GENESIS REVISITED

Adam's pre-Eve romantic liaisons shed new light on the Biblical archetypes of Mother and Lover.

by Serge Polakoff

ACCORDING TO the official Judeo-Christian story, God formed Adam out of the clay of the ground. After deciding that it was not good for Adam to be alone, He created Eve, a helpmate and companion, from Adam's rib. Since Eve was not from the ground like Adam, she was denied from the very beginning the notion of equality in their creation. This simple, but eloquently-sanctioned notion has contributed to the subjugation of women throughout history and the denial of another, more equitable paradigm.

Unlike the Bible, the Alphabet of Ben Sira, a Judaic biblical commentary written between the seventh and the tenth centuries CE, explains that Adam actually had a wife before Eve, created from the clay to be his equal. Her name was Lilith. Unfortunately, however, they didn't get along. When making love, Lilith refused to lie beneath Adam, while he claimed the privilege to lie on top. Lilith claimed that they were equal while Adam disagreed, arguing that he was there first and his clay was better than hers.

Headstrong and resolute, Lilith flew away and refused to return even when ordered to do so by three angels sent by God. God punished Lilith for her diso-bedience by making her childless forever. God then created Eve who subsequently adopted a more submissive role.

The artwork Eve and Lilith shows a woman simultaneously nursing a baby at one breast while caressing the other. The nursing baby symbolizes motherhood; the erotic offering of the other breast represents sexual incitement.

While the institution of motherhood corresponds to Eve, Adam's helpmate, the concept of sexuality is linked to Lilith, Adam's alter ego. These roles are present in every woman, however, they usually aren’t apparent at the same time. The pictured work of art fuses the two seemingly disparate roles into one harmonious entity.

Eve, the child-bearing wife, and Lilith, the childless lover, are virtually universal archetypes in Western culture, both having equal presence and impact. However, even in contemporary society, the goal of satisfying both archetypes with the same partner poses a difficult conundrum for many couples.

Issues such as adultery and divorce may have roots in the fact that Eve's role is often emphasized and exalted while Lilith's is frequently hidden and desecrated.

A possible resolution may lie in acknowledging Lilith's existence and honoring her as highly as Eve.