Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-09-10
DESCENDANTS OF EVE
AND OF LILITH.
GEORGE HARVEY SAYS THE FORMEF
ARE ANTI-sUFFRAGIsTs.

ARE ANTI-SUFF RAGISTS.
That the snake was a male we feel
far less certain. Indeed, there are many
evidences, both external and internal,
though not contained in Genesis, to the
contrary. Ezra was an able and con-
scientiOus editor, but made errors of
judgment, as other editors have done
since, especially in discriminating be-
tween the essentials and non-essentials
of a complete narrative. For years and
years theologians have been trying in
vam to reconcile the Jehovistic and
Elohistic accounts of creation present
ed in Genesis. We are convinced that
the necessity of making specious and
unconvincing explanations would new
er have arisen if Ezra had not edited SO
closely. But his omission, whether
from heedlessness or design, of any re-
ference whatever to the very important
part played by Lilith in the beginning
of things seem hardly pardonable. The
materials were at hand, drawn from
the same sources as those which he
utilized. The Chaldean inscriptions
and the Arabic legends, extant in
Babylon while he was engaged upon
his great work, afford quite simple
solution of the veXatious problem.
Lilith was created at the same time
and in the same way as Adam. "Male
and female created he them" and en-
dowed them with equal rights and pri-
vileges. But, runs the chronicle, Adam,
tactics and dOmineering "began the
first conversation by asserting that he
was to be the master" The high-spir-
tied lady Indignantly repudiated this
claim of superior authority. Where
upon, Adam insisting, Lilith uttered a
certain spell called schem-
asch, of famous potency in Jewish folk
lore, obtained wings thereby and ''fiew
out of Eden and out of sight" or as
stated subsequently in Revelations, not
edited by Ezra. 'sTo the woman were
given two wings of great eagle, that
she might fly into the wilderness. )"
How subsequently Lilith married Sam
ael, who illumined character not 9TH
erwise above reproach by treating her
as an equal and left many descendants,
some of whom are even now lombard
ing the houses of parliament, though
interesting and important, is not ger
name to consideration of the relative
merits of snakes But even in that
early day it was recognized to be i'll for
man to live alone, so second wife was
formed, and this time out of Adams
rib in order that there should be no
question of her subsection.
We perceive, therefore, that Ezra had
only to tell the whole story to har-
monize the two seemingly conflicting
Biblical accounts of creation. His rea-
sons for eliminating so material por
tion are, as we have said, conJectural.
1t may be that he feared to offend the
pride of his people by letting them
know that their original ancestress was
a second wife, or he may have been an
anti-suffraged and desirous of with
holding from the equal rights move
ment the advantage of Spiritual au-
thority. Accepting the Arabic version,
which incidentally was derived from
Jewish sources by converts OF Mahomet
from Cabbalism and Rabinism, we
must conclude that now, strictly speak
ing. anti-suffragists should be regarded
as daughters of Eve and suffragists as
daughters of Lilith. To both would
accrue certain satisfaction from such
differentiation. Eve seems to have
been the better woman, but credulous
and stupid; while Lilith, though a
disturber of domestic tranquility and
somewhat peremptory in manner, was
far more intelligent and handsome, had
beautiful hair and dressed like queen
in comparison with Eve in her tradi-
tionally simple raiment.-The North
American Review.