Writer Kate Orson explores singer Charlotte Church’s fascination with Lilith, the mythical first wife of Adam. Kate traces how Lilith evolved from an ancient demon to a modern feminist icon—and what that says about our search for spiritual truth.
In a recent episode of Elizabeth Day’s podcast, How To Fail, singer songwriter Charlotte Church shared her love of Lilith; a mythical woman it’s claimed by many to have been Adam’s first wife.
Charlotte shared on the podcast about her tattoo of two aquatic snakes which she saw in a vision while meditating. The image is thought to represent Lilith. Elizabeth and Charlotte chatted about Lilith and how much they love her, and Elizabeth remarked that she also loved Charlotte’s own Lilith-like qualities.
But how exactly did a mythological figure come to be so popular in modern culture?
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Lilith made her first appearance in Babylonian demonology. The Babylonians made amulets and spoke incantations to ward off the powers of this spirit who was responsible for miscarriage and child death.
In a Jewish text, The Alphabet of Ben Sira, written between the 8th-10th century Lilith is Adam’s first wife.
In a Jewish text, The Alphabet of Ben Sira, written between the 8th-10th century Lilith is Adam’s first wife. It’s implied by the story that Eve is subservient to Adam because she was made out of his rib, whereas Lilith made from the earth like Adam, is his equal. Lilith refuses to lie under Adam and so is banished from the garden. God then created Eve as a submissive replacement.
In the Zohar, a kabbalistic mystical writing from the fourteenth century, Lilith became the wife of a demon, Samuel and they had demonic children together.
In 1972 writer and filmmaker Lily Rivlin, wrote an article about Lilith in the feminist publication Ms magazine. This catapulted Lilith into a role as a feminist icon, playing into the false narrative that Eve was not created equal to Adam but Lilith was. In modern day culture especially in new age circles, Lilith is celebrated as an archetype of the ‘divine feminine,’ representing all that is ‘wild,’ and ‘rebellious’ in being female.
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In a world that loves to paint the Bible as being sexist, the Lilith story is the perfect myth to add to the impression that the Christian God is patriarchal.
In a world that loves to paint the Bible as being sexist, the Lilith story is the perfect myth to add to the impression that the Christian God is patriarchal. Lilith’s banishment becomes a triumphant freedom, her rebellion the breaking off of the chains of a sexist society. But, just as Satan is the father of lies, Lilith’s rebranding over the centuries is one tall tale after the other.
The Alphabet of Ben Sira was a satirical text that was never meant to be considered factual. Day and Church might love what she represents, but it’s just a tangled web of lies. If Lilith is anything at all, she’s a demon. One that the Bible, barely, if at all mentions.
In the ancient Hebrew, ‘Lilith’ is mentioned once in Isaiah 34.14. The word isn’t used as a proper noun though, but a general term that is translated as ‘night creature” or “screech owl,” a figure associated with night and darkness.
Just as Satan masquerades as an Angel of light, behind the story of Lilith, is a demon or demons, spinning lies, and catching whoever can be tempted into sin, by the story that women must rebel against men.
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As I began reading about Lilith it struck me that there’s an assumption that Eve wasn’t made to be Adam’s equal because she was created from his rib. There’s also the claim made by some feminists, that it’s sexist because Eve was made to be Adam’s ‘helper’. Yet a close reading of the Bible finds that it was only a consequence of the fall that Adam would rule over Eve (Genesis 3.16). In the original perfect state Eve was made equal to Adam. There’s no need for a previous wife to be his equal, Eve is it. Then there is the word ‘helper’ which may sound subservient but the Hebrew ‘ezer’ means divine help, someone who is heroic, who will drop everything to assist another. The word is used most often in the Bible to describe God himself.
On the podcast episode Church tells Day about the challenges of rising to fame at just 12 years old, and dealing with the wounds of being treated as a commodity in the music industry. She shares about her spiritual journey using ways to heal such as psychedelic drugs, and various other new age modalities.
Church reflects on how healing is like a never-ending journey, something I’m familiar with from my own time in the new age. Like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, you keep thinking you’re getting there but never arrive.
The devil promises false hope while placing so many obstacles in the way of seeing the truth; that we don’t need Lilith, Eve is made in God’s image, and is the perfect equal match for Adam. In a fallen world women may not always have the equality we seek, but things will only get worse by following mythological lies.
I’m praying for Charlotte Church and Elizabeth Day, and all those who fall prey to these story-telling demons. One day Jesus will return, and bring us true equality. Until then all we can do is stay close to him, and plant seeds so that others can recognise Satan’s lies.
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