Lilith from Goddess to Demoness; and back again.
The story of Lilith is perhaps the oldest as Humanity's time on earth. She first started as Lilitu a goddess of fertility and sex in Mesopotamia. And has been identified with Abtagigi as Kalili. And later identified as the Hand of Inanna/Ishtar and her high priestess. In her darker side she has been identified with Ardat Lili a summerian succubus as well as with Lamashtu a female demon that preyed upon children and and pregnant women. When in 508bce the Babylonians under Nebuchadnessar attacked Jerusalem. And took some of the Israelites back to Babylon. The jewish captives incorporated some of the gods and goddesses into their Religion. and labelled them as demons. One of these was Lilith.She appears in the book of Isaiah chapter 34:14-15 and the Alphabet of Sirach. the latter as the first wife of Adam. who left him after an arguement over equality. and was demonized. This demonizing of Lilith continued through the middle ages in mystical commentaries of the Torah such as the Zohar. Which borrows from the Alphabet of Sirach. and looks upon Lilith as a queen of demons. and mother of the succubi whom are known as the Liliot or Lilim and as Qarinah Djinneyeh in Islam. However not all of the books of the Zohar saw Lilith as evil. In the Zohar the book of Concealment chapters 4 and 5 tells of the symbolism of the two prositutes whom came before king Solomon. who were amazed by his wisdom. and was attached to it. it also speaks of the daughters of men who seduced the sons of God would be reconcilied to Adam through the Wisdom of solomon. the daughters in some commentaries are actually the daughters of Lilith. (see the Zohar volume 5 the pritzker edition pages 569-580 notes 67-68;79 translated by daniel c matt). One kabbalist of the 16th century who's name was rabbi Issac Luria went further to say that Lilith was actually reconciled to Adam through the marrige of Leah to Jacob. (see window of the soul: the kabbalah of issac luria pages 85, 158) and there are many Liliths (148). the other Liliths one is the wife of adam qadmon also refered to as the first eve. another Lilith is refered to as isheth zenninim. or Malahat a darker Lilith whom is the wife of Samael. identified with Cain and Esau in the kabbalah. In the late 19th to early 20th century a christian fantasy writer by the name of george mac donald wrote his book Lilith. that tells of Lilith's reconciliation to Adam and Eve.
Lilith in Islam is hardly mention except as Al Qarinah the mother of the Djinn. whom is later identified as Laylah A mysterious divine feminine entity in the poetry of the Sufis. Most Muslims and Sufi agree that the Djinn can be redeemed if they turn away from evil as surah 72 or sura al jinn teaches.
what all this means is that Lilith is slowly emerging from being ostracized and demonized; to be restored as one of the Aspects of the Divine Feminine. whom is called the Shekinah, Allat, Sophia.
in celtic mythology she is linked to the Morrigan the phantom Queen . through their shared Avatar Morgan the Fey.
and in greek mythology with Hecate, Medea, and Lamia.
The story of Lilith is perhaps the oldest as Humanity's time on earth. She first started as Lilitu a goddess of fertility and sex in Mesopotamia. And has been identified with Abtagigi as Kalili. And later identified as the Hand of Inanna/Ishtar and her high priestess. In her darker side she has been identified with Ardat Lili a summerian succubus as well as with Lamashtu a female demon that preyed upon children and and pregnant women. When in 508bce the Babylonians under Nebuchadnessar attacked Jerusalem. And took some of the Israelites back to Babylon. The jewish captives incorporated some of the gods and goddesses into their Religion. and labelled them as demons. One of these was Lilith.She appears in the book of Isaiah chapter 34:14-15 and the Alphabet of Sirach. the latter as the first wife of Adam. who left him after an arguement over equality. and was demonized. This demonizing of Lilith continued through the middle ages in mystical commentaries of the Torah such as the Zohar. Which borrows from the Alphabet of Sirach. and looks upon Lilith as a queen of demons. and mother of the succubi whom are known as the Liliot or Lilim and as Qarinah Djinneyeh in Islam. However not all of the books of the Zohar saw Lilith as evil. In the Zohar the book of Concealment chapters 4 and 5 tells of the symbolism of the two prositutes whom came before king Solomon. who were amazed by his wisdom. and was attached to it. it also speaks of the daughters of men who seduced the sons of God would be reconcilied to Adam through the Wisdom of solomon. the daughters in some commentaries are actually the daughters of Lilith. (see the Zohar volume 5 the pritzker edition pages 569-580 notes 67-68;79 translated by daniel c matt). One kabbalist of the 16th century who's name was rabbi Issac Luria went further to say that Lilith was actually reconciled to Adam through the marrige of Leah to Jacob. (see window of the soul: the kabbalah of issac luria pages 85, 158) and there are many Liliths (148). the other Liliths one is the wife of adam qadmon also refered to as the first eve. another Lilith is refered to as isheth zenninim. or Malahat a darker Lilith whom is the wife of Samael. identified with Cain and Esau in the kabbalah. In the late 19th to early 20th century a christian fantasy writer by the name of george mac donald wrote his book Lilith. that tells of Lilith's reconciliation to Adam and Eve.
Lilith in Islam is hardly mention except as Al Qarinah the mother of the Djinn. whom is later identified as Laylah A mysterious divine feminine entity in the poetry of the Sufis. Most Muslims and Sufi agree that the Djinn can be redeemed if they turn away from evil as surah 72 or sura al jinn teaches.
what all this means is that Lilith is slowly emerging from being ostracized and demonized; to be restored as one of the Aspects of the Divine Feminine. whom is called the Shekinah, Allat, Sophia.
in celtic mythology she is linked to the Morrigan the phantom Queen . through their shared Avatar Morgan the Fey.
and in greek mythology with Hecate, Medea, and Lamia.
for me personally Lilith is the primordial Eve, She and her daughters whom are also Liliths are Grandmothers, mothers , sisters and at times spouses to the human race.
