Who is Lilith?

Lilith is one of the most retold figures in Western mythology. Depending on the source, she is a night spirit, Adam’s first wife, a queen of demons, or a modern emblem of independence. These are not one story told consistently. They are separate traditions, written centuries apart, that slowly attached themselves to the same name.

Mesopotamian roots

The oldest layer comes from ancient Mesopotamia, where texts describe a class of wind and night spirits known as lilû (male) and lilītu (female). They were feared as restless beings associated with the night. Scholars debate how directly these spirits connect to the later Lilith, but most accept them as part of her background.

A famous Old Babylonian clay plaque, the Burney Relief (often called the “Queen of the Night”), shows a winged woman with bird talons flanked by owls. It is sometimes labelled “Lilith”, but that identification is disputed; many scholars see Inanna/Ishtar or Ereshkigal instead.

Lilith in the Hebrew Bible

The word lilit appears once in the Hebrew Bible, in Isaiah 34:14, in a description of a desolate land where wild creatures gather. Translations vary widely, from “night creature” to “screech owl” to simply “Lilith”. The verse gives no story, only a presence in the wilderness.

Adam’s first wife

The best-known story comes from the Alphabet of Ben Sira, a medieval Hebrew text usually dated between the 8th and 10th centuries. In it, Lilith is created from the earth alongside Adam, refuses to be placed beneath him because they were made equally, and leaves the Garden. This version made Lilith a figure of refusal and self-determination, and it is the root of most modern retellings.

Kabbalah and folklore

In later Jewish mysticism, including texts associated with the Zohar, Lilith becomes a powerful demonic figure and the consort of Samael. In folk practice she was treated as a danger to newborns and mothers, and protective amulets naming angels were used against her.

Lilith in art and modern culture

From the 19th century onward, artists and writers reimagined her. Dante Gabriel Rossetti painted Lady Lilith as a figure of self-absorbed beauty, and John Collier painted her entwined with a serpent. In the 20th century, Lilith was reclaimed as a feminist symbol: the Jewish feminist magazine Lilith launched in 1976, and the Lilith Fair music festival took her name in 1997.

What Lilith symbolizes today

For many readers today, Lilith stands for independence, boundaries, desire, and the right to speak in one’s own voice. Others relate to her as a shadow figure: the parts of the self that were pushed out of the garden. Both readings draw on the Ben Sira story more than on the older sources.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lilith in the Bible?

Only once, in Isaiah 34:14, and the word’s meaning there is debated. The story of Lilith as Adam’s first wife comes from later, non-biblical texts.

Is Lilith a goddess or a demon?

Historically, she appears as a spirit or demon, not as a worshipped goddess. In modern spirituality and art she is often treated as a dark goddess archetype.

What are Lilith’s symbols?

Common modern symbols include the owl, the serpent, the night, the dark moon, wings and fire.