{"id":15819,"date":"2025-08-21T07:00:24","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T11:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/?p=15819"},"modified":"2025-08-20T22:18:42","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T02:18:42","slug":"judith-a-remarkable-heroine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/judith-a-remarkable-heroine\/","title":{"rendered":"Judith: A Remarkable Heroine"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is the first half of Robin Gallaher Branch’s article discussing the character Judith, the remarkable heroine of the book bearing her name. The article was originally published in 2012. Click here to read part two.<\/strong><\/a>\u2014Ed.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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The Book of Judith<\/a>\u2014considered canonical by Roman Catholics, Apocrypha Literature<\/a> by Protestants, and non-canon by Jews\u2014tells the story of the ignominious defeat of the Assyrians, an army bent on world domination, by the hand of a Hebrew woman (Judith 13:14).<\/p>\n

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Artemisia Gentileschi’s 17th century depiction of Judith slaying the Assyrian general Holofernes. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Indeed her slaying of Holofernes, the invading Assyrian general\u2014in his own tent, with his own sword, and surrounded by his own heretofore victorious army, no less!\u2014marks her as a political savior in Israel on a par with David<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Consider these characteristics:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0Judith commands, plans, leads<\/strong>.<\/h4>\n

She enters the book bearing her name when the Assyrians have cut off the water supply of Bethulia, the town at the entrance of the narrow corridor leading to Jerusalem (Judith 7:7, 4:7).\u00a0The siege, which has lasted 34 days, has made the people fractious, thirsty, and bitter (Judith 7:20, 29). Uzziah and the town\u2019s other magistrates succumb to the townspeople\u2019s demands and say they will surrender to the Assyrians in five days\u2014unless the Lord takes pity (Judith 7:29-30).<\/p>\n

Upon hearing this, Judith, instead of going to Bethulia\u2019s leaders, summons them to her home (Judith 8:10).\u00a0Chiding them for testing God (Judith 8:11\u201312), she declares she has a plan to save Bethulia, Jerusalem, the Temple, and the people.\u00a0Declining to reveal it, she nonetheless proclaims her deed will \u201cgo down through all generations of our descendants\u201d (Judith 8:32).\u00a0Not only do the leaders listen without interruption, they also acclaim her for her wisdom and\u2014like all men in this tale!\u2014do her bidding (Judith 8:28\u201329).\u00a0She demands that the gates be opened and that she and her maid be let out of the city (Judith 8:33, 10:9).<\/p>\n

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2.\u00a0Judith is verbose.<\/h4>\n

Other women wordsmiths in the Biblical text are Lady Wisdom (Proverbs 8-9), Abigail (1 Samuel 25:23\u201331), Deborah<\/a> (Judges 5), and the Beloved in Song of Songs<\/a>.\u00a0Judith tops them all with two long statements\u2014first to Uzziah and the other Bethulian magistrates (Judith 8:11-27), and the second to Holofernes and the Assyrian forces crowding around to gaze at her beautiful face (Judith 11:5\u201319).\u00a0She prays thrice\u2014once before her adventure starts (Judith 9), then for strength to behead Holofernes (Judith 13:4-7) and finally in a public song at the national celebrations honoring her deed and the slaughter of the Assyrians (Judith 16:1\u201317).<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0Judith strategizes.<\/h4>\n

Dressing in a way \u201cto entice the eyes of all the men who might see her\u201d (Judith 10:4), Judith and her maid set forth at night down the valley intending to be captured. Stopped by an Assyrian border patrol and escorted by 100 men directly to Holofernes (Judith 10:17), she readily spins a tall tale that contains just enough fact to be believed.<\/p>\n

Claiming to have direct access to God, she promises to guide Holofernes and his whole army through the hill country to Jerusalem without the loss of life or so much as a dog growling at them (Judith 10:13, 11:19). Her words delight the general and his attendants (Judith 11:20). Calling her beautiful and eloquent (Judith 11:23), he welcomes her to the camp and grants her request to travel through the camp at night to bathe at a spring and pray (Judith 12:5\u20137).\u00a0Thus this unprotected and unexpected guest in the Assyrian camp dangles herself alluringly as bait and waits for three days for a chance to strike and save Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t

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