Zillah: Bible
This 1583 engraving print by Jan Sadeler depicts Lamech (center), an Israelite ancestor, and his two wives Zillah and Adah, seated at left. It is part of a series of prints titled "The Story of the First Men." Source: The British Museum, via Wikimedia Commons.
Zillah is named as one of the wives of Lamech, an ancestor of the Israelites. Zillah is significant because her children and those of her co-wife Adah are, according to the story of Genesis, in the seventh generation of naturally born human beings, representing the beginning of a “fully launched” human civilization. Her and her co-wife’s children are said to have created the civilized arts; Zillah thus constitutes an early link in the chain of musical Israelite women in the Bible.
Article
field_section_text_value
Cassuto, Umberto. A Commentary on the Book of Genesis. Part 1, trans. Israel Abrahams. Jerusalem: 1961.
Meyers, Carol. “Mother to Muse: An Archaeomusicological Study of Women’s Performance in Ancient Israel.” In Recycling Biblical Figures: NOSTER Conference 1997, edited by Athalya Brenner and Jan Willem van Henten. Leiden, Netherlands: 1998.
Meyers, Carol, General Editor. Women in Scripture. New York: 2000.
Niditch, Susan. “Genesis.” Women’s Bible Commentary, edited by Carol A. Newsom and Sharon H. Ringe, 10–25. Kentucky: 1992.
More Like This
Double your impact to amplify Jewish women’s stories—
All gifts matched up to $35,000
Before you close this article, please consider supporting the Jewish Women’s Archive and uplifting Jewish women’s voices.
At JWA, we preserve the voices of Jewish women and gender-expansive people past and present, share them freely with millions online, and empower a new generation of Jewish feminists to lead with courage, creativity, and conviction.
But none of this happens without you. JWA is an independent nonprofit— we rely on people, like you, who believe that history belongs to all of us and that the voices of Jewish women must remain powerful, and heard.
This month, a generous JWA board member will match every gift dollar for dollar—up to $35,000—through June 30. Your contribution goes twice as far right now.
Every contribution—no matter the size—helps us document, teach, and inspire through Jewish women’s stories.
It takes less than a minute to make a difference.
Thank you for being a part of the JWA community,
Judith Rosenbaum, CEO
.jpg){kind=link}