Where does it tell that Adam had a 1st wife named Lilith?

Question

I keep hearing this but do not believe it. I want to know where those who do believe it got it.

I HAVE read Genesis. I KNOW it's not in there . I'm just wondering where others got this (mis)information.

Answer 1

It's not in the Bible; it's from ancient mythology instead. Some scholars believe that it was an attempt to explain that the book of Genesis talks TWICE about God creating man and woman. I'm pretty sure in the first reference it says he created them together, and in the second reference it gives the story of Eve being created from Adam's rib, so some people apparently thought: Wait, didn't God create man and woman together? What happened to THAT one? And hence the legend of Lilith was developed to answer the question.

Answer 2

The concept of Lilith goes back well before Jewish tradition, to Babylon and Sumer, but the Jews made it their own. Jewish tradition historically has taken two forms - the written tradition and the oral tradition. The Torah represents written tradition, and became the first five books of the Bible. Lilith was in the oral tradition, which was not written down until the Talmud and the Midrash were made necessary by the fall of Jerusalem in 70CE, which destroyed the temple, the central facility for passing the oral tradition. She appears in those early texts and the Dead Sea Scrolls, but the story isn't fleshed out until The Alphabet of Ben Sira, hundreds of years later. Another popular part of the story, besides what is written by others above, is that God sent three angels to bring her back to Adam - Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof. She refused, they cursed her, and she declared she would be a scourge to children for the rest of her existence, but would not harm any infant protected by an amulet with the angels' names or images on it. The practice of protecting newborns with such an amulet carried on regularly for many hundreds of years. Lilith, for her part, took to tormenting men in their sleep (if you can call it that), having sex with them in their dreams and then giving birth to demons. Many Christians simply have never heard of Lilith because of her Jewish roots. I myself, raised Catholic, never heard of her at all until recent internet research, and am intrigued, seeing the wealth of web-based references, that her legend escaped me all this time. The Christian-driven repression of such things is powerful, however, so I shouldn't be too surprised.

Answer 3

Dear Jen,

It is not in the Bible, or the Torah, or the Qur'an. It could have been put in there in 325AD, but the Religious leaders at the time decided to keep that legend out of the Bible. Note, the 2nd description of Adam and Eve is straight from a legend about them.

(It was once included in a scroll, along with about another 150 scrolls that were excluded from the Bible)

Late medieval Jewish legend portrays her as the first wife and equal of Adam. Considering Adam inferior, Lilith left the Garden of Eden of her own free will (Other stories claim Lilith refused to lie under Adam, as she considered that this was too submissive).

People get very confused by the Creation story in the "Bible". They fail to realize that it is simply the History of the Jewish bloodline from Adam to Jesus. It was never intended as the History of the Whole world. "In the Beginning" means in the beginning of this Jewish History you are about to read about.

Proof: All the names in the Bible are Jewish names, because it is simply a history of the Jewish people; From Adam to Jesus.

Of course, Bubba preachers taught us in Sunday School that Adam and Eve were the first two people of the whole Earth. They led us to believe we are descendents of Adam and Eve. But, non-jews cannot trace their blood line to Adam and Eve. - Sorry about that:

Answer 4

Adam could not have had a first wife becaus Eve was the second person created but my dads ponit of view over my shoulder is that it is "probely in the old testiment somewhere"

Answer 5

Adam only had one wife and her name was Eve. Jehovah took the rib from Adam and made Eve. lilith was never Adam's wife. Adam said bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh this one will be called woman. he was talking about his wife Eve.

Answer 6

I believe its In the Hebrew Torah or Talmud. She got mad at Adam because he wouldn't let her be on top during sex (not kidding, its in there), so she left him.

Hey, maybe it was her and Adam's kids that married Adam and Eve's kids. Eases up on the incest idea a little bit at least.

Answer 7

Why don't you Just Read Genesis for yourself INSTEAD OF HEARING FABLES? No where in the Bible!

(Titus 1:13-14) This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

(Tit 1:14) Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

Thanks, RR

Answer 8

In ancient Judaic mythology. I remember most of the story.

Answer 9

i think that she is in the Book of Isaiah and is said to be a demon and the mother of sucubi and incubi.
look in Wikipedia

Answer 10

Thanks for the two points! It comes from the Lost Books and Gnostic Gospels of the New Age!