Origins: Talmud

Lilith is mentioned several times in the Talmud.

"Rab Judah citing Samuel ruled: If an abortion had the likeness of Lilith its
mother is unclean by reason of the birth, for it is a child but it has wings." -Niddah 24b

This is a very short mention, but it suggests several things. It enforces the idea that Lilith has wings, which becomes a very important part of her later mythology, especially with the Alphabet of Ben Sira. It also associates Lilith with demonic children or perhaps a birth defect, enforcing the idea that she holds some sort of power over newborn children.

"[Expounding upon the curses of womanhood] In a Baraitha it was taught: She
grows long hair like Lilith, sits when making water like a beast, and serves as
a bolster for her husband.” -Erubin 100b

This passage occurs over a discussion of marriatial commitment and the idea of polyandry. Lilith has often been associated with having many lovers, and this seems to reinforce that idea. It also places an emphasis on Lilith's long hair, which is also a defining feature of Lilith in later mythology.

"R. Hanina said: One may not sleep in a house alone [in a lonely house], and
whoever sleeps in a house alone is seized by Lilith.” -Shabbath 151b

Now here is a very important aspect of the stories associated with Lilith: she uses the nocturnal emissions of men in order to spawn her demonic offspring. This is the first mention of such an idea and is monumental to her mythological development. Moreover, this indicates that such an attribute had already been assocaited with her when the Talmud was composed, suggesting that this tradition, as well as the others that have already been mentioned, had a long established tradition already.

"R. Jeremiah b. Eleazar further stated: In all those years [130 years after his
expulsion from the Garden of Eden] during which Adam was under the ban he begot
ghosts and male demons and female demons [or night demons], for it is said in
Scripture, And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years and begot a son in own
likeness, after his own image, from which it follows that until that time he did
not beget after his own image…When he saw that through him death was ordained as punishment he spent a hundred and thirty years in fasting, severed connection
with his wife for a hundred and thirty years, and wore clothes of fig on his
body for a hundred and thirty years. – That statement [of R. Jeremiah] was made
in reference to the semen which he emitted accidentally.” -Erubin 18b

The information given here is absolutely tantalizing and is the first real myth of Lilith that doesn't work off of assumed knowledge about Lilith. It places an emphasis on the idea that Lilith had demonic children with Adam, although she is never actually mentioned. However, it is safe to assume that this is indeed her, as there is no other figure in Jewish lore that would match the description and have the ability to bare such demonic children.

So, what, overall, can we learn about Lilith from the Talmud? We know that she's a villianous character and is associated with sex, sexuality and children. It seems that several portions of her common mythology were already in play as well. She is associated with children in a negative manner, she "siezes" men at night which suggests the later nocturnal emission stories and that she has wings. Much of the information is assumed prior knowledge. While this does not help to indicate the stories circulating about Lilith at the time the Talmud was being written, it does show that there was a strong belief in her and that there were tales of her circulating.

Next: The quintesential Lilith story