LILITH. — A female demon, mentioned only once in the Bible (Is. 34:14), together with the monsters and animals that will inhabit the earth on the “day of Jahweh.”
The name is by some connected with the Hebrew *lajil* (night); in Sumerian, however, *lil* signifies wind and storm, and can also denote spirits and demons in general; in Sumerian one also finds *lulu* in the sense of “licentiousness,” so that it would be a demon who excites lust. In Babylonian and Assyrian demonology, *lili*, *liliti*, and *ardat lili* are demons of lust. *Liliti* seems to be of Semitic origin and surpasses *ardat lili* in importance. In the Talmud, L. is depicted as winged and human in appearance. A malignant demon, she works by night and ensnares men who sleep alone. Her figure develops considerably in the folklore of late Judaism and in Jewish mysticism. L. is Adam’s first wife, also formed from dust. After being replaced by Eve, she is said to kill newborn infants. Amulets are used to ward off her evil influences. Two different figures are also distinguished: an old L., wife of Samuel, and a young L., who is on bad terms with the first.