Throughout history there has been a story told of a woman before Eve. This woman was made from the same ground as Adam and at the same time unlike Eve who was made from one of Adam's own rib. This woman carried the name Lilith. The information regarding her story has been anything but forthcoming. The Jewish texts documenting this are considered more occult or mysticism. The main story regarding Lilith was that she would not be subservient to Adam. (She refused the bottom position during coitus) This caused her to be evicted from Eden before Adam and Eve. While she was evicted Lilith did find time to make a name for herself, supposedly making sexy time with a famous Archangel named Sammael (This guy is also named Lucifer in other texts). Other stories include her founding a city before human civilization itself and naming it Zamargad. Even more strange are the stories which regard the offspring of Lilith and Sammael as being monsters and "Lamia". Some stories contend that Cain and Abel were only half brothers. Cain, the murderous one was actually the child of Lilith while Abel was the son of Eve. This story continues inferring that Abel is the father of the Jewish race where Cain is the father of Arabs.
I think it would just be so easy to invent similar stories surrounding the events in the Genesis. And since there is no recorded history to support the story of Lilith, then I prefer to have Eve as the first woman ever. But I see something similar with both Lilith and Eve -- both fell out of favor from the Creator.
Oh well, that is weird. But I still believe in the Bible. As the Bible has proven many times of its accuracy. Like latest archeology finds supports most of the Bible's Claim. I'm not sure with other texts. ^^
Genesis is not meant to be taken literally, and should only be thought of as a summary of what happened at creation. For all we know it could have been Bob and Lisa who were the first people, Genesis is just meant to give us the information to know that something happened just not in specifics.
This Lilith story was the work of Jewish scholars who analyzed the Hebrew Bible. They claimed that Adam and Lilith were created by God at the same time, from the earth or dust. When called by the angels to go back as ordered by God, she refused. God made another woman, Eve, made from Adam's ribs this time, not from dust as how Lilith and Adam were created. If this story is true, I like it. Lilith fought for equality, the first woman to fight for women's rights. She stood by the principle that women should not be subservient to men. However, despite the praises I gave to Lilith, I do not believe this story about her. God is omnipotent. To say that God created Lilith and erred destroys God's omnipotence and infallibility. God is perfect.
I had heard of Lilith so many times through the years. Thank you Angel for posting that. Such detail, I had never heard before. Lilith, a woman before her time!
It is a complicated history with many degrees of application. The first thing one should understand is that Lilith is not Judeo-Christian in origin. She is a Sumerian goddess and represents the feminine anima the drives the hearts of men. Because of her associations with feminine nature she was often represented in esoteric mystic texts - even Jewish ones. In these texts she was not a bad influence at all an simply replaced Eve in the mythos. Unfortunately when things became more Patriarchal and the feminine aspect of the divine known as The Shekinah became lost to most, Lilith with her dual feminine and Pagan nature became demonized. She became associated with disobedience and the vulnerability to sin of the female character. Like the other documents listing her name, Genesis was written from a mystical standpoint. Originally Adam and Eve were not thrown out because of sin but because they created an imbalance of the Three of Good and Evil (or rather light and dark) also known as the "Tree of Life" whereby the Apple corresponds to the Sephira Da'ath, This caused the reality of of transcendent paradise to become a reality in which they where constrained by there own perceptions. This concept can be seen in the Greco-Roman story of the Golden Apples as well as with the Norse Yggdrasil. Now because Genesis is a mystic text and because much of this does come from earlier Pagan culture- Lilith may have been the original name used for the feminine character in the story- however she would have had the exact same role as Eve. The notion of Lilith coming first and not being obedient was actually added as an afront, later after the notion of Eve. Also, earlier texts state that both were made out of dirt/clay ect. similar to most other creation stories. The notion of Eve being made from Adams rib seems to be from patriarchal bias to justify inferior treatment of women -However, on further inspection it appears that that notion also as mystic importance and was never intended to portray inequality and was thus to be found in certain versions for those of a more mystic understanding of the text. Stories regarding the offspring and malicious actions of Lilith are either rooted in the same manipulation of her character or ignorance and fear and should be taken with that understanding. You will often find those who are said to be from evil stock are from those of competing cultures and spiritual systems. It is a shame how finger pointing often becomes doctrine. That is not to say that earlier stories weren't adapted to include Lilith. Neither fell out of favor in the original context. Lilith isn't new or made up in that she isn't just some random claim. she does have merit in understanding the history of the text. Exactly right, books such as Genesis and Ezekiel are more an esoteric mystic perspective.... They aren't to be interpreted as literal historical accounts of what happened but rather to reveal certain mystic truths pertaining t the subject matter. Genesis, through the depiction of God operating as the process of creation revels allot of the nature of God as Creator and the template for creation itself from the esoteric perspective. This dos not say anything about God's infailability, or judgement anymore than someone today not following Gods will whether there is a consensus on it or not. Also you would have to take this same stance with Satan becoming the devil - not that the devil was a belief held by early Christians. Unfortunately free-will is part being made in Gods image and that means we have a responsibility as co-creator of our own reality. In any case, I would have a hard time believing an all-wise God would take a stance on gender inequality. I think that is the real issue. Also you used omnipotence which means all-powerful when you probably meant omniscience which means all-knowing as that is a better fit for the context.
