Is Lilith biblical?

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Timi_Celcer

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I read lilith was “stolen” from the mesopotamyan mythology by the Jews. So i would like to ask is Lilith biblical. Below is a “controversial” bible verse about Lilith.

Quoting from Isaiah 34 (NAB):
(12) Her nobles shall be no more, nor shall kings be proclaimed there; all her princes are gone. (13) Her castles shall be overgrown with thorns, her fortresses with thistles and briers. She shall become an abode for jackals and a haunt for ostriches. (14) Wildcats shall meet with desert beasts, satyrs shall call to one another; There shall the Lilith repose, and find for herself a place to rest. (15) There the hoot owl shall nest and lay eggs, hatch them out and gather them in her shadow; There shall the kites assemble, none shall be missing its mate. (16) Look in the book of the LORD and read: No one of these shall be lacking, For the mouth of the LORD has ordered it, and His spirit shall gather them there. (17) It is He who casts the lot for them, and with His hands He marks off their shares of her; They shall possess her forever, and dwell there from generation to generation.

The early 5th-century Vulgate translated the same word as Lamia.
et occurrent daemonia onocentauris et pilosus clamabit alter ad alterum ibi cubavit lamia et invenit sibi requiem
—Isaiah (Isaias Propheta) 34.14, Vulgate
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…”.

In ancient Greek mythology, Lamia was a beautiful queen of Libya who became a child-eating daemon. Is or was the 5th century Vulgate inffallible? Did the writers of 5th century Vulgate stole Lamia from Greek mythology?

Also Lilith appeared in the Talmud.
 
Timi_Celcer said:
I read lilith was “stolen” from the mesopotamyan mythology by the Jews. So i would like to ask is Lilith biblical.
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I’m not sure what you’re asking…

Is the mythological figure Lilith mentioned in passing in the Bible? Apparently it is since you just cited it.

Perhaps you can clarify what you mean by “biblical” or what you think the significance is of Lilith being mentioned in the Bible.
 
Well Lilith can’t be biblical because bible is real obvious and Lilith was stolen from other mythologies or mythology. So im hoping for an explanation why is a mythological “creature” in the bible.
 
Timi_Celcer said:
Well Lilith can’t be biblical because bible is real obvious and Lilith was stolen from other mythologies or mythology. So im hoping for an explanation why is a mythological “creature” in the bible.
Click to expand...
“Stolen” is probably not the word that should be used here. It’s more accurately referred to as “appropriation”. And the Bible isn’t really all that obvious. If it was, there wouldn’t be so many differing interpretations and misinterpretations of it. What is needed is to look at the Bible in the sense that it was written.

In this case (as in some others) just because the writers of the Bible use a certain concept or figure doesn’t necessarily mean they endorse it or believe in it. They may simply be appropriating popular images from the surrounding culture to drive home a point to the reader. For example, if I say “That big hairy guy reminds me of a Sasquatch,” that doesn’t mean I believe there are such things as Sasquatches; I’m simply using a image that I think will give my listeners a common visual image. If the original hearers of Isaiah were familiar with the figure of Lilith from the mythologies of the people around them, it helps to drive home the point Isaiah is trying to make i.e., that the land will become a desolate and frightening place.

We see a similar thing in the Book of Acts where St. Paul cites Greek poets to his listeners at the Aeropagus. It’s not that he considered them as authoritative; he was just trying to make a connection with his audience.
 
Timi_Celcer said:
Well Lilith can’t be biblical because bible is real obvious and Lilith was stolen from other mythologies or mythology. So im hoping for an explanation why is a mythological “creature” in the bible.
Click to expand...
You should also know that Hades is cited in Revelation, so Fidelis has a good point.
 
Lilith is mere myth.

For those who do not know, Lilith is the mythological first wife of Adam, created alongside Adam, and who in rebellion to being “subservient” to man (Adam) grew wings and became a demon-like creature who then fled the Garden and is said to have from then on roamed the desert in search for men and is said to cause wet dreams (by having sex with men while they sleep), and to cause miscarriages in women.

I think the Bible references of her just indicate that the myth was well known, but as far as revelation goes, Eve is the first woman and wife of Adam, so therefore I’ll stick with the Church and say that Lilith is and will remain pure myth.
 
NOPE!
I made that mistake once as a*Pagan. Lilith in Isaiah is just an
owl, as far as I’m aware now . BUT, the Jews did have a folklore
belief about Lilith, using amulets and magical bowls with inscrip-
tions in them.

*(Once Pagan,
now no more)​
 
From what I have been taught, the myth of Lillith comes from out of context interpretation of Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. mainly because it comes before the creation of Eve In Genesis 2:22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. There are other mythological theories similar to this that some people like to entertain- Like the “pre-adamites” etc. 🤷
 
RaiseMeUp said:
From what I have been taught, the myth of Lillith comes from out of context interpretation of Genesis 1:27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. mainly because it comes before the creation of Eve In Genesis 2:22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. There are other mythological theories similar to this that some people like to entertain- Like the “pre-adamites” etc. 🤷
Click to expand...
Those are two different accounts of the same event.
 
Timi_Celcer said:
I read lilith was “stolen” from the mesopotamyan mythology by the Jews. So i would like to ask is Lilith biblical. Below is a “controversial” bible verse about Lilith.

Quoting from Isaiah 34 (NAB):
(12) Her nobles shall be no more, nor shall kings be proclaimed there; all her princes are gone. (13) Her castles shall be overgrown with thorns, her fortresses with thistles and briers. She shall become an abode for jackals and a haunt for ostriches. (14) Wildcats shall meet with desert beasts, satyrs shall call to one another; There shall the Lilith repose, and find for herself a place to rest. (15) There the hoot owl shall nest and lay eggs, hatch them out and gather them in her shadow; There shall the kites assemble, none shall be missing its mate. (16) Look in the book of the LORD and read: No one of these shall be lacking, For the mouth of the LORD has ordered it, and His spirit shall gather them there. (17) It is He who casts the lot for them, and with His hands He marks off their shares of her; They shall possess her forever, and dwell there from generation to generation.

The early 5th-century Vulgate translated the same word as Lamia.
et occurrent daemonia onocentauris et pilosus clamabit alter ad alterum ibi cubavit lamia et invenit sibi requiem
—Isaiah (Isaias Propheta) 34.14, Vulgate
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…”.

In ancient Greek mythology, Lamia was a beautiful queen of Libya who became a child-eating daemon. Is or was the 5th century Vulgate inffallible? Did the writers of 5th century Vulgate stole Lamia from Greek mythology?

Also Lilith appeared in the Talmud.
Click to expand...
Lilith is NOT mentioned in the Bible.
 
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