Character Profile: Lilith

Lilith is a interesting Angel. Almost everyone believes that Adam is the first angel, and Lilith is the second. However, even though Adam is designated as the first angel, it is revealed in the PS2 video game Shinseiki Evangelion 2: Evangelions that they were both created by the "First Ancestral Race" with the purpose to spread life across the galaxy, effectively making them equal. It is also revealed that, along with Adam, humans also came from Lilith. Kaoru, the 17th angel, calls Lilith the "Mother of Human Kind".

Everyone except Gendo Ikari and SEELE, believes that this Angel hanging on the cross is Adam. It is kept deep in the confines of Nerv in the terminal Dogma. LCL (Link Connection Liquid) comes from Lilith's blood which is collected in the pool where Lilith hangs on a large cross skewered by the Lance of Longinus to prevent growth.

Lilith is the key to human instrumentality project and the Third Impact.

Throughout most of the series, the Lance of Longinus was embedded in Lilith, causing the constant bleeding of LCL around Lilith. The lance prevented Lilith from regenerating legs (gaining mobility) and stalling the process towards the Third Impact. Rei retrieved the lance to destroy the 15th angel (in Earth's orbit), which it did, and thus projected into a lunar orbit, where retrieval was impossible. Gendo did it to piss off SEELE.

Lilith was crucified underneath NERV HQ, waiting to unleash Third Impact, the event that would unite the human souls into one entity. She had the Lance of Longinus, an ultimate Evangelion weapon, pierced in her abdomen for a long time, preventing her from growing. In episode 12, Commander Gendo and Vice Commander Fuyutsuki go to Antarctica where they are seen with an aircraft carrier containing the Lance of Longinus on its deck. It was being recovered and transferred after the Second Impact. Then at the end of episode 14, Rei is seen in Unit 00 carrying the Lance of Longinus to Terminal Dogma.

When Rei Ayanami removed the lance, Lilith grew legs. SEELE, angered by this event, wanted to destroy NERV HQ and start Third Impact by using EVA Unit 01 and EVA Unit 05 through Unit 13.

When this happened, Gendou, who had the Adam embryo embedded in him, thrust his hand into Rei's body. Rei rejected Gendou and took Adam from him. She then merged with Lilith. Lilith was freed and she turned into a gigantic version of Rei.

Lilith rose to the heavens and cradled the Egg of Lilith, the Black Moon, like it was her child. Would Lilith do what she was assigned to do by God and destroy mankind? Would she reunite Gendou with his beloved Yui once again?

All over the Earth, people saw many images of Rei Ayanami. Rei would turn into the people that they loved the most. But when the people dropped their AT Fields for their loved ones, Lilith would take their souls and turn their bodies into LCL. Third Impact has begun!

Although a lot of Neon Genesis Evangelion is foggy and somewhat unclear, much of it is actually based on biblical events. Lilith is a somewhat obscure character in biblical history, partly because she originated in Judaism and not Christian faith.

In the Christian bible, God created Adam, the first man, out of clay, and created Eve, the first woman, out of Adam's rib. In the Jewish version, Adam was born out of clay, but instead of Eve, Lilith was created, and instead of Adam's rib, God used clay. Lilith came to call herself Adam's equal since she was born in the same way as him. God intended man to be dominant over woman, and so Lilith had actively defied God. God banished Lilith from Eden and placed her in purgatory, and to prevent another woman from defying him, God created Eve from Adam's rib.

Lilith was removed from several modern bibles so no one would be offended. Then people wondered if Lilith had not been banished, and if Eve was totally fabricated (making Lilith the mother of humanity). What if ancient men had created the story to assert dominance over women? No one can be sure. Here's a fun fact: to lend credibility to the story, Lilith's vengeful spirit supposedly came to boys in their sleep to cause premature ejaculation (wet dreams); that may also be a reason Lilith doesn't arise much in public conversation.