Lilith is perhaps one of the most mysterious Biblical figures, with only scarce remnants of her description surviving. The Old Testament painstakingly tries to cover up the existence of Adam's first wife, who preceded Eve but was banished from the Garden of Eden because she refused to show obedience to the first man.
Lilith wished to be Adam's equal, instead of allowing him to dominate. When she left him, God created Eve, who would obey Adam.
Even though this part of the Bible has been taken out of it, Jewish folklore and some texts of the Kabbalah describe the fate of the first woman who rebelled against God's rules.
According to the legends, Lilith reincarnated into the guise of the snake and tempted Eve from the Tree of Knowledge, to prove that even Adam's submissive wife was not perfect.
In the mythologies of some cultures it is claimed that after she was expelled from Heaven, Lilith transformed into a vampire and began eating newborn children. The mythologies of the Persians, Indians, Greeks, Arabs and Babylonians all bear descriptions of the demon named Lilith.
In Medieval Europe, she was described as the wife of Lucifer, alongside whom she tricked people into giving in to sin.
With the spread of Christianity and the legends of Lilith also spread man's fear of an independent woman who wanted equal rights alongside his. Consequently, the image of Adam's first wife became the expression of a centuries'-long male fear of a woman who had slipped out of his control.
Lilith and Eve are seen as two opposing images of the woman. One is freedom loving, matching both man's strength and intellect and rebelling against the standards, while the other is dependent, desiring to serve man, whom she accepts as superior.
Since Lilith is accused of being the culprit of original sin, she is portrayed as a demon in the various texts, one who bewitches people and makes them lose their judgement.
But she is seen quite differently in art. Besides as a symbol of our dark passions, Lilith is depicted as the first person to rebel against the lack of freedom and respect. She is smart and purposeful, refusing to bend knee and accept her predetermined role.
Lilith not only seduces, according to some poets and artists she is also the expression of creative talent, which knows no boundaries, plus is ready to look at the world differently and grow.
