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Adam's First Wife
Several times in my past
82 years of life I have heard one priest make a reference to "a second
version of Genesis" that spoke of Adam's "first wife" who was not named
"Eve."
The story you're talking about is a
reference to a myth that was perpetuated in the Talmud, an ancient Jewish
commentary on the Bible compiled as oral tradition from about the fifth
century BC to the fifth century AD. This (non-historical) woman was named
Lillith. Her name is derived from the Hebrew word for "night," (Hebrew: "lailah")
according to Rabbinic tradition.
It was implied that
although a first (or second?) translation of Genesis had been dropped by
translators down the years (when, never confirmed) that in another of the
Books of the Bible, mention of the first wife had been made.
Lillith is a myth. She never existed.
She is never mentioned in any books of the Bible, Old or New Testament.
At the time, years
ago, the name of the author was also revealed, but sorry to say I can no
longer remember who, of when, or where.
Somebody has their facts wrong, since no
Bible books ever mention her. She's a figment of the Talmudic imagination.
In his Chronicles of Narnia C. S. Lewis uses Lillith,
first wife of Adam, as a literary device to explain the origin of the
wicked witches that inhabit his mythical land of Narnia. But then again,
that's just fiction.
If you can, please tell in
which book of either the Old Testament, or New, where I might find such a
reference today.
As we've already noted, Lillith is never
mentioned anywhere in the Bible, either by name or by allusion to her.
That's because she never existed. She is an invention of non-canonical
myth. Adam had only one wife, Eve, whom the text of Genesis declares was
built out of one of Adam's ribs. By the way, the myths that discuss
Lillith in the Talmud never explain how God created her, to the best my
knowledge.
Or, was it ever in print
and dropped out by translators or church?
The name was never in the canonical
books and therefore did not exist to be dropped out by translators or
church councils.
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