of still-born infants and
crib deaths (SIDS). Male children are at risk of Lilith's wrath for 8 days
after birth (until circumcision) and girls are at risk for 20 days. Although
Lilith stole children's lives in the night, she agreed not to kill the children
who had amulets of either of the three angels.
After the angels' departure, Lilith tried to return to the garden but
upon her arrival she discovered that Adam already had another mate, Eve.
Out of revenge, Lilith had sex with Adam while he was sleeping and "stole
his seed." With his seed she bears 'lilium,' earth-bound demons to replace
her children killed by the angels.”
From “Who is Lilith?” at www2.kenyon.edu.
 Alphabet of Ben Sira, from "Eve & Adam:
Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Readings on
Genesis and Gender" (pg. 204.)
 “The three angels caught up with her in the [Red]
Sea…They seized her and told her: ‘If you agree to
come with us, come, and if not, we shall drown
you in the sea.’ She answered: ‘Darlings, I know
myself that God created me only to afflict babies
with fatal disease when they are eight days old; I
shall have permission to harm them from their
birth to the eighth day and no longer; when it is a
male baby; but when it is a female baby, I shall
have permission for twelve days.’
 The angels would not leave her alone, until she
swore by God’s name that wherever she would see
them or their names in an amulet, she would not
possess the baby [bearing it]. They then left her
immediately. This is [the story of] Lilith who
afflicts babies with disease.”
“Lilith” from Michelangelo’s “The
Temptation of Adam and Eve”.
 The first mention of Lilith
 The earliest surviving mention of Lilith’s name
appears in Gilgamesh and the Huluppu-Tree , a
Sumerian epic poem found on a tablet at Ur
and dating from approximately 2000 B.C.E.
 The mighty ruler Gilgamesh is the world’s first
literary hero; he boldly slays monsters and
vainly searches for the secret to eternal life. In
one episode, “after heaven and earth had
separated and man had been created,”
Gilgamesh rushes to assist Inanna, goddess of
erotic love and war. In her garden near the
Euphrates River, Inanna lovingly tends a
willow (huluppu) tree, the wood of which she
hopes to fashion into a throne and bed for
herself. Inanna’s plans are nearly thwarted,
however, when a dastardly triumvirate
possesses the tree. (continued)
 One of the villains is Lilith:
“Inanna, to her chagrin, found
herself unable to realize her hopes.
For in the meantime a dragon had set
up its nest at the base of the tree,
the Zu-bird had placed his young in
its crown, and in its midst the
demoness Lilith had built her house.”
Wearing heavy armor, brave
Gilgamesh kills the dragon, causing
the Zu-bird to fly to the mountains
and a terrified Lilith to flee “to the
desert.”
Biblical Archaeology Review, “Lilith: Seductress,
Heroine, or Murderer?”, by Janet Howe Gaines, 9-4-
2012.
 Lilith in Isaiah
"The only possible occurrence is in
the Book of Isaiah 34:13–15,
describing the desolation of Edom,
where the Hebrew word lilit (or lilith)
appears in a list of eight unclean
animals, some of which may have
demonic associations.“
 “Lilith: The Genesis of the Feminism Curse” 9-3-2012 at
www.anticain.blogspot.com.
 Isaiah 34:14
“The Book of Isaiah is a compendium of
Hebrew prophecy spanning many years;
the book’s first 39 chapters, frequently
referred to as “First Isaiah,” can be
assigned to the time when the prophet
lived (approximately 742–701 B.C.E.).
Throughout the Book of Isaiah, the prophet
encourages God’s people to avoid
entanglements with foreigners who
worship alien deities.
In Chapter 34, a sword-wielding Yahweh
seeks vengeance on the infidel Edomites,
perennial outsiders and foes of the ancient
Israelites. (continued)
 Isaiah 34:14
According to this powerful
apocalyptic poem, Edom will become
a chaotic, desert land where the soil
is infertile and wild animals roam:
“Wildcats shall meet hyenas, / Goat-
demons shall greet each other; /
There too the lilith shall repose / And
find herself a resting place” (Isaiah
34:14). The Lilith demon was
apparently so well known to Isaiah’s
audience that no explanation of her
identity was necessary. (continued)
The Isaiah passage lacks specifics in
describing Lilith, but it locates her in
desolate places. The Bible verse thus
links Lilith directly to the demon of
the Gilgamesh epic who flees “to the
desert.” The wilderness traditionally
symbolizes mental and physical
barrenness; it is a place where
creativity and life itself are easily
extinguished. Lilith, the feminine
opposite of masculine order, is
banished from fertile territory and
exiled to barren wasteland.
(continued)
 English translators of Isaiah 34:14 sometimes
lack confidence in their readers’ knowledge of
Babylonian demonology.
 The King James Bible’s prose rendition of the
poem translates “the lilith” as “the screech
owl,” recalling the ominous bird-like qualities
of the Babylonian she-demon. The Revised
Standard Version picks up on her nocturnal
habits and tags her “the night hag” instead of
“the lilith,” while the 1917 Jewish Publication
Society’s Holy Scriptures calls her “the night-
monster.”
 The Hebrew text and its best translations
employ the word “lilith” in the Isaiah passage,
but other versions are true to her ancient
image as a bird, night creature and beldam
(hag).”
 “Lilith: Seductress, Heroine, or Murderer?” by Janet Howe
Gaines
 Lilith in the Dead Sea Scrolls
(see 4Q510)
 “And I, the Instructor, proclaim His glorious
splendor so as to frighten and to te[rrify] all the
spirits of the destroying angels, spirits of the
bastards, demons, Lilith, howlers, and [desert
dwellers…] and those which fall upon men without
warning to lead them astray from a spirit of
understanding and to make their heart and their
[…] desolate during the present dominion of
wickedness and predetermined time of
humiliations for the sons of lig[ht], by the guilt of
the ages of [those] smitten by iniquity - not for
eternal destruction, [bu]t for an era of humiliation
for transgression.”
 www.bibliotecapleyades.net.
 www.biblicalarcheaology.org, 9-4-2012

“For 4,000 years Lilith has wandered the

earth, figuring in the mythic imaginations
of writers, artists and poets. Her dark
origins lie in Babylonian demonology,
where amulets and incantations were used
to counter the sinister powers of this
winged spirit who preyed on pregnant
women and infants.
Lilith next migrated to the world of the
ancient Hittites, Egyptians, Israelites and
Greeks. She makes a solitary appearance in
the Bible, as a wilderness demon shunned
by the prophet Isaiah. In the Middle Ages
she reappears in Jewish sources as the
dreadful first wife of Adam. (continued)
 www.biblicalarcheaology.org
9-4-2012
 In the Renaissance, Michelangelo portrayed Lilith
as a half-woman, half-serpent, coiled around the
Tree of Knowledge.
 Later, her beauty would captivate the English poet
Dante Gabriel Rossetti. “Her enchanted hair,” he
wrote, “was the first gold.”
 Irish novelist James Joyce cast her as the “patron
of abortions.”
 Modern feminists celebrate her bold struggle for
independence from Adam. Her name appears as
the title of a Jewish women’s magazine and a
national literacy program. An annual music festival
that donates its profits to battered women’s
shelters and breast cancer research institutes is
called the Lilith Fair.”
A succubus (female demon)
as a symbol for feminism?
 “Lilith in The Alphabet of Ben Sira”
www.bitterwaters.com
 “Unfortunately, the Alphabet’s irreverent image of
Lilith as a first Eve has taken root in modern
culture.  Its passages are quoted by modern
feminists more than any other source today in
explaining their version of Lilith.  
 Because of the Alphabet many modern feminists
promote Lilith as the proto-feminist, willing to
sacrifice even the paradise of Eden as the
necessary cost of freedom and equality.  The series
of musical concerts called Lilith Fair founded by
Sarah McLachlan in the late 1990s is perhaps
being the most brazen example. Some neo-pagan
groups have taken up her cause as well, either
accepting her dark nature as sacred or finding in
her an expression for the erotic goddess within
them.”
 “What the Bible says about the
myth of Lilith”
by Don Walton at www.timefortruth.org
“Late in the 20th century, Lilith was
adopted as a symbol of the feminist
movement. For instance, Canadian singer
and songwriter, Sarah McLachlan, named
her all female concert tour and traveling
musical festival “Lilith Fair.” Begun as a
protest of male domination in the music
industry, “Lilith Fair” ran from 1997-1999
in cities and towns all across North
America.”
 “A Summary of Evidences in the Bible that
Support the Existence of Lilith” at
www.bitterwaters.org.
 Selected excerpts
 1.       The first woman is made from dust at the same time as
Adam.  The second is created later from Adam’s side.  The
creation account of the second woman, Eve, comes in Ge
2:21-25.  Those passages clearly indicate Eve was created
from Adam’s side.  The first woman’s creation is told three
times, once in Ge 1:26-29, again in Ge 2:4-8, and briefly
recapped in Ge 5:1-2.  All three accounts imply both Adam
and this woman were created at the same time using dust
(and muck) from the ground.    
 3.        In the first and third creation accounts of a man and
woman in Ge 1:26-29 and Ge 5:1-2, the passages clearly
states that when the male and female were created, only the
male was created in God’s image.  The female not being
created in God’s image is consistent with Lilith.  She was
created by God, but not in His image, for a demonic mist
arouse from the ground and animated her in it’s image
instead (Ge 2:6).  Note that Eve would bear God’s image, for
she was taken out of Adam’s side.  (continued)
 4.        Conflicting commands of God to the two
women of the creation accounts above further
indicate they must be different individuals.  Ge
1:26-29 states that after the first woman and
Adam were created, God gave freedom to both to
eat the fruit of every tree.  All trees were allowed. 
 However, Eve could have never received
permission to eat of every tree.  This is because
after Adam was moved to the Garden but before
Eve was created in Ge 2:18-25, God warns Adam
that he may no longer eat of every tree.  God
warns that he could not eat of the tree of
knowledge and that he must “guard” the garden
(Ge 2:15-17).  
 Thus the prohibition against eating all trees is
already in place before Eve’s creation.  She cannot
be the woman referenced in Ge 1:26-29 whom
God grants permission to eat of all trees.
(continued)
5.        In Ge 5:2 God gave a single name
“Adam” to denote both the female and
male.  This single name supports a dual
simultaneous creation from dust for Adam
and his first mate.  
It also implies that the name of Adam’s
first female would be Adamah, as the
feminine form of Adam comes is adamah,
which means “ground” and is the root from
which the name Adam is derived.  This
supports the word-play in Ge 2:6 which
states that the face of the Adamah (i.e.
Lilith) was watered by the mist.  This is
consistent with the legend of Lilith’s
creation from muck and mud. (continued)
 7.        Lilith explains Adam’s lonely state in Ge
2:18.  As the literal Hebrew of Ge 2:18
confirms, God did not create Adam alone, but
rather Adam “became alone” after some time.
 Lilith explains how Adam became alone.  She
also explains the timing of Eve’s creation after
Adam’s unsuccessful search among the beasts
of the field (which includes Lilith) for a mate.
 8.      In Ge 2:18 the literal Hebrew states that
Eve was made as a helpmate for Adam “like
one shown before him”.  This odd phraseology
implies a woman companion was physically
shown to Adam before Eve existed.  It even
implies that Eve was made as a replacement
for this first woman.  This is all consistent with
Lilith. (continued)     
10.        The Serpent was not a snake, but
rather the most cunning mammal.  This is
consistent with the serpent being Lilith.  
Ge 3:1 clearly states that the serpent was
the most cunning “beast of the field”.  In
Genesis this term refers to higher mammals
that are soulish creatures with developed
minds and emotions.  The term does not
apply to reptiles or lower animals.  
Lilith best fits the unique description as the
most cunning of these mammals.  She is
considered a beast and not human because
she does not bear the spirit and image of
God, but rather that of her father Lucifer.
 And with the mind of man and animating
spirit of Lucifer, she is certainly the most
cunning.  (continued)
 11.        The Hebrew noun translated “Serpent”,
nachash, is strongly suggestive of a human
speaking through an indwelling demonic spirit.
 This is consistent with Lilith.  
 Nachash comes from the verb root nechash, which
means ‘to divine’ or ‘divination’.  The root
originally meant ‘to hiss’ or ‘to whisper’.  It came
to mean ‘to divine’ because it was used to describe
the whispers of the soothsayers, whom obtain
their powers through the whispering voice of an
indwelling demonic spirit.  
 These inhabited soothsayers were predominately
women.  The only creature recorded in the Bible as
experiencing nechash divination is man.  In the
Bible the noun nachash (“serpent”) always refers
to a demonically inhabited creature of cursing.  If
the Serpent is human, Lilith provides the only
possible origin of that human. (continued)  
14.        The Serpent’s extreme intelligence
and ability to speak is best explained by it
being human. The Lilith legend provides the
only real explanation for the origins of this
human.  The general tenor of Genesis
implies that the Serpent’s intelligence and
ability to speak is not supernatural or
unexpected, but rather the natural created
state of the being.  It certainly did not
surprise Adam or Eve to see the Serpent
talking.  
It is inconceivable that they would express
no surprise over seeing an animal speaking.
 The Zohar (Pekudei: Passage 454) also
holds that the Serpent’s ability to speak, its
cunningness, and its power of seduction
were all native to it.  Samael (Lucifer) rode
the Serpent and used these innate abilities
to his advantage.
Adam protecting a child as Lilith lurks
bibliotecapleyades.net
 Lilith’s pop icon impact
today
 “Lilith
has been a misunderstood,
appropriated, and redeemed woman
throughout the ages.  Many feminists claim
her as an empowering figure in Jewish
mythology, her story reclaimed by
contemporary artists such as Sarah
McLachlan, who created the all-women
music tour, “Lilith Fair.”  Others have
claimed that Lilith was a demon who
seduced men and strangled children in the
night.
Based almost entirely on Judith Plaskow’s
beautiful Midrash, ” this has empowered
me to reject the sexism and heterosexism
that was rendering me broken.  (continued)
What Plaskow’s Midrash creates, redeems,
and affirms is that Lilith left what was
hurting and oppressing her and lived into
who she was called to be: one who
empowered women.
Like many other clergywomen, I have
faithfully served the church for nearly
fourteen years.  After eleven years of
ministry, I accepted a call to become Pastor
for Preaching and Worship at a Baptist
church after finishing my Ph.D.  Upon hiring
me, we became the only Baptist church in
the country with two out lesbians as head
pastors.  My pulpit was free.  My calling to
justice, inclusion, and radical hospitality
affirmed.   
 “Painting Lilith, Leaving Church” by Angela Yarber, 7-13-
2013, www.feminismandreligion.com.
 “Lilith” by Rebecca Lesses, Jewish
Women’s Archive.
“Untilthe late twentieth century the demon Lilith,
Adam’s first wife, had a fearsome reputation as a
kidnapper and murderer of children and seducer
of men. Only with the advent of the feminist
movement in the 1960s did she acquire her
present high status as the model for independent
women. The feminist theologian Judith Plaskow’s
midrash on the story of Lilith played a key role in
transforming Lilith from a demon to a role
model.”
 Lilith as a pop icon
(see Comicvine.com, comicbookreligion.com, game-insider.com
 Lilith and babies
 “According to legend Lilith's attraction for children comes
from the belief that God took her demon children from her
when she did not return to Adam. It was believed that she
launched a reign of terror against women in childbirth and
newborn infants, especially boys. However, it also was
believed that the three angels who were sent to fetch her by
the Red Sea forced her to swear that whenever she saw their
names or images on amulets that she would leave the
infants and mothers alone.
 These beliefs continued for centuries. As late as the 18th
century, it was a common practice in many cultures to
protect new mothers and their infants with amulets against
Lilith. Males were most vulnerable during the first week of
life, girls during the first three weeks. Sometimes a magic
circle was drawn around the lying-in-bed, with a charm
inscribed with the names of the three angels, Adam and Eve
and the words "barring Lilith" or "protect this newborn child
from all harm." Frequently amulets were place in the four
corners and throughout the bedchamber. If a child laughed
while sleeping, it was taken as a sign that Lilith was present.
Tapping the child on the nose, it was believed, made her go
away.
 “Lilith”, Hefner.
 As we have seen, Lilith (as per legend) preyed on
young babies, and Lilith is even classified as a
early vampire as per some sources.1
 In an arguably subtle nod to Lilith (both as baby-
killer as well as man-seducer), the 1999 movie “Oh
brother, where art thou” (based on Homer's
“Odyssey”) features George Clooney mesmerized
and overcome by an irresistible (siren) woman
who sings the haunting lines…
 Go to sleep you little babe
 Go to sleep you little babe
 Your mama's gone away and your daddy's gonna
stay
 Didn't leave nobody but the baby
 Go to sleep you little babe
 Go to sleep you little babe
 You and me and the Devil makes three
 Don't need no other lovin' baby.2
 1-Jean Marigny, “Vampires:The world of the undead”, pp. 17–19,
see also “Lilith: The original vampire”, “Lilith and Eve”, etc.
 2-Emmylou Harris lyrics.
 Lilith today
“The Alphabet of Ben Sira appears to combine
legends of female demons with the idea of the
'first Eve.' What results is a story about Lilith, an
assertive wife who rebelled against God and
husband, was replaced by another woman, and
was demonized in Jewish folklore as a
dangerous killer of babies.”
“Where Does the Legend of Lilith Come From? Lilith, Adam's First Wife” by
Ariela Pelaia at judaism.about.com.
Yet, incredibly, despite its non-Biblical basis, mixture of
myth and speculation, and evil connotations, “Lilith”
has become for many millions of modern women a
symbol of supposed pride and strength.
 Conclusions...from Howard Daniel
Denham, Truth Bible Institute
“The Lilith myth is indeed quite
fascinating and, without doubt, is one of the
most popular today due to the interest in the
supernatural, especially the subjects of
vampires, werewolves, demons, succubi,
incubi, zombies, and other assorted ghouls.
Also, the rise of neo-Gnosticism, New Age
philosophy, the current pop culture, and even
radical feminism have given the Lilith myth
new life, especially in the entertainment
industry. (continued)
 The Biblical evidence, however, is wanting. The bulk of the
myth rests on Jewish mysticism and fables mostly from the early
Middle Ages, rather than on the Sacred Scriptures. The radical,
man-hating feminist movement has attempted to adopt Lilith as a
symbol for the strong woman who rivals man's authority and even
overcomes him in quest for power. The mythos is a dominant theme
in the literature of the movement. That the imagery for the
movement should be built on a mythological character known more
for her malignity and evil speaks volumes as to the destitute nature
of the movement for a symbol of real substance in history and even
mythology.
Postmodernists, who include radical feminists, are fond of
rewriting history as they wish it had happened. It should not then
be surprising that even the mythologies passed down through the
ages should also undergo some transformation to suit their
perceived needs, despite how ever contrived and invented they may
be. Truth means nothing to them any way. It is their agenda that is
all important. The ethos that "the end justifies the means" is the
criterion for their heist of the Lilith myth.”