"The Affair of Uzza and Azael" (b. Yoma 67b) : the creation of demons and the myth of the fallen angels in the Babylonian Talmud

The main purpose of the present study is to analyse the variety of traditions explaining the origins of demons as supplied by the Babylonian Talmud (b. Berakhot 61a, b. Eruvin 18a, b. Pesahim 54a, b. Pesahim 112b-113a, b. Yoma 67b, b. Bava Qamma 16a, b. Bava Batra 16a, b. Sanhedrin 109a and b. Niddah 61a) and to find out, whether they conform to the pattern present in the pseudepigraphal myth of the fallen angels (e.g. 1 Enoch 6-16; Jubilees 4, 10; Testament of Reuben 5), one of the default ancient extra-biblical narratives explaining the provenance of demons. Two main Talmudic beliefs are recognised. According to the first and dominating one, it is the deity who is fully responsible for the introduction of demons to the world. Analogical stance is present in the traditions surrounding the creation of angels and monsters, two other classes of supernatural entities featured in the Talmud. According to the second and less explicit belief, these are exactly the angels and humans who are responsible for begetting the demons. This latter assumption is expressed in a way which betrays rabbis’ profound familiarity with the pseudepigraphal myth, who have nevertheless decided to relegate it to the margins of the Talmud.