Kreyòl
English
Français
Español
PortuguêsAkkadian
Lilītu
An Akkadian term found in the corpus of Mesopotamian texts. ORACC documents its written forms. But an attested word is not enough to prove the full biography of a figure who appears much later.
Source 01 · ORACC →← Back to episodes · File 01 · English
Behind the story
Lilītu and Lilith:
what the sources say.
One name, many contexts. Before we blend them together, let's look at which texts speak, and what story each one actually tells.
Introductory file · Updated October 5, 2026 · The episode video is coming to YouTube.
Lilītu · Lilith
Artistic interpretation created with AI; it is not archaeological evidence.
To begin
Don't put every version
in the same box.
Three similar names, three very different kinds of text. Each one needs its own reading.
Hebrew
Lilit / Lilith
In Isaiah 34:14, the Hebrew word appears in a passage about the desolation of Edom. The JPS translation on Sefaria treats it as a kind of demon. The passage tells no story of a marriage to Adam.
Source 02 · Isaiah 34:14 →Medieval
Adam's first wife
This story develops in the Alphabet of Ben Sira, a medieval text. It is a literary tradition, not a verified historical biography.
Source 04 · Study of the tradition →Four readings
Four stages, four contexts.
Follow the name across the ages, source by source.
This order is a guide for reading the sources. It does not prove a direct, unbroken transmission from one stage to the next.
-
01
Ancient Mesopotamia
A word in the tablets
Look at the attestations of lilītu in the Akkadian corpus. For a precise date, each tablet and its edition must be examined.
Consult the corpus → -
02
Hebrew biblical tradition
Isaiah 34:14
A precise literary context: a desolate landscape. Compare the translations and read the passage surrounding the verse.
Read the passage → -
03
Rabbinic literature · Late Antiquity
Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 151b
The Talmud mentions Lilith in a warning about sleeping alone in a house. We study this as a belief recorded in the text.
Find the Talmudic reference → -
04
Medieval literature
Alphabet of Ben Sira
This text presents Lilith as Adam's companion who demands equality. A new narrative builds on older traditions.
Explore studies of the narrative →
Dig deeper
Three questions that change the reading.
Are Lilītu and Lilith automatically the same figure?
We can't conclude that just because the names are similar. Each attestation requires analysis of language, period and context. This file places the sources side by side without presenting a direct line as a certainty.
Does Isaiah say Lilith was Adam's wife?
No. Isaiah 34:14 places the word in a desolate landscape; the story of Adam's wife comes from a later narrative. See Source 02 and Source 04.
Is the “Queen of the Night” relief a portrait of Lilith?
The identification of this relief is still debated: Ishtar, Ereshkigal and Lilītu are among the scholars' proposals. The British Museum text republished on Khan Academy presents several possibilities. We do not use it as a certain identification of Lilith. See Source 05.
Continue the investigation
References to read on your own.
Ancient sources show what the text says; studies and museum notes help us understand context and debates.
01 · Academic corpus
ORACC — CMAwR, Akkadian glossary
See the entry for lilītu and its written forms in the corpus of anti-witchcraft texts.
Open the ORACC glossary ↗02 · Ancient source
Isaiah 34:14 — Sefaria
Hebrew text and translations; read the whole chapter to keep the context of Edom.
Read Isaiah 34:14 ↗03 · Ancient source
Shabbat 151b — Babylonian Talmud
A rabbinic attestation of Lilith; read the passage on Sefaria.
Read Shabbat 151b ↗04 · Study / overview
“Lilith” — Encyclopedia.com
Reference article on the rabbinic and medieval traditions, with a bibliography. Useful for the context of the Alphabet of Ben Sira.
Read the reference article ↗05 · Museum / art history
The “Queen of the Night” relief
British Museum text republished on Khan Academy: the object and the different proposals for identifying its figure.
Read about the object ↗Share the knowledge
Someone asked you what sources
are behind the story?
Send them this file so they can follow the references too. And subscribe on YouTube so you don't miss the episode.