Lilith: The Myth Suppressed by Christianity
Introduction
Throughout history, Christianity has exercised significant control over the image of women, shaping roles, norms, and narratives to ensure their subordination to men. This manipulation includes the deliberate omission of figures who do not conform to its patriarchal vision, such as Lilith, an ancestral character who, according to certain Jewish traditions, was the first woman before Eve. This text explores the origin, evolution, and significance of Lilith, as well as the reasons why she was silenced by the Christian tradition. Her story reveals a historical constant: the marginalization of women who dare to challenge the established order.
Lilith: Adam’s First Wife
Origins of the Character
Lilith is a fascinating figure, with a complex and nuanced history. Her origins lie in ancient Mesopotamian mythologies (Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian), which we will not delve into in this analysis. In the Bible, Lilith is mentioned in Isaiah 34:14, in a passage that describes the desolation of Edom:
“Wild animals of the desert will meet with hyenas, and the wild goat will call to his fellow; also Lilith shall rest there and find for herself a place of rest.”
This verse suggests that Lilith was present in the original Hebrew scriptures. It is not surprising that, as Christianity appropriated these scriptures, it adapted them to fit its purposes, omitting uncomfortable figures like Lilith. Just as it removed the 24 attributes with which God adorned Eve, it had even more reason to eliminate Lilith, who challenged the subservient role prescribed to women.
Lilith's most significant development takes place in rabbinic literature. In texts such as the Alphabet of Ben Sira and in the Jewish mysticism of the Kabbalist Isaac ben Jacob ha-Cohen, Lilith is described as Adam’s first wife, created from the same dust as he was. This creation from the same material places her on equal footing with Adam, contrasting with the Genesis account in which Eve is created from Adam’s rib to be his companion and subordinate.
Lilith also appears in other Hebrew texts in varying forms:
As a vengeful figure who attacks children due to her infertility.
As the Queen of Evil in Kabbalistic studies.
In the Talmud, as a wild, winged woman whom unmarried men must avoid, lest they father demons with the semen spilled outside the womb.
In the Kabbalah, in addition to being the Queen of Evil, she is also described as the wife of Samael, the fallen angel.
Christianity did not adopt the Lilith myth into its official theology. Although her image persisted in official demonology, the Christian Bible eliminated any possibility of a woman existing before Eve. In Genesis 2:21–23, Eve is created from Adam’s rib, and this narrative has been used for centuries to justify the woman’s subordination to man.
In contrast, the myth of Lilith, derived from midrashic interpretations and Hebrew texts, proposes an alternative version: Lilith was not created from Adam but simultaneously with him and from the same earth—implying equality in rights and condition.
Her refusal to submit to Adam and her decision to leave Eden make Lilith an early symbol of female insubordination. While Eve is traditionally portrayed as the passive woman who yields to temptation and needs male guidance, Lilith represents autonomy and the right to self-determination, even if it means condemnation and demonization.
Christianity embraced the myth of Adam and Eve as the foundation for defining gender roles, casting Eve in a position of inferiority and dependence to reinforce patriarchal society. In contrast, Lilith represents an alternative model: a woman who rejects male dominance and leaves her partner in search of freedom.
As such, she became a dangerous figure for religious structures that promoted female submission and inferiority. Silencing her became necessary. But since she could not be fully erased, Lilith was absorbed into Christian demonology as a seductive evil spirit who threatened pregnant women and children.
This transformation served to reinforce the idea that a woman who defies male authority is inherently dangerous and wicked within Christian doctrine.
In the Middle Ages, even the slightest deviation from Christian myths, dogmas, or doctrines could result in a dangerous condemnation. In the 21st century, the risk persists, though to a lesser extent. While people may no longer be condemned to death, they are still silenced and ridiculed—often by educated fanatics, brilliant paid writers, or unquestionable algorithms hired to defend the indefensible with sophisticated rhetoric.
This is the case with the figure of Lilith—a deeply negative symbol for Christianity’s goals of domination. For this reason, she has been silenced and virtually erased to the extreme. Regardless of where you search or how hard you try to find objective information about her, you will find almost nothing. Her existence is buried and consistently denied. She is said not to exist in Christianity or the Bible; instead, she is relegated to Babylonian civilizations (3000 BCE).
To justify this denial, it is argued that she could not have existed in the Bible because the Bible has never been altered or suppressed, only reinterpreted by Christianity. This contradicts what scholars of ancient writings have accepted and demonstrated for years.
I dare to affirm that Lilith did exist in the Bible and that her existence was deliberately suppressed, just like many other stories that did not serve Christianity’s objectives.
“Wild animals of the desert will meet with hyenas, and the wild goat will call to his fellow; also Lilith shall rest there and find for herself a place of rest.”
This verse suggests that Lilith was present in the original Hebrew scriptures. It is not surprising that, as Christianity appropriated these scriptures, it adapted them to fit its purposes, omitting uncomfortable figures like Lilith. Just as it removed the 24 attributes with which God adorned Eve, it had even more reason to eliminate Lilith, who challenged the subservient role prescribed to women.
Development in Rabbinic Literature
Lilith's most significant development takes place in rabbinic literature. In texts such as the Alphabet of Ben Sira and in the Jewish mysticism of the Kabbalist Isaac ben Jacob ha-Cohen, Lilith is described as Adam’s first wife, created from the same dust as he was. This creation from the same material places her on equal footing with Adam, contrasting with the Genesis account in which Eve is created from Adam’s rib to be his companion and subordinate.
Lilith also appears in other Hebrew texts in varying forms:
As a vengeful figure who attacks children due to her infertility.
As the Queen of Evil in Kabbalistic studies.
In the Talmud, as a wild, winged woman whom unmarried men must avoid, lest they father demons with the semen spilled outside the womb.
In the Kabbalah, in addition to being the Queen of Evil, she is also described as the wife of Samael, the fallen angel.
Absence in Christian Theology
Christianity did not adopt the Lilith myth into its official theology. Although her image persisted in official demonology, the Christian Bible eliminated any possibility of a woman existing before Eve. In Genesis 2:21–23, Eve is created from Adam’s rib, and this narrative has been used for centuries to justify the woman’s subordination to man.
In contrast, the myth of Lilith, derived from midrashic interpretations and Hebrew texts, proposes an alternative version: Lilith was not created from Adam but simultaneously with him and from the same earth—implying equality in rights and condition.
Her refusal to submit to Adam and her decision to leave Eden make Lilith an early symbol of female insubordination. While Eve is traditionally portrayed as the passive woman who yields to temptation and needs male guidance, Lilith represents autonomy and the right to self-determination, even if it means condemnation and demonization.
Lilith vs. Eve: Two Models of Femininity
Christianity embraced the myth of Adam and Eve as the foundation for defining gender roles, casting Eve in a position of inferiority and dependence to reinforce patriarchal society. In contrast, Lilith represents an alternative model: a woman who rejects male dominance and leaves her partner in search of freedom.
As such, she became a dangerous figure for religious structures that promoted female submission and inferiority. Silencing her became necessary. But since she could not be fully erased, Lilith was absorbed into Christian demonology as a seductive evil spirit who threatened pregnant women and children.
This transformation served to reinforce the idea that a woman who defies male authority is inherently dangerous and wicked within Christian doctrine.
Conclution
In the Middle Ages, even the slightest deviation from Christian myths, dogmas, or doctrines could result in a dangerous condemnation. In the 21st century, the risk persists, though to a lesser extent. While people may no longer be condemned to death, they are still silenced and ridiculed—often by educated fanatics, brilliant paid writers, or unquestionable algorithms hired to defend the indefensible with sophisticated rhetoric.
This is the case with the figure of Lilith—a deeply negative symbol for Christianity’s goals of domination. For this reason, she has been silenced and virtually erased to the extreme. Regardless of where you search or how hard you try to find objective information about her, you will find almost nothing. Her existence is buried and consistently denied. She is said not to exist in Christianity or the Bible; instead, she is relegated to Babylonian civilizations (3000 BCE).
To justify this denial, it is argued that she could not have existed in the Bible because the Bible has never been altered or suppressed, only reinterpreted by Christianity. This contradicts what scholars of ancient writings have accepted and demonstrated for years.
I dare to affirm that Lilith did exist in the Bible and that her existence was deliberately suppressed, just like many other stories that did not serve Christianity’s objectives.






