The average Jew or Christian is probably aware of two different stories regarding the creation of woman. The first tells of how God created man and woman simultaneously (Gen 1:27), the other tells how Eve was created from Adam’s rib (Gen 2:21-23).
However, there are a number of Jewish myths about Lilith – who is said to predate Eve. Stories about her cover the range from being Adam’s first wife, to being a strangler of children, to being the mother of demons, to being created as Satan’s (Samael) mate, just as Eve was Adam’s, to being God’s consort.
There is also a story of a first Eve, created before the Eve we know, who was rejected by Adam.
This is my fusion, retelling and embellishment of a number of myths about Lilith, the first Eve and Eve.
God said, “Let us create Man in our image.” God created Man in His image; male and female He created them. The man was named Adam and the woman was named Lilith.
Lilith was cleverer and stronger than Adam and the two fought all the time. Realizing that she would never have her way with Adam, Lilith spoke the ineffable name of God and flew away from Adam, landing on the shore of the Red Sea where she took shelter in a cave. This was the very spot where Pharaoh’s army would later be drowned.
Adam cried out to God, “Oh, Divine Creator, Master of all the Universe, the woman you have given me has left me.”
God sent three angels, Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof, to get her and return her, saying, “Go and fetch Lilith. If she does not agree to return to Adam, then return her by force.”
The angels set out and seized Lilith saying, “Your Creator has commanded you to return to your husband.”
Lilith, who, like Adam, was created in the Divine image of God and the stronger of the two, cast off the angels saying, “I shall never return to be subject to a man.”
The angels replied, “We have been commanded to return you of your own free will if possible, by force if necessary.” However, they were unable to seize her and return her by force.
So they argued for a long time, with Lilith saying, “I shall be a seducer of men. I shall visit them as they sleep alone. Stealing their seed as they dream lustful dreams. And I shall give birth to children who shall be outcasts like me. Hated by humans because they are half demon and hated by demons because they are half human.” And the angels replied, “If you do not return, then we shall drown one hundred of your demonic offspring every day.” To which Lilith said, “Do you not know that I was created to strangle the newborn infant, boys before their eighth day and girls before their twentieth day?”
They argued for many more hours, with Lilith finally saying, “I shall make a deal with you. Whenever I see your names on an amulet, I shall leave that child alone.” The angels, seeing that they would get no better, agreed, so long as one hundred of Lilith’s demon children were drowned each day. To which Lilith agreed since she cared nothing for her offspring and only had them to vex God. She swore an oath that whenever she saw an amulet bearing the names of the three angels, neither she, nor her cohorts would cause any harm to that child.
Since Lilith would not return, God created for Adam a new wife. Adam stood before God as He fashioned a new wife for him. He created her before Adam’s eyes from the inside out. First, He formed her bones. He sculpted flesh on her, giving her curves and form. He covered her in skin as smooth and pure as alabaster. Finally, God decorated her with long hair, shining eyes, winsome teeth, and painted her lips red as ruby. When God presented her to Adam, Adam ran away in horror, having been disgusted at seeing the woman formed from the inside out.
Seeing that this woman was also unsuitable for Adam, God prepared to drown her in the sea. But the woman spoke and said, “Most Merciful Creator, before you drown me, I ask you to grant me one request.”
God said, “What is it?”
The woman answered, “When a baby boy is born, let me come to him on he fifth day of his birth and whisper in his ear the future which awaits him.”
God was pleased with this request and granted it. So, whenever a boy is born, she comes to visit him on the fifth day and whispers his future in his ear.
Adam was still alone and God said, “It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a suitable partner.” God caused a deep sleep to fall over Adam. He opened his side and took one of his ribs and a piece of his heart. Then He closed the side. From the rib He formed the woman and from the piece of heart he fashioned her flesh. Then He brought her to Adam and Adam said, “This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman (ishshah) for she was taken out of man (ish).” And so, a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh.
When asked why dreams tire men so much, Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish answered "Because woman's creation was in a dream, Adam enjoyed her intimacy in a dream. Otherwise he would have never known how to make love." - Midrash Avkir as quoted in Tree of Souls, The Mythology of Judaism
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Now I will have to write more. Hmph.