Lilith the Mermaid. by Goodale, Rebecca - 2022.

Freeport, Maine:: Rebecca Goodale,, 2022.. One-of-a-Kind. 20" in diameter circle book with cotton braids. Ink on handmade paper. Wall hung. Signed by the artist. Rebecca Goodale: "Lilith was created from the same clay as Adam. She understood herself to be his equal and when she refused to be subservient, she was banished from Eden and restricted to haunting the night. In Isaiah she is referred to as the night-demon accompanied by the wildcat and hyena (or possibly a jackal). I looked at images of sixth century incantation bowls that depicted Lilith. The imagery on those bowls was extraordinary and I decided to create a set of circle books about Lilith in the dark. If someone was limited to a life of darkness, then why wouldn't they consider any of these options- astronomer, poet, mermaid, housecleaner, or night-demon?"  Goodale was invited to participate in an exhibition at the Maine Jewish Museum about Women's Stories from the Bible. The Lilith books were created for this event. Maine Jewish Museum, "Women's Stories from the Bible": "Stories we tell each other are all we have. There would be no past without stories of kings and wars and love and ancestors. There would be no future without stories of hope and aspiration and lessons learned. "Saint, whore, mother, daughter, queen, slave, hero, betrayer, betrayed. The stories of women are abundant in the Bible. The work in Stories looks at these tales with 21st century eyes and retells them in contemporary book art form. Ancient stories can tell contemporary truths.