Lilith?

[Willowbirch]

So what about Lilith?

Titus 1:14 "...not paying attentiong to Jewish myths..."
1 Timothy 1:4 "nor giving heed to myths and endless genealogies..."

I know that she's a Jewish myth (from a Hebrew word meaning "night specter") and I've heard rumors of her involvement with Adam before Eve came on the scene. After he dumped her, or she dumped him, Lilith wed a demon named Asmodai (Asmodeus), and of course I've read George MacDonald's "Lillith" (great book!)

I'm wondering if anyone can tell me to what extent Lilith may have permeated scripture, based on Isaiah 34:14, "Then shall criers meets with howlers, and the shaggy creature [or demon] unto his fellow shall call, only there shall the night-spectre [great owl, screech owl] make her settlement, and find for herself a place of rest..."

The word often translated as night-spectre or some species of owl is pronounced lee-leeth (from what I can tell, none of the other "owls" in scripture come from this word).
A curious thing I noticed in that portion of Isaiah, whether it means anything or not: only Lilith, or this "night-spectre", seems to be alone. Every other unclean creature mentioned has a mate or companion. What was she?

And if this lee-leeth really does refer to a Jewish myth, how much of this myth (i.e., Adam's wife, etc.) would have been accepted or at least implied by scripture?

(By the way, from a brief study on google, Lilith apparently didn't become popular as a literary figure until the Medieval Ages; perhaps she was a different "myth" when and if she appears in Isaiah?)

[Willowbirch]

(hm, Dreamweaver's taking a long while answering this time.)  

Just kidding.  

[Shammu]

(hm, Dreamweaver's taking a long while answering this time.)  

Just kidding.  

I just came back on, I was off-line.

If I remember right, Lilith was Adam's first wife.

[Willowbirch]

So what about Lilith?

Titus 1:14 "...not paying attentiong to Jewish myths..."
1 Timothy 1:4 "nor giving heed to myths and endless genealogies..."

Oops, I just came across awebsite that was trying to use these verses to prove that the Bible contradicted itself...

Just to let you know, I only posted the above verses to show folks that I knew I had no business messing with Jewish myths.  

[Shammu]

The Origin of Lilith:
Lilith has many origins. In one version of the bin-Sira version of the Bible, Lilith is the first wife of Adam (before Eve) and was created at the same time that god created Adam. In Greek myth, she is the goddess of the dark moon (Artemis is the goddess of the full moon, and Hecate is the goddess of the crescent moon). In Mesopotamian legends, Lilith is a fertility/earth goddess who protects people's children and helps to harvest food. In both Arabic and Jewish myths however, she is a succubus. A demon-woman who hunts men, seduces them and drains their life with a kiss. Jewish mothers believed Lilith would come to take their children away and eat them.

Biblical Lilith:
When the Almighty created the first, solitary man, He said: It is not good for man to be alone. And He fashioned for man a woman from the earth, like him (Adam), and called her Lilith. Soon, they began to quarrel with each other. She said to him: I will not lie underneath, and he said: I will not lie underneath but above, for you are meant to lie underneath and I to lie above. She said to him: We are both equal, because we are both created from the earth. But they did not listen to each other.

When Lilith saw this, she pronounced God's avowed name and flew into the air. Adam stood in prayer before his Creator and said: Lord of the World! The woman you have given me has gone away from me. Immediately, the Almighty sent three angels after her, to bring her back.

The Almighty said to the Angels: If she decides to return, it is good, but if not, then she must take it upon herself to ensure that a hundred of her children die each day. They went to her and found her in the middle of the Red Sea. And they told her the word of God. But she refused to return. They said to her: We must drown you in the sea. She said: Leave me! I was created for no other purpose than to harm children, eight days for boys and twenty for girls.

When they heard what she said, they pressed her even more. She said: I swear by the name of the living God that I, when I see you or your image on an amulet, will have no power over that particular child. And she took it upon herself to ensure that, every day, a hundred of her children died. That is why we say that, every day, a hundred of her demons die. That is why we write the names Senoi, Sansenoi and Semangloph on an amulet for small children. Andwhen Lilith sees it, she remembers her promise and the child is saved.

[Willowbirch]

Thanks!

[ajjessadams]

Dreamweaver,
Fascinating!  I had never heard that before.  Where is the story written of in the bible?  I had never heard of Adam having a spouse before Eve.  

[M]

Lilith, the woman, is not in the scriptures (Bible) at all.  

This is a myth (folk story, legend) that people were discussing.  The owl is mentioned because the Hebrew Language is different than English.  Some words sound and are spelled alike.  The Hebrew alphabet contains much less letters than English.  

[Willowbirch]

So, where is this in the Bible?  If it is not in the Bible, you can't call it Biblical!

He wasn't calling it Biblical. He was just giving me the legend.  

[Willowbirch]

He was quoting from the following website:
http://www.lilithgallery.com/library/