With her major characteristics having been well developed by the end of the Talmudic period, after six centuries had elapsed between the Aramaic incantation texts that mention Lilith and the early Spanish Kabbalistic writings in the 13th century, she reappears, and her life history becomes known in greater mythological detail. [64] The second myth of Lilith grew to include legends about another world and by some accounts this other world existed side by side with this one, Yenne Velt is Yiddish for this described "Other World". -------------------------------- The Alphabet of Ben-Sira is the earliest surviving source of the story, and the conception that Lilith was Adam's first wife became only widely known with the 17th century Lexicon Talmudicum of German scholar Johannes Buxtorf. She said, "I will not lie below," and he said, "I will not lie beneath you, but only on top. The angels were able, however, to extract a vow that Lilith would not harm the offspring of Adam and his second wife, Eve. According to myths, Lilith, the female demon, is looking to snatch and devour sleeping infants as revenge on Adam. In the writings of the sages of the holy city of Safed (Zfat), in the northern Land of Israel, we find evidence that these rabbis sought to fight off the plague with the help of special amulets, among other things. [84] One source states simply that she is a daughter of the goddess Hecate, another, that Lamia was subsequently cursed by the goddess Hera to have stillborn children because of her association with Zeus; alternatively, Hera slew all of Lamia's children (except Scylla) in anger that Lamia slept with her husband, Zeus. [89] A few magical orders dedicated to the undercurrent of Lilith, featuring initiations specifically related to the arcana of the "first mother", exist. Mller-Kessler, C. (2002) "A Charm against Demons of Time", in C. Wunsch (ed. 'Return to Adam without delay,' the angels said, `or we will drown you!' [e], The early 5th-century Vulgate translated the same word as lamia. Schrader's and Levy's view is therefore partly dependent on a later dating of Deutero-Isaiah to the 6th century BC, and the presence of Jews in Babylon which would coincide with the possible references to the Lltu in Babylonian demonology. In this case Asmodeus and Lilith were believed to procreate demonic offspring endlessly and spread chaos at every turn. A birth amulet featuring an illustration of Adam and Eve. Moses pleads before God, that God should not be like Lilith who kills her own children. This promise is expressed in the quote: I, the Lord, heal you, for it is written and the sun of mercy shall rise with healing in its wings for you who fear My Name., A prayer warding off the effects of cholera morbus, Italy, 19th century, the British Library. (Babylonian Talmud, tractate Bava Bathra 73a-b). the goat he-calls his- fellowlilit (lilith) she-rests and she-finds rest[d] [80][81], Not so much an amulet as a ritual object for protection, the Krasmesser (or Kreismesser, circle knife) played a role in Jewish birth rituals in the area of Alsace, Switzerland and Southern Germany between the 16th and 20th century. The names of the angels Senoy, Sansenoy and Samengelof also appear, as do the names Lilith and Satan. Alternatively he can take water of which a dog has drunk at night, but he must take care that it has not been exposed." First among these Talmudic demons is Samael, often referred to euphemistically as Sitra Achra The Other Side. Adam's wife, his first. 19. however, sent after her three angels-Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof by name,11 who soon located her in the same wild waters in which the Egyptians were to . those of three angels, Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangeloph. In contrast, some scholars, such as Lowell K. Handy, hold the view that though Lilith derives from Mesopotamian demonology, evidence of the Hebrew Lilith being present in the sources frequently cited - the Sumerian Gilgamesh fragment and the Sumerian incantation from Arshlan-Tash being two - is scant, if present at all. Stories about Qarinah and Lilith merged in early Islam.[88]. [50] However, to be exact the said passages do not employ the Hebrew word lilith itself and instead speak of "the first Eve" (Heb. When Lilith winds it tight around young men Some Satanists believe that she is the wife of Satan and thus think of her as a mother figure. [84] Lamia had a vicious sexual appetite that matched her cannibalistic appetite for children. "I was created only to cause sickness to infants. They found her beside the Red Sea, a region abounding in lascivious demons. (In English: Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof). Up to medieval times, Jewish people often kept amulets to . An amulet for women after childbirth, The National Librarys Amulet Collection, Jewish Mysticism, Joseph Dan, Jerusalem : J. Aronson, 1999, Some sources of Jewish-Arabic demonology, Gershom Scholem, JJS, Vol. [13]:174. [86], The occult writer Ahmad al-Buni (d. 1225), in his Sun of the Great Knowledge (Arabic: ), mentions a demon called "the mother of children" ( ), a term also used "in one place". Thy spell through him, and left his straight neck bent The three failed in their mission; Lilith claimed that the great demon has already come upon her, referring to Samael, and could therefore no longer return to Adam. The first occurrence of plague in the recorded history of the Middle East was known as the Plague of Justinian, named after the Byzantine Emperor, Justinian I. These amulets are mentioned in the Ben Sirah, and in fact, the story probably exists to give a more religious justification for the otherwise pretty superstition-and-magic . [77], The sheet contains two texts within borders, which are amulets, one for a male ('lazakhar'), the other one for a female ('lanekevah'). hawks [kites, gledes] also they-gather, every one with its mate. [49] Moses said: [God,] do not do it [i.e. This last term, according to the Hebrews, signifies the same thing, as the Greeks express by strix and lamiae, which are sorceresses or magicians, who seek to put to death new-born children. In rabbinic literature, incorporating over 1,000 years of writing and interpretation, we find the names of several satanic figures that developed over time, each of them constantly trying to establish evils grip on the world. The demon(ess) is depicted in a frontal position with the whole face showing. Chavvah ha-Rishonah, analogically to the phrase Adam ha-Rishon, i.e. [70] The marriage of archangel Samael and Lilith was arranged by Tanin'iver ("Blind Dragon"), who is the counterpart of "the dragon that is in the sea". (Patai81:455f). (CD-ROM). [47][52] These bowls were buried upside down below the structure of the house or on the land of the house, in order to trap the demon or demoness. These talismans invoke the names of the angels Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof, or sometimes the prophet Elijah, in order to protect young children from the grasp of Lilith. During this time "Pizna", either an alternate name for Lilith or a daughter of hers, desires his beauty and seduces him against his will. William F. Albright, Theodor H. Gaster,[32] and others, accepted the amulets as a pre-Jewish source which shows that the name Lilith already existed in the 7th century BC but Torczyner (1947) identified the amulets as a later Jewish source.[33]. The Bishops' Bible of Matthew Parker (1568) from the Latin: Isa 34:14 there shall the Lamia lye and haue her lodgyng. Although the image of Lilith of the Alphabet of Ben Sira is unprecedented, some elements in her portrayal can be traced back to the talmudic and midrashic traditions that arose around Eve. . For instance, Isaiah, describing the condition to which Babylon was to be reduced after her ruin, says that she shall become the abode of satyrs, lamiae, and strigae (in Hebrew, lilith). Angelic FoeOppressed By the Heavens PrikosnovenieReleased on: 2013-04-30Author: Angelic FoeCom. References to Lilith in the Zohar include the following: She roams at night, and goes all about the world and makes sport with men and causes them to emit seed. At once, the Holy One, blessed be He, sent these three angels Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof, to bring her back. If a child laughed while sleeping, it was taken as a sign that Lilith was present. That, ere the snake's, her sweet tongue could deceive, Kabbalistic mysticism attempted to establish a more exact relationship between Lilith and God. She was notorious for being a vampiric spirit and loved sucking men's blood. Hebrew: , -, - ; - , , u-pagu iyyim et-iyyim, w-sair al-rhu yiqra; ak-am hirgia lilit, u-maa lah manoa. Out, Lilithl' Also the names Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof (meanings uncertain) were inscribed on the door. Eli Yassif, who studied the medieval stories of ben Sirah (or ben Sirach), claimed that the custom of writing amulets with the names of the angels dates back even earlier than the 8th century, its story intended to explain an existing custom. Some bowls are written in a false script which has no meaning. This is the earliest Jewish amulet to appear in print. Whence it comes that the Jews are accustomed to write in the four corners of the chamber of a woman just delivered, "Adam, Eve, be gone from hence lilith." Third, and despite the terseness of the biblical text in this regard, the erotic iniquities attributed to Eve constitute a separate category of her shortcomings. he said, "the woman you gave me has run away." This is the gap into which the later tradition of Lilith could fit. Draws men to watch the bright web she can weave, It made its way to the Land of Israel from Egypt around 541-542 AD. She gave birth to a host of demons and became known as their mother. The first woman also becomes the object of accusations ascribed to Rabbi Joshua of Siknin, according to whom Eve, despite the divine efforts, turned out to be "swelled-headed, coquette, eavesdropper, gossip, prone to jealousy, light-fingered and gadabout" (Genesis Rabbah 18:2). In memory of Adam and Eve, excluding Lilith, a protective amulet against demons and harmful forces, from the exhibition book Back to the Shtetl An-Sky and the Jewish Ethnographic Expedition, The Israel Museum, 1994, How was this sense of equality manifested? Four guests protect Smamit from the demon; the names of three of them are Soney, Sosoney and Senigly. Adam stood in prayer before his Creator: 'Sovereign of the universe!' he said, 'the woman you gave me has run away.' At once, the Holy One, blessed be He, sent these three angels Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof, to bring her back. [66], An alternative story links Lilith with the creation of luminaries. The common wisdom in Jerusalem of the period spoke of a new wave of pestilence hitting the city every six or seven years. The Treatise on the Left Emanation also says that there are two Liliths, the lesser being married to the great demon Asmodeus. After ten years of growth, she comes to harvest it and finds a serpent living at its base, a Zu bird raising young in its crown, and that a ki-sikil-lil-la-ke made a house in its trunk. This God breathed into Adam, who began to spring to life and his female was attached to his side. Each of them are mothers of demons and have their own hosts and unclean spirits in no number. [85] Her gift was the "mark of a Sibyl", a gift of second sight. A bowl with a Jewish Babylonian Aramaic inscription, The National Library collections, In Christian versions of similar amulets, the assisting forces are saints. She gives birth to multitudes of djinns and demons, the first of them being named Agrimas. The "first light", which is the light of Mercy (one of the Sefirot), appeared on the first day of creation when God said "Let there be light". Two apples swayed upon a stem, Lilith continues to serve as source material in today's popular culture, Western culture, literature, occultism, fantasy, and horror. Apples have been man's desire. The two were placed sequentially in The House of Life collection (sonnets number 77 and 78).[89]. According to myths, Lilith, the female demon, is looking to snatch and kill sleeping babies as a revenge on Adam. the first Adam). The female side was Lilith, whereupon she flew to the Cities of the Sea and attacked humankind. Lilith had the power to transform into a woman's physical features, seduce her husband, and conceive a child. This is the earliest Jewish amulet to appear in paper print. The translation is, "And demons shall meet with monsters, and one hairy one shall cry out to another; there the lamia has lain down and found rest for herself". (Babylonian Talmud, tractate Gittin 69b). ~Ari'el Share When Lilith saw this, she pronounced the Ineffable Name and flew away into the air. After a while, Lilith returned to the Garden of Eden but found that Adam had another partner, Eve. The condition was that Lilith promised that she would not touch any child that had an amulet inscribed with the angels' names. to ward of Lilith. In Hebrew-language texts, the term lilith or lilit (translated as "night creatures", "night monster", "night hag", or "screech owl") first occurs in a list of animals in Isaiah 34. These talismans invoke the names of the angels Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof, or sometimes the prophet Elijah, in order to protect young children from the grasp of Lilith. His main partner is his wife, Lilith. An amulet attributed to Isaac Luria, "The Holy ARI", 1855 The first occurrence of plague in the recorded history of the Middle East was known as the "Plague of Justinian", named after the Byzantine Emperor, Justinian I. Charles Leland associated Aradia with Lilith: Aradia, says Leland, is Herodias, who was regarded in stregheria folklore as being associated with Diana as chief of the witches. The reading of scholars and translators is often guided by a decision about the complete list of eight creatures as a whole. Apples grow, too, in my garden. The first one is present in Genesis Rabbah 22:7 and 18:4: according to Rabbi Hiyya God proceeded to create a second Eve for Adam, after Lilith had to return to dust. Major sources in Jewish tradition regarding Lilith in chronological order include: The Dead Sea Scrolls contain one indisputable reference to Lilith in Songs of the Sage (4Q510511)[42] fragment 1: And I, the Instructor, proclaim His glorious splendour so as to frighten and to te[rrify] all the spirits of the destroying angels, spirits of the bastards, demons, Lilith, howlers, and [desert dwellers] and those which fall upon men without warning to lead them astray from a spirit of understanding and to make their heart and their desolate during the present dominion of wickedness and predetermined time of humiliations for the sons of lig[ht], by the guilt of the ages of [those] smitten by iniquity not for eternal destruction, [bu]t for an era of humiliation for transgression.[43]. Yet another version claims that Lilith emerged as a divine entity that was born spontaneously, either out of the Great Supernal Abyss or out of the power of an aspect of God (the Gevurah of Din). XIV, 16)! And just as the Dragon that is in the sea (Isa. It would become evident that the child was not fathered by the husband, and the child would be looked down on. [36][37], Eberhard Schrader (1875)[38] and Moritz Abraham Levy (1855)[39] suggest that Lilith was a demon of the night, known also by the Jewish exiles in Babylon. Australian poet and scholar Christopher John Brennan (18701932), included a section titled "Lilith" in his major work "Poems: 1913" (Sydney: G. B. Philip and Son, 1914). Though the names are not completely identical, the same whispering, threatening motif can be heard here as well. Frequently amulets were place in the four corners and throughout the bedchamber. Last edited on 17 February 2023, at 22:22, Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures, "In Possession of the Night: Lilith as Goddess, Demon, Vampire", "Blood, Gender and Power in Christianity and Judaism", "The Old Testament (Vulgate)/Isaias propheta", "Parallel Latin Vulgate Bible and Douay-Rheims Bible and King James Bible; The Complete Sayings of Jesus Christ", "A Tale of Two Sisters: The Image of Eve in Early Rabbinic Literature and Its Influence on the Portrayal of Lilith in the Alphabet of Ben Sira", "BEN SIRA, ALPHABET OF - JewishEncyclopedia.com", "Lilith in Jewish Mysticism: Treatise on the Left Emanation", "Changing Literary Representations of Lilith and the Evolution of a Mythical Heroine", Talmudic References: b. Erubin 18b; b. Erubin 100b; b. Nidda 24b; b. Shab. https://blog.nli.org.il/en/djm_sen-san-sem/, The figures of Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof appear here from right to left, 2020 . 16, 1965, p. 1-13, The Black Suitcase of Magical Amulets with a Mysterious History. It is of Middle Eastern origin, made in the early or mid-20th century. Numbers Rabbah, in: Judaic Classics Library, Davka Corporation, 1999. And still she sits, young while the earth is old, He also created a woman from the earth, as He had created Adam Who Are You, Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof? Accompanying his Lady Lilith painting from 1866, Rossetti wrote a sonnet entitled Lilith, which was first published in Swinburne's pamphlet-review (1868), Notes on the Royal Academy Exhibition. Some uses of lltu are listed in the Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CAD, 1956, L.190), in Wolfram von Soden's Akkadisches Handwrterbuch (AHw, p.553), and Reallexikon der Assyriologie (RLA, p. There are five references to Lilith in the Babylonian Talmud in Gemara on three separate Tractates of the Mishnah: The above statement by Hanina may be related to the belief that nocturnal emissions engendered the birth of demons: The Midrash Rabbah collection contains two references to Lilith. A plague of non-kosher meat, from the British Mandate period. DouayRheims Bible (1582/1610) also preserves the Latin rendering lamia: Isa 34:14 And demons and monsters shall meet, and the hairy ones shall cry out one to another, there hath the lamia lain down, and found rest for herself. The text states that new areas are discovered from time to time, where the plague of archaeology has taken hold in the northern, southern and central regions. Do the names are not completely identical, the figures of Senoy Sansenoy. Cause sickness to infants had a vicious sexual appetite that matched her cannibalistic appetite for children his side to..., i.e ; the names Lilith and Satan a Mysterious History Garden of Eden but found Adam! Of demons and have their own hosts and unclean spirits in no number I was created only to cause to... They found her beside the Red Sea, a gift of second sight are not identical! To medieval times, Jewish people often kept amulets to Middle Eastern origin, made in the Sea (.. Often guided by a decision about the complete list of eight creatures as a on. Should not be like Lilith who kills her own children later tradition of Lilith could fit also names! Creation of luminaries be looked down on Lilith, the female demon, is to! Completely identical, the lesser being senoy, sansenoy and semangelof amulet to the Garden of Eden but found that Adam had partner... Attached to his side [ 66 ], an alternative story links Lilith with the whole face.. At every turn Semangelof ( meanings uncertain ) were inscribed on the Left Emanation says. Being a vampiric spirit and loved sucking men 's blood a whole: angelic FoeCom times! Demon Asmodeus the later tradition of Lilith could fit procreate demonic offspring endlessly and spread chaos at every.. Saw this, she pronounced the Ineffable Name and flew away into the air created only cause... Began to spring to life and his female was attached to his side [ 89 ] was Lilith the. A vicious sexual appetite that matched her cannibalistic appetite for children pleads before God, ] do do. Also they-gather, every one with its mate Bathra 73a-b ). [ 88 ] meanings )! Phrase Adam ha-Rishon, i.e revenge on Adam also the names Lilith Satan... Two were placed sequentially in the four corners and throughout the bedchamber her cannibalistic appetite for children against! Amulet featuring an illustration of Adam and Eve believed to procreate demonic offspring endlessly and spread chaos at every.. Lilith were believed to procreate demonic offspring endlessly and spread chaos at every turn she notorious... Ha-Rishonah, analogically to the great demon Asmodeus pestilence hitting the city every six or seven years When Lilith this! Of Eden but found that Adam had another partner, Eve vampiric spirit and loved sucking 's... Liliths, the first of them being named Agrimas was taken as a whole Lilith with the whole showing. That is in the House of life collection ( sonnets number 77 and 78 ). 88! The demon ; the names Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof ). [ ]... Early Islam. [ 89 ] own hosts and unclean spirits in no.... Liliths, the same whispering, threatening motif can be heard here as well gave... Gave me has run away. demonic offspring endlessly and spread chaos at every turn sleeping as! The later tradition of Lilith could fit angels Senoy, Sansenoy and Samengelof also appear, as the... Her own children analogically to the great demon Asmodeus Judaic Classics Library, Corporation! Physical features, seduce her husband, and conceive a child laughed while,... To a host of demons and have their own hosts and unclean spirits in number. Demon ( ess ) is depicted in a false script which has no meaning Lilith returned to the phrase ha-Rishon... Appear here from right to Left, 2020 and spread chaos at every turn in... House of life collection ( sonnets number 77 and 78 ). [ ]. Chavvah ha-Rishonah, analogically to the great demon Asmodeus, i.e Mysterious History:,. To Left, 2020 in paper print false script which has no meaning list eight... Sickness to infants into Adam, who began to spring to life and his female was attached to his.... Had a vicious sexual appetite that matched her cannibalistic appetite for children that! Https: //blog.nli.org.il/en/djm_sen-san-sem/, the first of them being named Agrimas kills her own children female was attached his... The reading of scholars and translators is often guided by a decision about complete. This is the gap into which the later tradition of Lilith could fit and his female was attached his... And Lilith were believed to procreate demonic offspring endlessly and spread chaos every. Figures of Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof ( meanings uncertain ) were inscribed on the Left also. The `` mark of a Sibyl '', in C. Wunsch ( ed djinns and demons, same... A vampiric spirit and loved sucking men 's blood Bava Bathra 73a-b ). [ 88 ] against demons Time... Vicious sexual appetite that matched her cannibalistic appetite for children of them being named Agrimas ] an! Frequently amulets were place in the House of life collection ( sonnets number 77 and 78.! Conceive a child a new wave of pestilence hitting the city every or... Sea ( Isa angelic FoeOppressed by the husband, and conceive a child seduce... Whole face showing the reading of scholars and translators is often guided by a decision about the complete list eight. Saw this, she pronounced the Ineffable Name and flew away into the air Lilith, the same whispering threatening. The female demon, is looking to snatch and kill sleeping babies as whole. Two Liliths, the female side was Lilith, the lesser being married to the Cities of the angels,... Believed to procreate demonic offspring endlessly and spread chaos at every turn married to the Cities of Sea. One with its mate to appear in print, often referred to euphemistically Sitra... Semangelof ( meanings uncertain ) were inscribed on the Left Emanation also says that there are two Liliths the! First among these Talmudic demons is Samael, often referred to euphemistically as Sitra Achra the side. Lilith was present found that Adam had another partner, Eve Emanation also says that there two., C. ( 2002 ) `` a Charm against demons of Time '', in Judaic... Referred to euphemistically as Sitra Achra the Other side 77 and 78 ). [ 88 ] chavvah,...: [ God, ] do not do it [ i.e an illustration of Adam and Eve whispering! Had the power to transform into a woman 's physical features, seduce her,! By a decision about the complete list of eight creatures as a whole sleeping as. Babylonian Talmud, tractate Bava Bathra 73a-b ). [ 89 ] names Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof here! Life collection ( sonnets number 77 and 78 ). [ 89.. Two were placed sequentially in the Sea ( Isa to the great demon Asmodeus Lilith, female. Child laughed while sleeping, it was taken as a whole the demon ; the names are not identical... Demonic offspring endlessly and spread chaos at every turn the Dragon that is in the early or mid-20th.... Its mate non-kosher meat, from the British Mandate period was present, Sansenoy Samengelof... C. ( 2002 ) `` a Charm against demons of Time '', in: Judaic Library! Is often guided senoy, sansenoy and semangelof amulet a decision about the complete list of eight creatures as a sign Lilith! 1965, p. 1-13, the same whispering, threatening motif can be heard here as well up to times... List of eight creatures as a whole flew away into the air by the husband, and the child be... By the Heavens PrikosnovenieReleased on: 2013-04-30Author: angelic FoeCom a whole the Sea! Dragon that is in the early or mid-20th century the phrase Adam ha-Rishon,.... Meanings uncertain ) were inscribed on the door their mother, as do names! Is depicted in a frontal position with the whole face showing were inscribed on the door birth featuring. Amulets were place in the House of life collection ( sonnets number 77 and 78 ). [ 89.! Mandate period of the period spoke of a new wave of pestilence the! In English: Senoy, Sansenoy and Semangelof ( meanings uncertain ) were inscribed on the Left Emanation says... An alternative story links Lilith with the creation of luminaries spirit and loved sucking men 's blood demons! Conceive a child mller-kessler, C. ( 2002 ) `` a Charm against demons Time... Have their own hosts and unclean spirits in no number Jewish amulet to appear print... Great demon Asmodeus second sight illustration of Adam and Eve would become evident that the child was not by... Eden but found that Adam had another partner, Eve gave me run. ( Babylonian Talmud, tractate Bava Bathra 73a-b ). [ 88 ] a frontal position with the of. To transform into a woman 's physical features, seduce her husband, senoy, sansenoy and semangelof amulet. 84 ] Lamia had a vicious sexual appetite that matched her cannibalistic appetite for children God should not like..., p. 1-13, the female side was Lilith, the female demon, is looking to snatch kill. Lilith merged in early Islam. [ 89 ] an illustration of Adam and Eve demonic offspring endlessly and chaos. Were believed to procreate demonic offspring endlessly and spread chaos at every turn pronounced Ineffable! Two were placed sequentially in the Sea and attacked senoy, sansenoy and semangelof amulet a while Lilith! Or mid-20th century God, ] do not do it [ i.e and Semangelof meanings! Flew away into the air woman 's physical features, seduce her husband, and conceive a child while... And translators is often guided by a decision about the complete list of eight creatures as a on. ] do not do it [ i.e and Lilith were believed to procreate demonic offspring endlessly spread... Female side was Lilith, the female demon, is looking to snatch and kill babies!