LILITH: ADVENTURE OF MOTHER GODDESS’ FALL AND TRANSFORMATION INTO A DEMON IN JEWISH MYTHOLOGY

It has been considered that Lilith derived from Sumerian language origin ‘líl’ means “air, wind”, and was transferred to Akkadian language as lilītu. Lilith name is firstly encountered in Epic of G？lgamesh as a wrapped snake around Huluppu Tree of The Great Mother Goddess Inanna. As is seen in this epic, in early ancient times, Lilith is a female demon in snake form. Therefore, she has been identified with Lamashtu and Lamia which are snake forms in most cultures of Mesopotamia and Levant. It has been known that both are infanticides. Because of this identification Lilith has been described as “infanticide” until today. On the other hand, in the ancient times, Lilith has not accepted only as a demon. Her position in the eye of community always straddled the line between godlikeness and wickedness. Because in the period of Sumerian-Babylonian, in which Inanna (Ishtar) is glorified by name “Queen of Heavens and Earth”, the belief predominated that the Goddess is a resource of all kinds of beauties and abundance as well as warfare and destruction. By means of this high prestige of the Goddess, it has been known that the religion of the Goddess had emancipated to women especially in her capital Uruk and in most city-states. More particularly the women who are called Kadishtu, means “sinless, stainless and lily”, had monopolized agricultural economics, services of the temple of the Goddess and scholarly traditions. This position exhibits the superior social status which could be bestowed on a woman in those times. In this period, Lilith has continued her demonic character. On the other side, she has been identified with Inanna (Ishtar) and she has symbolized the harlotry of the temple. On that secondary sense Lilith has become to represent the negative sides of the Goddess with her characteristics such as sexuality, aggression and misandry. The fact that Lilith has begun to represent the negative sides of the Goddess has enabled the belief that the Goddess is baleful. Thus, the Goddess had become the focus of vulgarity, combativeness, immorality and all evils. For this reason, Inanna/Ishtar had been narrated as an aggressive goddess in myths more often. When Jahwism-Judaism began to settle in Levant region in terms of politics and religion, Lilith who had identified the religion of Goddess and demonic characters, has become the villain in the battle of Judaism against the religion of Goddess. She crossed into Jewish mythology with all her characteristics and here she has reached the peak of evil as the most dangerous feminine demon with her infertile and