The enigma of Lilith: A she demon or an early feminist?

In a modern context, Lilith represents fight for equality and consent in relationships, and the refusal to accept a subordinate role in society

- DEEPA GAHLOT

Anybody with a passing acquaintance with Christian or Jewish religious texts would know the story of Adam and Eve: how she was tempted by a serpent to taste the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge and how she coaxed Adam to eat it too, which resulted in their expulsion from Eden. But not many know about Lilith.

She was, according to mythology, Adam's first wife. The most popular Jewish legend, notably from the mediaeval text Alphabet of Ben Sira, is that Lilith was created by God from the same Adamah (earth) as him. She considered herself his equal and, for her refusal to be subservient to him, was thrown out of home.

Shinie Antony's slim book, Eden Abandoned, has just won the Laadli Award for Gender Sensitivity for fiction. It is a retelling of the story of Lilith in her fierce, unrepentant, sarcastic voice.

There have, of course, been many books—both classical and modern literature—and scholarly texts about this enigmatic woman; artists have interpreted her beauty (her long hair and alabaster skin) and allure. Antony's book is like a reminder of this “pioneering feminist”, which could set off the curious reader into a search for the many faces of Lilith.