Compare the two faces: hers blank – with shock? Judith has cut off the head of Holofernes and looks back over her shoulder, out towards the viewer. The siege, which has lasted 34 days, has made the people fractious, thirsty, and bitter (Judith 7:20, 29). During a siege of her town, she undertook a daring sexual mission to save her people from annihilation. Judith has completed her mission and returns to Bethulia, sword in hand. Almost immediately she and her maid run into an Assyrian patrol, which challenges them. The danger of their situation is implied by the position of the sword in Judith’s hand: a few more inches and it will cut into her own white throat. (Paintings of Judith concentrate on the moment, later in the story, when she kills Holofernes in the dimly lit tent. Holofernes’ lifeless body lies in the background as Judith and Abra hurry away from the scene of the murder. At this stage in the story Judith of Bethulia makes her entrance. Subtle, but terrifying. It is important here to keep in mind that deceit was a recognized and admired strategy in ancient warfare. “Judith” in English, and possibly in Hebrew, is the female form of the word “Jude”, the now-infamous word that means Jew. She tells the people to hang Holofernes’ head in full view on the battlements, then she gives them instructions for the next morning. This is a rare depiction of something other paintings ignore: the fight that Holofernes may or may not have put up when he was being murdered. Your email address will not be published. Nebuchadnezzar takes revenge (Book of Judith 1-7:32)There is a war between two ancient kings, Nebuchadnezzar and Arphaxad – see Bad Men in the Bible: Nebuchadnezzar for information about Babylon and its king.. At the start of this war Nebuchadnezzar orders all the city states in surrounding kingdoms to send him a levy of soldiers, but they flout his command. Once there, they call to the guards to open the gates and let them in. If God has not saved them by then, he promises the town will be surrendered. Both of them then begin telling a sequence of lies –. This would then make the woman Salome. Abra carries the grisly head on a tray/basket, and Judith tries to cover it from sight. At dawn they are to make a loud noise with their weapons as if they are about to attack. Nebuchadnezzar was the King of Babylon, and ‘Babylon’ became code for depravity, cruelty and paganism. Judith, on the other hand, slices his neck with a look of mild distaste, as if she is carving the Sunday roast. Caravaggio’s influence is clearly evident in Liss’s painting – the sumptuous flesh tones, lavish fabrics and dramatic lighting. All you need for this month’s course is a large flag. The Israelites living in Judea know that their turn is coming. They were surrounded throughout their history by huge and fearsome kingdoms, but God stood by them when they called on his help. Achior is seized, taken to Bethulia and left, tied up, outside the walls of the town. They know only too well that Bethulia guards the route to Jerusalem, and that if their town is overrun Jerusalem and its Temple will be sacked and destroyed. I specially ordered a copy of the apocrypha as I am not a Catholic to study books from it, and the theory presented in there seems to go toward novel and Judith being representative of the whole of Israel. The Bible says that at the siege of Jerusalem Sennacherib’s officer, taunting the Jews who stood on the city wall, assured them that they were doomed to ‘eat their own faeces and drink their own piss’ (2 Kings 18:27). Judith’s faithful maid Abra holds the bag to receive the head of Holofernes, from the painting by Caravaggio, (This bloodthirsty incident has been popular with artists. ), so this month’s course is a challenge with just ONE obstacle. If they had swords, they were always inferior to the ones wielded by their adversaries, and could only be used as backup weapons. … They blame Uzziah for not submitting to Holofernes in the first place, and saving them from death. She demands that the gates be opened and that she and her maid be let out of the city (Judith 8:33, 10:9). Judith strategizes. Holofernes, on the other hand, gets down to some serious drinking. This is exactly what happens. 2. Alone with him late at night in his tent, Judith beheads him with two strokes to the neck from his own famous sword—praying beforehand, of course (Judith 13:4–7)! Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Together the women walk through the Assyrian lines as they have on other nights, allegedly to pray and bathe. Also it is easy to see how artists throughout the years have used the story as a basis for making a great painting. Judith stands, her fingers clenched in the hair of Holofernes’ head. The maid Abra stands ready to catch the severed head when it falls away. Judith is of course aware of what is going on around her in the town of Bethulia. 52 Life Changing Quotes By Jonathan Edwards On Life, Faith, Grace And More. When he came to choose images for the Chapel, Michelangelo seems to have focused on heroic deeds, or on seminal moments in the story of God’s unfolding plan. Judith beheading the Holofernes, Caravaggio, painted in 1598 […], […] Slayer of Holofernes, Circa 450BC, Biblical/Apocryphal […], […] Biblical stage (vv. — Robin Gallager Branch, writing in the Biblical Archaeology Society journal. Hollywood certainly took liberties with the story!! Judith’s right hand holds the sword, instrument of death. Holofernes’ hapless body pushes out into the foreground of the painting. Bethulia means ‘virginity’. ‘Judith and her Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes’ Youtube video of a 1914 B/W movie of Judith – you should have a look at this!! See also Bible Heroines: Judith. 35 Guy Finley Quotes To Give You Solace . Read more…, She came close to his bed, took hold of the hair of his head, and said, ‘Give me strength today, O Lord God of Israel!’ Then she struck his neck twice with all her might, and cut off his head. It has also been written that the story She grips one point between her teeth and makes an opening by holding two other points with her hands – just the way you would to make an opening for a large round object, be it a cabbage or a human head. Judith dominates all around her – and reinforces her power by carrying a rather nasty-looking sword. Displaying his head, and no doubt unraveling the jeweled canopy, her story is believable. What did she do with his head? ‘Judith in the Tent of Holofernes’, Johann Liss, 1622. But the adoring expression on the face of the second woman suggests that she is Abla, Judith’s servant, and this seems more likely. Artemisia was a real person to her father, not just an unnamed victim of crime. Inside the safety of the walls Judith pulls out the grisly contents of the bag and shows it to the people, who are astounded by what she has done. She is a woman of gold. She received her Ph.D. in Hebrew Studies from the University of Texas in Austin in 2000. He summons the leader of his army, Holofernes, and orders him to lead a vast army against those states who have ignored his original command. The Protestant states cast themselves as Judith, and Catholicism and the Pope as Holofernes. Holofernes then musters his entire army. Could not this ‘Judith’ be likened to a profane Mona Lisa? Plus, it would be great to debunk ideas of women not being as important as men to God. The High Priest Joakim writes to the Israelites, among them the people of Judith’s home town Bethulia (a curious name, similar to the Hebrew word for ‘young unmarried woman’). FOR INSTANCE, THIS BOOK OF JUDITH HAS JUST THOUGHT ME THAT, NO MATTER HOW U WERE CREATED, U CAN ALWAYS BE A CONQUERER BY IDENTIFYING YOUR GIFT AND MAKING GOOD USE OF IT TO GOD’S GLORY. With his head wrapped in the bed curtain, she returned triumphantly to her own people in Bethuliah. His face is already drained of color, a dramatic contrast to the rich material of her robe. He had a fearsome reputation, but she charmed him, holding his sexual advances at bay. […] of Yael from the Book of Judges who kills the general Sisera with a mallet and tent peg, or Judith who decapitates another general, […], […] she had lived her widowhood for 84 years, thus placing her great age at 105 years, the same age as Judith when she died (Judith 16:28). Then she describes the present predicament of the townspeople, helpless prey to the Assyrians. This Bible History Daily feature was originally published on July 30, 2012. A rather winsome Judith has grasped the head by its hair and is moving away from the couch. I discovered that there are several lessons one can draw (exegesis) by reviewing it. She and her servant Alba are placing the severed head in a basket. His ghastly in death. The head is not wrapped up, or being displayed on the city walls, but is simply a trophy taken in battle. Artemisia Gentileschi’s 17th century depiction of Judith beheading the Assyrian general Holofernes. God is not a human being to be bargained with, or put to the test, nor can we ever hope to understand God’s mind. All those who will not submit to Nebuchadnezzar are destroyed. The figures given, 170,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry are surely an exaggeration, but they indicate that the mountain town is vastly outnumbered. Is it not just important to focus on the bible? She is dressed in white, the color of chastity, and the sword stands firmly between her body and Holofernes’ head. 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