Book review: The Book of Lilith

Posted on Friday, October 5, 2012 in Book Reviews | 3 comments

by Robert G. Brown

If you’ve never heard of Lilith, you’re in for a treat. In Mesopotamian mythology, she is related to a class of demons, and in Jewish midrash, she’s the first wife of Adam, before Eve came along. Lilith herself penned the words of this book, and her story is both sensual and intelligent. Also a tad graphic, but you may not notice this; readers of ancient holy books become experienced in glossing over sex and violence.

Professor Brown is an avowed atheist, or so I imagine he once a-vowed, before a-writing this book. His atheism lends credibility to the truth of Lilith; if you are familiar with biblical criticism, you know the strength of the Criterion of Embarrassment. This basically proves the authenticity of the Lilith story, for here we have an atheist repeatedly acquiescing to discuss religious concepts such as God and Soul. (God, bless Her soul, seems to have chosen Professor Brown for this task; how could he refuse?)

Lilith is modern, hardly subservient, a libber before the term was coined, and rightfully so, for she is much more interesting than Adam–and knows it. Her job is to dispense souls to the world’s people, while Adam’s job is to make up all the rules. Needless to say, friction develops, and Adam and Lilith separate. Both head their own direction in what becomes a quest for enlightenment. Lilith’s writing style is also strikingly modern–witty and occasionally satirical toward the religious ideas she knew would evolve thousands of years later. Yes, luckily for 21st-century readers, Lilith possesses a preternatural knowledge of the future, and often expresses herself in idioms like “movies” and “skyscrapers,” concepts quite unfamiliar to ancient readers, but which make the text read more contemporary. (Curiously, Lilith seems to have no knowledge of events and inventions further in the future or scientific concepts beyond our current understanding, save one: an upcoming slaughter of billions in the name of God. Might the time have come?)

Like any holy book, Lilith’s theological wisdoms must be teased from its depths, and … well, let’s just say it’s a captivating book, whether the cover is open or closed. You might even come to see life’s purpose a little differently.