Who was Lilith?

[DC]

Re: Who was Lilith?

I read somewhere-Man is the head and woman is the crown. I have also heard it mentioined that man is the head and woman is the neck-she turns the head wheresoever she wills.lol.

God’s intended purpose and true biblical portrayal of equality(I think) is the fact that headship-not superiority- was given to Adam because of priority of creation(in my opinion). Someone had to show Eve around and make her familiar with the commands of God and the names of the animals! dwl. God gave Eve to Adam. Apparently, Adam was solely responsible for the care and protection of her well-being as well. However, both Man and Woman were given equality and mutual interdependence; it's not a struggle for power and rulership.

It is indeed sad that throughout human/religious history, the perversion of this truth had allowed for the degradation and enslavement of women. This is not God intended nor is it true biblical portrayal. Women are not inferior to men.

Now on Lilith, I can see why she is appealing to the feminist frame of mind and even more so appealing to the Jewish sisters who lived in a patriachial society. Lilith appears to want to resist authority, do her ‘own thing’ and rule Adam and the entire creation-incuding the Creator!. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]She is one fiesty woman/demoness!. Lol* It’s a rather interesting read though.

Vashti, on the other hand, presents a rather noble stance of personal dignity. Vashti stood strong in womanly self-respect. She resisted a command from her partner because she wanted to preserve her integrity. She accepted disgrace and dismassal rather than sacrificed her womanly modesty. She took this noble stance of personal dignity.
I do not see this noble stance portrayed in Lilith's attitude at all.

[Israelites]

Re: Who was Lilith?

MG, I have made a few posts in the past discussing Lillith, guess you missed them!

The first place she was mentioned was actually in the Judaic book of mythology, the Kabbalah. The verses that dicusses her, without mentioning her directly are:
Genesis 1:27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
as well as:
Genesis 5:2 He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them Man in the day when they were created.
Notice it says both a man and woman were created on the very same day, and the first one was the first chapter, whereas Eve was not made from his rib until:
Genesis 2:20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.
21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.
22 The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.
Now, in verse 20, it says no suitable helper for him. The word suitable being used here, of course, because Lillith was not.

I too have heard the stories of Lillith's link to vampires, but the ones I heard said that she was the mother of vampires(not that she was one herself), that after Cain slew Able and was banished, he went and had children with Lillith which then became the first of the vampires.

I will post some more about what I have read and/or heard about her after I have read everyone else's posts in here, so that I'm not mentioning what someone else has already said. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Israelites]

Re: Who was Lilith?

Originally posted by CEW:
[qb] [b]
7. The Lamiae, who seduced sleeping men, sucked their blood and ate their flesh, as Lilith and her fellow-demonesses did, were also known as Empusae, 'forcers-in'; or Mormolyceia, 'frightening wolves'; and described as 'Children of Hecate'. A Hellenistic relief shows a naked Lamia straddling a traveller asleep on his back. It is characteristic of civilizations where women are treated as chattels that they must adopt the recumbent posture during intercourse, which Lilith refused. That Greek witches who worshipped Hecate favoured the superior posture, we know from Apuleius; and it occurs in early Sumerian representations of the sexual act, though not in the Hittite. Malinowski writes that Melanesian girls ridicule what they call `the missionary position', which demands that they should lie passive and recumbent.

[/qb]

I have often heard them called the 'succubus' or something like that also!