The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1909-02-11
L|LTH WIFE Of ADAM
Legend Says She Still Haunts
Night es a Spectre.
WHY She HAD LEFT PARADISE.
According to the Talinudists Eve was
the First Mans Second Uclpmate
Fable Invented to Reconcile
Genesis I. with Genesis III.

The Talmudists say that Adam had
wife before Eve, whose name was
LRis or Lilith. Refusing to submit
to Adam, she left Paradise for a re-
gion OF the air. She still haunts
the night as spectre. and is especi-
ally hostile to newborn infants. The
fable Of Lilith was invented to recon-
cile Genesis I. with Genesis II. Gene
sis l. represents the simultaneous
creation of man and woman out of
the earth, but Genesis II. represents
that Adam was alone and Eve was
made out Of rib and was given to
Adam as helpmeet for him. OF
! the three Assyrian demons, Lilu,
Lift and Ardat Lilit, the second is
referred to In Isaiah xxxiv, IA. She
is said to have been worshipped by
the Jewish eXiles as goddess of
night. Lilith is more fully described
in post-Biblical literature, where she
appears as q demon of the night
Three classes of spirits are mention
ed-spiNts. devils and 'lilin." The
first have neither body nor form, the
second appear in complete human
shape, the third in human shape but
with wings (Rashi to Sanh., 19A).
Adam procreated all the spirits while
he was under a spell. Similarly, Eve
bore demons to male spirits for the
space Of 100 years. Lilith is a Sc
ductive woman with long hair; she
is the Queen of Zemargad; Abriman
is her son. She goes about at night,
fastening herself upon any one sleep
ing alone in a room. The Lord will
protect theG' Numbers vi, 24
means, according to Talmudic COM
mept from "lilin." The me-
teor stones is her arrow, and is a
remedy against disease. King Solo
mon, who commanded all spirits, had
the "lilin'" dance before him.
Some identify "Lilith" with the
Parsee Bushyantsa, while the Arabic
translators render the word in Isaiah
xxx, IA, by "ghul," which is identi-
cal with the "lamia" of the Vulgate.
In the Talmud. however. there is
nothing to indicate that "Lilith" is
a vampire. The Arabians, on the
contrary, are said to regard her un-
der the form Of "Lalla," as a holy
dame"
In the later Middle Ages the mys- |
tics Systematically amplified demono-
logy on the basis Of the traditions
and the current European supersti-
tions, and they also assigned a more
definite form to "Lilith." The super
stitions regarding her and her me-
farious doings were. with other sup
erstitions, disseminated more and
more among the mass Of the Jewish
people. She becomes nocturnal
spirit, flying about in the form of a
night owl and stealing children. She
is permitted to kill all children
which have been sinfully begotten,
even from a lawful wife. "Lilith"
likewise appears to men in their
1reams; she Is the bride of Samael.
It is said in a Judaeo-G German book
[ 'Hamhagat ha-Hasidim"D publish
I'd In the beginning Of the eighteenth
century, that "Lilith" deceives men
md has children by them, and meant
mortality is regarded as conse-
luence Of this miscegenation. In a
certain legend she appears as the
queen Of Sheba, who in the guise OF
4 beautiful woman seduced a poor
Jew of Worms. AS she was eager to
seize new born infants mothers and
child were provided with amulets-
coins, with labels on which the
names of Adam and Eve were in
scribed, with the words, "Avaunt
thee Lilith!"-which since early
times were regarded as an efficient
protection against magic and
demons. The name "Lilith" occurs
also in non-Jewish superstitions.
The conception that she was Adams
wife appears to have spread through
Buxtorf's Lexicon Talmudicum,"
where the subject is dealt with.
"Lilith" Is clear instance Of the
persistence of popular superstitious
beliefs.