There is no archaeological, historical, or biblical evidence that Lilith was Adam’s wife.
The idea comes from late folklore and medieval storytelling, not from Scripture or early Judaism.
Karaite Jews explicitly reject it as a fairy tale.
Below is a clear breakdown, source by source.
1. Archaeological evidence
None.
No inscriptions, artifacts, or ancient records identify Lilith as Adam’s wife.
Archaeology only confirms Genesis-era cultural background, not later legends.
The Lilith-as-wife story appears over 2,000 years after Genesis was written.
➡️ Archaeology is completely silent on this claim.
2. Biblical evidence (Hebrew Bible / Tanakh)
Genesis 1–2
Genesis 1:27 – God creates male and female (general statement).
Genesis 2:21–23 – Eve is created from Adam’s side.
➡️ The text does not mention two women, nor a failed first wife.
Key fact:
The Hebrew text never names or implies Lilith as Adam’s wife.
The two creation accounts are literary perspectives, not competing timelines.
📜 Ancient Jewish interpretation (before Christianity) never taught a first wife.
3. Where Lilith actually comes from
A. Ancient Near Eastern demonology
“Lilītu / Lilîtu” appears in Mesopotamian texts (c. 2000 BCE)
She is a night demon, associated with:
Infant death
Sexual danger
Nightmares
➡️ Not a human ➡️ Not Adam’s wife ➡️ Not part of Israelite creation theology
B. Isaiah 34:14 (often misused)
The Hebrew word lîlît appears once.
Means night creature / night specter, not a person.
Most translations render it as:
“night creature”
“screech owl”
“night monster”
➡️ No connection to Genesis or Adam.
4. The Adam’s “first wife” story — real source
Alphabet of Ben Sira (c. 8th–10th century AD)
A satirical / folkloric work
Written 1,500–2,000 years after Genesis
Portrays Lilith as:
Created equal to Adam
Refusing submission
Flying away
Becoming a demon
➡️ Not scripture ➡️ Not Talmud ➡️ Not accepted Judaism
This is where the entire “Adam’s first wife” narrative originates.
5. What Rabbinic Judaism actually says
Lilith appears rarely in later rabbinic folklore
Always as a demon, never as Adam’s wife
No halakhic (legal) authority treats her as historical
📌 Even rabbinic Jews treat the story as myth or allegory, not fact.
6. Karaite Jewish position (very important)
Karaite Judaism:
Rejects the Oral Law
Accepts only the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) as authority
Karaite stance on Lilith:
❌ Lilith as Adam’s wife is completely rejected
❌ Considered:
Folklore
Superstition
Non-biblical myth
✔️ Genesis teaches one wife: Eve
Karaite scholars explicitly state:
> “Anything not grounded in the plain meaning of Scripture has no authority.”
➡️ For Karaites, the Lilith story is a fairytale, full stop.
7. Historical consensus (Jewish & Christian scholars)
Lilith evolved from pagan demon myths
Later absorbed into Jewish folklore
Modern feminism sometimes reimagines her symbolically
Zero historical credibility as a real person
Even secular historians agree:
> “Lilith as Adam’s wife is a medieval literary invention.”
Final conclusion
Category Evidence
Archaeological ❌ None
Biblical ❌ None
Early Jewish ❌ None
Talmudic ❌ None
Medieval folklore ✔️ Yes
Karaite Judaism ❌ Explicitly rejected
Lilith was never Adam’s wife.
She is a mythological demon figure, later turned into a story.
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