Jackalope

I've seen photos of spells bowls meant to keep Lillith out of a house that are much, much older than 11th century. I'll have to try and dig around in my books and find the references again. She's often depicted in the older renderings as a beautiful woman with wings and the feet of a bird. If I recall, babylonian lillin were originally storm spirits who later became night spirits, both male and female. They were the forerunners of the incubi and succubi legends.

Anyway, the rabbinic tradition appears to have to do with a lillith spirit haunting a person at night during sleep and draining away their essence in sexual dreams. Lillith was also known for killing children, and babies that smiled and laughed when no one was in the room did so because Lillith was playing with them. There were also spells and charms to keep Lillith away from women in childbirth.

And until I can remember which book has the photos of the spell bowls, that's as much as my brain can spit out right now.

Amlodhi

Hello Jackalope,

A couple of these spell bowls can be found here:

http://www.hist.upenn.edu/~humm/Topi...ith/bowls.html

Note that the latter spell includes both "lilin" (male liliths) and the female variety.

IIRC, Hieronymous identified a Greek female succubus as "Lilith" and described her as a former consort of Zeus. Her role in baby (snatching/killing) was attributed to Hera (Zeus' wife) having stolen/killed her children by Zeus. It seems to me that this was c. the 4th century a.d.

I have also read something about three Jewish talismans that were used to protect children from (the) lilith, but I haven't been able to determine when they first came into voque.

If you discover any material which demonstrates that a developed Jewish Lilith myth (i.e. Lilith as Adam's first wife, etc.) was in existence before the middle ages, please post it here for us along with the sources.

Namaste'

Amlodhi

Endymion83

In that case, Lilith must really have the hots for me.

j/k