June 2: The Book of Judith: How a woman of faith can bring down an empire

Hero Novel – work of fiction.  Written 200-100 BCE.  During the Hasmonean reign.  This is the period of time when the Jews had won independence from the Greeks. 

In the book Nebuchadnezzar is king of Assyria

In real life Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon

There are other problems with the book – place names are made up or in different locations.  People would see this as an indication that this is fiction and not fact.

Judith was apparently a very popular novel.  Its purpose was to show how someone could be heroic and still follow God.  Judith is a heroine because her faith gives her the capacity to be a heroine and to be brave in the face of great risk and danger. 

Judith is divided into two parts:

Judith 1–7: How Nebuchadnezzar threatens the West and Israel

Judith 8-16:  How Judith Rescues her People.

Judith 1–7: How Nebuchadnezzar threatens the West and Israel

Even though the Jews now had an independent nation during this time, this is also a novel of warning.   Just because Israel has independence now doesn’t mean that a king isn’t going to arise who will want to conquer it in the future.

Chapter 1:  The novel starts out with two lands far away at war.  Assyria and Medes.  Then King Nebuchadnezzar sends messengers to all the lands to come and fight with him. 

The lands are divided between Persia and the Western lands. 

The Persians agree to fight with him but the Western lands do not – they feel they are too far away.  Nebuchadnezzar becomes angry with the West.  The Assyrians defeat the Medes.

Chapter 2:  Nebuchadnezzar decides that now that he is the great king that he will conquer the Western countries.  Assigns General Holofernes to lead his army of 132,000 soldiers.

2:7  Earth and Water – this was like our white flag of truce – it was the symbol of surrender of 

            the land and its resources.

If the land surrenders earth and water then Nebuchadnezzar will decide what to do with it.  If not then Holofernes has the right to plunder it completely.

2:14 Start the campaign.  As he marches there is complete conquest and he gets closer to Israel.

Chapter 3: The Seacoast Surrender

We have a description of what happens when the city surrenders.

Then we know that Holofernes rests, refurbishes and strengthens his army

AND that he destroys all the local gods – Because Nebuchadnezzar wants to be worshiped as the sole god.   

This is the great mistake of Nebuchadnezzar, because he is human and cannot be worshiped or set himself up to be worshiped as a god.  It is against the natural order.

Chapter 4:  The Israelites Prepare for war

4:1-8: Practical preparation:  harvest fields, get towns ready, get troops ready, decide on tactical strategies.

4: 9-15: Spiritual preparation:  The nation gets ready with penance and prayers. 

4:13 The Lord heard their cry.

Chapter 5:  Back to the Assyrian Army

Holofernes calls in the advisors to find out about the Israelites

Achior tells them the Israelite’s history:  from Abraham – the return from exile.

Also told that if the people follow God that God will protect them and no one will harm them

OR

If the people have sinned against God that God will allow Holofernes to conquer them.

Holofernes needs to find out which direction the Israelites are leaning before he attacks.

This is the part of the story that reminds the reader of the covenant that God made with his people.  It is told by a foreigner and a commander.  So the reader would understand that the history of Israel is universally known and that even people who don’t follow the God of Abraham know about the special covenant.  Achior is only telling common knowledge, he is not prophesying, as he is accused of later.

Chapter 6:  Holofernes reaction

Holofernes criticizes Achoir for his declaration.  Reiterates that Nebuchadnezzar is the one true god and that the Israelites God will not save them

Then has Achior stripped of his command and sent to the town of Bethulia and have him handed over to the Israelites.  Since he is “pro-Israel” the idea is that he will die there.

The Israelites use sling-shots to keep the soldiers away (David and Goliath)

Bring Achior to the town.  He tells them everything that is happening. 

The Israelites pray to God.  Then honor Achior for speaking honestly about their God and history.

Holofernes commits the tragic act in any piece of literature – He asks for advice and then doesn’t listen when the advice doesn’t go his way.  In fact he blames and “shoots the messenger.”  Achior is the heroic “NO man” and tells the truth.  Of course the reader knows that he is right and Holofernes is deluded.

The suspense is now set up.

1. God has heard the prayers of Israel, which is a country that is following God.  So God will punish the Assyrians.

2. HOW is God going to do this?  At this point in the story you might actually think that Achior might be the hero.

Chapter 7:  The siege of Bethulia

Holofernes army comes up with an effective strategy of a siege.

The town leaders do not see a way to get out of the siege – so they ask to surrender.  But their leader, Uzziah asks them to hold out 5 days more – Perhaps this would be to the end of their resources.  The people are all praying to God still – They do not believe that God has abandoned them.

The story is taken to the point of desperation – there seems to be no way out.  But something needs to happen soon.  Who will be the hero?

Judith 8-16:  How Judith Rescues her People.

Chapter 8:  Introduction of Judith

We know that Judith was a wealthy widow

She is a very pious woman – still observing many of the fasts and rituals of mourning

She is beautiful – which is going to be needed later in the novel – but for now this emphasizes her piety, because if she is so beautiful she would have been able to acquire another husband.

It is also important to note that everyone recognizes her piety and devotion to God – this gives the other characters the reason to trust her later.

Also see Proverbs 31 as a model of her character.

Judith needs to be a widow in this this story because is an unmarried woman or a married woman would not have been able to accomplish what she did.  Unmarried and married women were under the guidance and authority of their father’s or husbands.  Although widows often were protected by their husband’s brothers, they had a degree of autonomy and independence.

8:9-36: Judith calls the masters of the city – they come and she rebukes them for putting God to the tests.  They acknowledge their guilt.  But she reassures them that she has a plan and asks them to trust her.  They agree to let her go out from the town and will pray for her.

Judith’s piety and stature are further emphasized because the elders come to her.  But at the same time the story shows that ordinary people have a hard time not putting God to the test.  Judith is an exceptionally pious person, which probably diminishes her fear.

Chapter 9: Judith’s prayer and purification

Judith prays to God to prepare herself for her mission.

She invokes her ancestor Simeon who took revenge on the man who seduced and raped his sister Dinah – This is one of the most gruesome stories of the Old Testament – but it gets us ready for the gruesomeness to come.   Also it puts the reader in mind of what will happen to the children and women if the city is conquered.

Judith also admits that she is going to lie for the sake of God and her people.  In a sense she is pre-admitting her sin – but hopes for God’s approval and guidance in her deceit.

Chapter 10: Judith gets ready and goes on her mission

10:1-10 Judith transforms herself so that she shows her great beauty and she makes herself enticing to men.  Even the men who meet her at the gate, and probably remember her as she was as a young girl, are astonished at her beauty.  They pray for her success.

10:11-23:  Judith, because of her beauty, is able to get the attention of the guards who take her to Holofernes who is also beguiled by her.

The emphasis here is on Judith’s outer beauty – which she is wearing as a suit of armor and using as a weapon.  No one is going to be threatened by her because she is beautiful.  Also they are going to pay attention to her because she is beautiful.

Chapter 11:  Judith Tells Holofernes of the Israelites Sins

First she praises Holofernes – to get on his good side.

Achior’s speech is verified and Judith uses this knowledge to build on her deceit.

The sin will be that they will eat what they are forbidden to eat.  Not only unclean meat – but also the offerings for God.  She implies that the whole country has been doing this.

Judith also sets herself up as a prophetess by saying that God will tell her when the sin will happen and when Holofernes will be able to destroy the Israelites.

Chapter 12:   Three days in Holofernes’ camp

Judith spends three days in camp.

She does not eat “unclean food” and prays every night.  Holofernes thinks that this is for his benefit but actually it is a continuation of Judith’s piety.  The reader can well imagine that while she is praying that she is asking God for strength and guidance – she is in a very vulnerable position.  She is probably also asking God to bring about what will happen – Holofernes will “fall in lust” with her so that she has an opportunity to kill him.

At the end of the chapter Holofernes does try to seduce her.  It is interesting that he insists that if he doesn’t she will be offended.  He believes that he is bestowing an honor on her.  He believes that he is in control of the situation – evidence by the amount of wine that he is consuming.

Chapter 13:  Judith Beheads Holofernes

Judith is left alone with Holofernes – with the implication that they will have sex.  Judith has told everyone that she will do her usual routine and go out to pray later that night and sends her maid out to wait for her.  When Judith beheads Holofernes she does it with a prayer for strength.  This emphasizes the difficulty of what she is doing.  She strikes twice – indicating that she is not strong enough to do it the first time like a man or a trained warrior, but that she does have the strength of God. 

The next part is the flight of Judith and her maid from the camp – and their arrival at the town.

When Judith displays the head she praises the Lord and says that the Lord has struck him down using the hand of the woman.  Judith equates herself as an instrument of God.  She also emphasizes that she is still a virtuous woman.  The blessing of Uzziah is a confirmation of the trust in her truthfulness that the town has in her.

Chapter 14: The plan to defeat Israel

Judah tells them to plan for war so that the Assyrians will be preparing but then find out that Holofernes is dead. 

Achior converts when he realizes the strength of God.

The Assyrians prepare for battle – but find Holofernes dead and that a single Jewish woman has defeated them.

Chapter 15: The Assyrians are routed by the Israelites  & the Celebration and reward of Judith

Judith is thanked and celebrated by the high priests of Israel.  She is given the traditional spoils of war of a general, which is the opposing general’s goods. 

Chapter 16: Judith’s Celebration Song, and conclusion of Judith’s life

This song basically recounts the story of Judith and praises God for deliverance.

Judith goes to Jerusalem and presents the canopy of Holofernes to the temple.  This emphasizes that his personal fortress was breached.  She also gives the dishes from his tent.  (These would be impure for her to use, but purified by their use in the temple) She is allowed to keep other things.  Also there is the acknowledgment by the people – even their heroine – that it was God who caused the final victory.   

Judith then returns to her old life, but not in the same way.  Even though she doesn’t marry she seems to be more active in civil affairs.  She lives to 105 and is buried with her husband.

End Notes:  Although this is a fiction account meant to convey the idea that if the nation of Israel follows God that God will rise up a hero to save them there is also a hint of “what if” in the story that presents and alternate possible reality. 

During the Assyrian invasion the country of Israel was divided between the two countries of Israel and Judah, not united like it is in the story of Judith.  Also the people had begun to worship other gods – this was considered to be the chief reason why God allowed Israel to be invaded by the Assyrians and destroyed.  The novel hints to the reader – “What if we hadn’t been divided and kept our religion pure, and followed our God the way we were supposed to; the story of Judith might have been the outcome instead of the destruction of Israel by the Assyrians and the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem by the Babylonians later on.  If we had stayed strong and united in our country and our God this is what we could have been.”   

So there is also the lesson that in the present day (Hasamoen rule) that the nation of Israel can remain strong and intact if they follow the worship and the laws of God.