Lilith: A Demon or a Symbol of Women’s Struggle
We are all familiar with the story of Adam and Eve, the first human couple created by the Gods in the Bible, but Lilith is a name that only a few people have heard of for centuries. The first woman Adam ever married was named Lilith. The gods created both Adam and Lilith together out of clay. Lilith refused to submit to her husband’s demands in the Garden of Eden because she believed they were equal, created in God’s image. The fact that Adam was her husband didn’t make her feel obligated to submit to his dominance. Given Adam’s constant demands for subjugation and her reluctance to give up her independence, Lilith left the Garden of Eden and eventually settled in the region around the Red Sea. The Gods attempted to persuade Lilith to return to her husband Adam when they learnt of her abandonment and his grief over her absence, but to no effect. Seeing that Adam was lonely, the gods decided to build him another woman, Eve. She was built out of Adam’s rib instead of clay so that she would always view Adam as her superior and be content to accept his dominance.
Considering her hostility against the gods, Lilith became a female demonic figure in mythology. She had gained the ability to cause illness in infants. As per some accounts, Lilith was also jealous of Adam and Eve’s blissful existence in paradise. Motivated by envy, Lilith had transformed into a snake and tricked Eve into eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, causing her and Adam to pay the ultimate price for their sin. Adam and Eve were sent out of the Garden of Eden.
The legend of Lilith is fascinating, whether you see her as a demonic witch or a powerful lady. Lilith’s narrative is not included in the Christian Bible and is thus condemned by both Catholics and Protestants. Although the legend of Lilith may be found in the mythologies of a wide variety of cultures, including the Hebrews, the Assyrians, the Sumerians, and the Babylonians, the biblical story of Lilith was eventually expunged because of the potential threat she posed to patriarchal society.
Feminists admire Lilith because she challenged her husband’s authority. She is believed to be the first feminist who was unjustly demonised, same as other women, such as Cleopatra and Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, who tried to fight against the patriarchal framework of society throughout history. Lilith rejected heaven and pursued what she deemed was more important to her- freedom.
Author: Srijan
About the Author: Student of IPM-01
#iimbodhgay #theenlighteningiim; #bible #lilith
#mythology #firstfeminist