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The '''Book of Judith''' is among the books of the [[Septuagint]], the Old Testament accepted as inspired and canonical by the [[Orthodox Church]] in the ''Greek Orthodox Bible'', and found in the books of the Old Testament of the ''[[Vulgate]]'' and included in the canon of inspired scripture by the [[Third Council of Carthage (397)]]. Since the [[Council of Trent]] it is [[Dogma|dogmatically]] accepted as inspired and canonical by the [[Catholic Church]] in the ''Catholic Bible''—books of the Bible accepted as divinely inspired by the majority of Christian believers in the United States and throughout the world.<ref name=majority>The '''Catholic Church''' is the world's largest [[Christianity|Christian]] body comprised of several distinct [https://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/catholic_rites_and_churches.htm "Rites"]. The [[Catholic Church|Catholic Church (Latin Rite)]] is the largest religious body in the United States, with over 60 million adherents (4 times as large as the second largest church, the Orthodox).<br/>[http://www.pewforum.org/2013/02/13/the-global-catholic-population/ “The Global Catholic Population,” © 2011, Pew Research Center.]<br/>[http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_romcath.html The Largest Catholic Communities]<br/>

The '''Book of Judith''' is among the books of the [[Septuagint]], the Old Testament accepted as inspired and canonical by the [[Orthodox Church]] in the ''Greek Orthodox Bible'', and found in the books of the Old Testament of the ''[[Vulgate]]'' and included in the canon of inspired scripture by the [[Third Council of Carthage (397)]]. Since the [[Council of Trent]] it is [[dogma]]tically accepted as inspired and canonical by the [[Catholic Church]] in the ''Catholic Bible''—books of the Bible accepted as divinely inspired by the majority of Christian believers in the United States and throughout the world.<ref name=majority>The '''Catholic Church''' is the world's largest [[Christianity|Christian]] body comprised of several distinct [https://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/catholic_rites_and_churches.htm "Rites"]. The [[Catholic Church|Catholic Church (Latin Rite)]] is the largest religious body in the United States, with over 60 million adherents (4 times as large as the second largest church, the Orthodox).<br/>[http://www.pewforum.org/2013/02/13/the-global-catholic-population/ “The Global Catholic Population,” © 2011, Pew Research Center.]<br/>[http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_romcath.html The Largest Catholic Communities]<br/>

The '''Eastern Orthodox Church''', officially called the '''Orthodox Catholic Church''', and also referred to as the '''[[Orthodox Church]]''' and '''Orthodoxy''', is the second largest [[Christianity|Christian church]] in the world, with an estimated 225–300 million adherents, most of whom live in [[Eastern Europe]], the [[Middle East]], and [[Russia]].<br/>{{cite web |last1=Calivas |first1=Rev. Alciviadis C. |title=The Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church |publisher=Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Of America |year=1983 |url=http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7061 |accessdate=7 May 2014 |ref=none }}<br/>{{cite web |last1=Fairchild |first1=Mary |title=Christianity:Basics:Eastern Orthodox Church Denomination |publisher=about.com |url=http://christianity.about.com/od/easternorthodoxy/p/orthodoxprofile.htm |accessdate=22 May 2014 |ref=none }}<br/>{{cite web |title=Christianity |work=Major Branches of Religions Ranked by Number of Adherents |publisher=adherents.com |url=http://www.adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Christianity |accessdate=22 May 2014 |ref=none }}</ref><ref name=Prot>See [http://www.888c.com/worldChristianDenominations.htm Percentage of Christians in Protestant Denominations (29.5%)].</ref>

The '''Eastern Orthodox Church''', officially called the '''Orthodox Catholic Church''', and also referred to as the '''[[Orthodox Church]]''' and '''Orthodoxy''', is the second largest [[Christianity|Christian church]] in the world, with an estimated 225–300 million adherents, most of whom live in [[Eastern Europe]], the [[Middle East]], and [[Russia]].<br/>{{cite web |last1=Calivas |first1=Rev. Alciviadis C. |title=The Greek (Eastern) Orthodox Church |publisher=Greek Orthodox Archdiocese Of America |year=1983 |url=http://www.goarch.org/ourfaith/ourfaith7061 |accessdate=7 May 2014 |ref=none }}<br/>{{cite web |last1=Fairchild |first1=Mary |title=Christianity:Basics:Eastern Orthodox Church Denomination |publisher=about.com |url=http://christianity.about.com/od/easternorthodoxy/p/orthodoxprofile.htm |accessdate=22 May 2014 |ref=none }}<br/>{{cite web |title=Christianity |work=Major Branches of Religions Ranked by Number of Adherents |publisher=adherents.com |url=http://www.adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Christianity |accessdate=22 May 2014 |ref=none }}</ref><ref name=Prot>See [http://www.888c.com/worldChristianDenominations.htm Percentage of Christians in Protestant Denominations (29.5%)].</ref>

Although the book was recognized as part of the Septuagint Old Testament received as inspired scripture by Christians of the early church, as evidenced by its continued use since the 1st century in the Eastern Church, it was later rejected by rabbinic authorities, until the Protestant Reformation, when it was retained by Catholic and Orthodox Christians but excluded by Protestants as one of the Apocryphal books. The nation of Israel treated all of the Apocryphal books with respect, but after the establishment of Christianity never accepted them as true books of the Hebrew Bible. Even though the Book of Judith is not part of the official Jewish religious canon, it regained popularity among Jews in the medieval period and remains widely read today.

Although the book was recognized as part of the Septuagint Old Testament received as inspired scripture by Christians of the early church, as evidenced by its continued use since the 1st century in the Eastern Church, it was later rejected by rabbinic authorities, until the Protestant Reformation, when it was retained by Catholic and Orthodox Christians but excluded by Protestants as one of the Apocryphal books. The nation of Israel treated all of the Apocryphal books with respect, but after the establishment of Christianity never accepted them as true books of the Hebrew Bible. Even though the Book of Judith is not part of the official Jewish religious canon, it regained popularity among Jews in the medieval period and remains widely read today.

The early Christian church debated the status of parts of the Septuagint Old Testament, but the majority of Christians believed they belonged in the canon of Scripture. This is a fact established and emphasized by several synods and councils such as the [[Council of Hippo (393)]] and the [[Third Council of Carthage (397)]] which listed the Book of Judith and six other books, disputed by some scholars but received by most, in the canon of sacred scripture. This early [[Biblical Canon|canon of the Bible]], which was not disputed by succeeding councils, local and general and ecumenical, and  was the first canon to list all 27 books of the New Testament as canonical, remained unchanged for 1200 years until the 16th century. Jerome, in the 5th century, while expressing his own opinions as influenced by the Jewish rabbis with whom he had studied, opinions which were not shared by most of his scholarly peers, yielded somewhat to their voice and included the book in the body of the Old Testament of his [[Vulgate]] (A.D. 420). In the following centuries some individuals debated the status of Judith and raised questions regarding its inspiration, but they were in the minority, and the book remained in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The canon of Damasus, and the Synods of Rome, Hippo and Carthage, was reaffirmed in the 15th century at the [[Council of Florence]] of the (briefly reunited) Church of the east and west in 1442.<ref>[http://catholicdefense.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-council-of-florence-on-pope-church.html Saturday, October 26, 2013. The Council of Florence on the Pope, the Church and the Bible]<br/>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03267a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia (1915) Canon of the Old Testament] "''During the deliberations of the Council'' [of Trent] ''there never was any real question as to the reception of all the traditional Scripture. Neither--and this is remarkable--in the proceedings is there manifest any serious doubt of the canonicity of the disputed writings. In the mind of the Tridentine Fathers they had been virtually canonized, by the same decree of Florence, and the same Fathers felt especially bound by the action of the preceding ecumenical synod''" [of Florence]."<br/>[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc6.iii.iii.vii.html Christian Classics Ethereal Library. History of the Church, Vol. 6: § 18. The Council of Ferrara-Florence. 1438–1445.]<br/>[http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/FLORENCE.HTM Canons of the ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OF FLORENCE (1438-1445)] (Basel/Ferrara/Florence/Rome)</ref> In the 16th century Martin Luther firmly declared the book to be spurious, and he removed it from the Old Testament of his German Bible and placed it in the separated Apocrypha. The [[Council of Trent]] pronounced a definitive end to all debate over the status of this book by declaring [[dogma|dogmatically]] the canon of sacred scripture "as read in the Church", which included the Book of Judith.

The early Christian church debated the status of parts of the Septuagint Old Testament, but the majority of Christians believed they belonged in the canon of Scripture. This is a fact established and emphasized by several synods and councils such as the [[Council of Hippo (393)]] and the [[Third Council of Carthage (397)]] which listed the Book of Judith and six other books, disputed by some scholars but received by most, in the canon of sacred scripture. This early [[Biblical Canon|canon of the Bible]], which was not disputed by succeeding councils, local and general and ecumenical, and  was the first canon to list all 27 books of the New Testament as canonical, remained unchanged for 1200 years until the 16th century. Jerome, in the 5th century, while expressing his own opinions as influenced by the Jewish rabbis with whom he had studied, opinions which were not shared by most of his scholarly peers, yielded somewhat to their voice and included the book in the body of the Old Testament of his [[Vulgate]] (A.D. 420). In the following centuries some individuals debated the status of Judith and raised questions regarding its inspiration, but they were in the minority, and the book remained in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The canon of Damasus, and the Synods of Rome, Hippo and Carthage, was reaffirmed in the 15th century at the [[Council of Florence]] of the (briefly reunited) Church of the east and west in 1442.<ref>[http://catholicdefense.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-council-of-florence-on-pope-church.html Saturday, October 26, 2013. The Council of Florence on the Pope, the Church and the Bible]<br/>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03267a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia (1915) Canon of the Old Testament] "''During the deliberations of the Council'' [of Trent] ''there never was any real question as to the reception of all the traditional Scripture. Neither--and this is remarkable--in the proceedings is there manifest any serious doubt of the canonicity of the disputed writings. In the mind of the Tridentine Fathers they had been virtually canonized, by the same decree of Florence, and the same Fathers felt especially bound by the action of the preceding ecumenical synod''" [of Florence]."<br/>[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc6.iii.iii.vii.html Christian Classics Ethereal Library. History of the Church, Vol. 6: § 18. The Council of Ferrara-Florence. 1438–1445.]<br/>[http://www.ewtn.com/library/COUNCILS/FLORENCE.HTM Canons of the ECUMENICAL COUNCIL OF FLORENCE (1438-1445)] (Basel/Ferrara/Florence/Rome)</ref> In the 16th century Martin Luther firmly declared the book to be spurious, and he removed it from the Old Testament of his German Bible and placed it in the separated Apocrypha. The [[Council of Trent]] pronounced a definitive end to all debate over the status of this book by declaring [[dogma]]tically the canon of sacred scripture "as read in the Church", which included the Book of Judith.

The ''Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion'' of the [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Protestant Episcopal Church]] (Article VI: "Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation") includes the Book of Judith among "the other Books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine".<ref>[http://anglicansonline.org/basics/thirty-nine_articles.html Anglicans Online: '''Articles of Religion.''' As established by the Bishops, the Clergy, and the Laity of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in Convention, on the twelfth day of September, in the Year of our Lord, 1801.]</ref>

The ''Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion'' of the [[Episcopal Church in the United States of America|Protestant Episcopal Church]] (Article VI: "Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation") includes the Book of Judith among "the other Books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine".<ref>[http://anglicansonline.org/basics/thirty-nine_articles.html Anglicans Online: '''Articles of Religion.''' As established by the Bishops, the Clergy, and the Laity of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in Convention, on the twelfth day of September, in the Year of our Lord, 1801.]</ref>

See [[Judith]] and [[Holofernes]].

See [[Judith]] and [[Holofernes]].

The Book of Judith tells 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). Indeed her beheading of Holofernes, the invading Assyrian general—in his own tent, with his own sword, and surrounded by his own previously undefeated victorious army—marks her as a political savior in Israel on a par with David.

The Book of Judith tells 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). Indeed, her beheading of Holofernes, the invading Assyrian general—in his own tent, with his own sword, and surrounded by his own previously undefeated victorious army—marks her as a political savior in Israel on a par with David.

The book can be divided into five parts:

The book can be divided into five parts:

However, they devise a plan: the High Priest Joakim writes to the Israelites, among them the people of Bethulia. He orders them all to pray for deliverance, and this they do most fervently, fasting and praying to God for deliverance, and wearing sackcloth and even draping the altar in Jerusalem with sackcloth; they will retreat to the hill-tops, fortify and provision them, and wait it out. Hilltop towns in Judea guarded the roads below and had to be taken by any invader who wanted to secure the transport routes. The people of Israel block his retaliatory advancement against all the nations of the west. The little hilltop town of Bethulia (a curious name, similar to the related Hebrew word for “virgin”, “young unmarried woman”), is particularly desperate, since Bethulia strategically guards Holofernes' route of access and stands in the way of the mighty army's path to Jerusalem. (1-4) They know only too well that if their town is overrun Jerusalem and its Temple will be sacked and destroyed.   

However, they devise a plan: the High Priest Joakim writes to the Israelites, among them the people of Bethulia. He orders them all to pray for deliverance, and this they do most fervently, fasting and praying to God for deliverance, and wearing sackcloth and even draping the altar in Jerusalem with sackcloth; they will retreat to the hill-tops, fortify and provision them, and wait it out. Hilltop towns in Judea guarded the roads below and had to be taken by any invader who wanted to secure the transport routes. The people of Israel block his retaliatory advancement against all the nations of the west. The little hilltop town of Bethulia (a curious name, similar to the related Hebrew word for “virgin”, “young unmarried woman”), is particularly desperate, since Bethulia strategically guards Holofernes' route of access and stands in the way of the mighty army's path to Jerusalem. (1-4) They know only too well that if their town is overrun Jerusalem and its Temple will be sacked and destroyed.   

Holofernes is told that the mountain passes have been closed and the hilltop villages fortified. He is outraged and calls a meeting of all the princes of the Moabite and Ammonite city states. Who are these hilltop ragamuffins to flout him? He is, after all, Nebuchadnezzar's top general. Holoferenes is amazed that the Israelites have the courage to resist him. One of the princes, Achior, the leader of of all the Ammonites, steps forward and tells him about the Israelites, and briefs the commander-in-chief on Israel's sacred history - their origins and history, including the stories of their flight from Egypt and exile in Babylon. He praises them as a people, and begs Holofernes to pass them by without harming them, and declares that Israel will be invincible unless it sins against God. Holofernes does not respond well to this plea, and responds, "Who is God except Nebuchadnezzar?" Holefernes reasons that sheer strength of numbers will guarantee him success in any battle, and that the Israelite settlements will be easy prey: "we the king's servants will destroy them as one man. We will overwhelm them; their mountains will be drunk with their blood, and their fields will be full of their dead. Not even their footprints will survive our attack; they will utterly perish." He is not pleased with Achior: if Achior likes these Israelites so much, he might as well join them, and die with them. He orders Achior bound and taken to Bethulia, where he can share the Israelites' fate. Achior is seized, taken to Bethulia and left, tied up, outside the walls of the town. The townspeople retrieve him and take him inside the walls of Bethulia. The Ammonite leader is treated with hospitality by the citizens of the city, where Uzziah, the chief magistrate of the town, pumps him for information. Achior tells him about Holofernes and his intentions, and the grateful townspeople reassure him and welcome him into their assembly. Holofernes arrays his troops for battle, but the Edomites in his coalition convince him to lay siege to the city instead, by taking control of its water supply, which lies outside the city walls. Holofernes decides that the best tactic is to lay siege to the town. Despite the warning of Achior the Ammonite that the Jews cannot be conquered unless they sin against their God, Holofernes lays siege to Bethulia, cutting off its water supply. Holofernes then musters his entire army. The figures given, 170,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry indicate that the mountain town is vastly outnumbered. While Nebuchadnezzar's army, led by Holofernes, besieges Bethulia, on the other hand the walls of Bethulia are strong, and so there is, for the moment, stalemate.

Holofernes is told that the mountain passes have been closed and the hilltop villages fortified. He is outraged and calls a meeting of all the princes of the Moabite and Ammonite city states. Who are these hilltop ragamuffins to flout him? He is, after all, Nebuchadnezzar's top general. Holoferenes is amazed that the Israelites have the courage to resist him. One of the princes, Achior, the leader of all the Ammonites, steps forward and tells him about the Israelites, and briefs the commander-in-chief on Israel's sacred history - their origins and history, including the stories of their flight from Egypt and exile in Babylon. He praises them as a people, and begs Holofernes to pass them by without harming them, and declares that Israel will be invincible unless it sins against God. Holofernes does not respond well to this plea, and responds, "Who is God except Nebuchadnezzar?" Holefernes reasons that sheer strength of numbers will guarantee him success in any battle, and that the Israelite settlements will be easy prey: "we the king's servants will destroy them as one man. We will overwhelm them; their mountains will be drunk with their blood, and their fields will be full of their dead. Not even their footprints will survive our attack; they will utterly perish." He is not pleased with Achior: if Achior likes these Israelites so much, he might as well join them, and die with them. He orders Achior bound and taken to Bethulia, where he can share the Israelites' fate. Achior is seized, taken to Bethulia and left, tied up, outside the walls of the town. The townspeople retrieve him and take him inside the walls of Bethulia. The Ammonite leader is treated with hospitality by the citizens of the city, where Uzziah, the chief magistrate of the town, pumps him for information. Achior tells him about Holofernes and his intentions, and the grateful townspeople reassure him and welcome him into their assembly. Holofernes arrays his troops for battle, but the Edomites in his coalition convince him to lay siege to the city instead, by taking control of its water supply, which lies outside the city walls. Holofernes decides that the best tactic is to lay siege to the town. Despite the warning of Achior the Ammonite that the Jews cannot be conquered unless they sin against their God, Holofernes lays siege to Bethulia, cutting off its water supply. Holofernes then musters his entire army. The figures given, 170,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry indicate that the mountain town is vastly outnumbered. While Nebuchadnezzar's army, led by Holofernes, besieges Bethulia, on the other hand the walls of Bethulia are strong, and so there is, for the moment, stalemate.

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). For thirty-four days the people of Bethulia hold out, until every water container in the town is dry and even the underground cisterns are almost empty. The siege has made the people fractious, thirsty, and bitter (Judith 7:20, 29). The children are listless and the people begin fainting, collapsing in the streets. After thirty-four days, a little more than a month, the exhausted people of Bethulia are ready to surrender, even though it will mean worship of Nebuchadnezzar (3:8). The townspeople think that God has abandoned them. They blame Uzziah for not submitting to Holofernes in the first place, and saving them from death. True, they would have had to abandon worship of '''<big><big> יהוה </big></big>''' YHVH or YHWH '''J'''a'''HV'''e'''H''' '''''" I AM "''''' Yahweh, the L<small>ORD</small>, and pray to Nebuchadnezzar instead, but this now seems preferable to death by thirst.  

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). For thirty-four days the people of Bethulia hold out, until every water container in the town is dry and even the underground cisterns are almost empty. The siege has made the people fractious, thirsty, and bitter (Judith 7:20, 29). The children are listless and the people begin fainting, collapsing in the streets. After thirty-four days, a little more than a month, the exhausted people of Bethulia are ready to surrender, even though it will mean worship of Nebuchadnezzar (3:8). The townspeople think that God has abandoned them. They blame Uzziah for not submitting to Holofernes in the first place, and saving them from death. True, they would have had to abandon worship of '''<big><big> יהוה </big></big>''' YHVH or YHWH '''J'''a'''HV'''e'''H''' '''''" I AM "''''' Yahweh, the L<small>ORD</small>, and pray to Nebuchadnezzar instead, but this now seems preferable to death by thirst.  

When she has finished her prayer of petition (Judith 9:14), she rises from the floor and calls her maid. Together they begin to prepare to carry out the plan. Judith knows her power over men (Judith 10:7, 14, 19, 23). Wisely appealing to their senses of sight and smell, her weapons of warfare are sensual and material.   

When she has finished her prayer of petition (Judith 9:14), she rises from the floor and calls her maid. Together they begin to prepare to carry out the plan. Judith knows her power over men (Judith 10:7, 14, 19, 23). Wisely appealing to their senses of sight and smell, her weapons of warfare are sensual and material.   

For her adventure, she removes her sackcloth and widow’s dress. She bathes her whole body - either a terrible waste of precious water, or more likely a use of fine olive oil laved over her skin and wiped away - and then richly perfumes herself. Judith then dresses carefully, attiring herself beautifully, knowing the success of her ruse and assassination plan depend upon her ability to entice. Dressing glamorously in a way “to entice the eyes of all the men who might see her” (Judith 10:4), she grooms herself so that she is alluringly beautiful. She selects a festival dress, fixes her hair, and puts on one of the extravagant robes she wore when her husband was alive, then dresses her hair with a tiara as her battle garb’s finishing touch (Judith 10:3). Then she decks herself with jewelry - she accessorizes her outfit with rings, bracelets, anklets, earrings, and other other assorted pieces of jewelry, and attractive sandals (Judith 10:4). After that, she and her maid gather an assortment of ritually pure foods to eat and put it all in a large bag (10:5).  

For her adventure, she removes her sackcloth and widow’s dress. She bathes her whole body - either a terrible waste of precious water, or more likely a use of fine olive oil laved over her skin and wiped away - and then richly perfumes herself. Judith then dresses carefully, attiring herself beautifully, knowing the success of her ruse and assassination plan depend upon her ability to entice. Dressing glamorously in a way “to entice the eyes of all the men who might see her” (Judith 10:4), she grooms herself so that she is alluringly beautiful. She selects a festival dress, fixes her hair, and puts on one of the extravagant robes she wore when her husband was alive, then dresses her hair with a tiara as her battle garb’s finishing touch (Judith 10:3). Then she decks herself with jewelry - she accessorizes her outfit with rings, bracelets, anklets, earrings, and other assorted pieces of jewelry, and attractive sandals (Judith 10:4). After that, she and her maid gather an assortment of ritually pure foods to eat and put it all in a large bag (10:5).  

Thus prepared, Judith and her maid set forth at night and made their way through the darkness to the town gate, where Uzziah and the elders are waiting. The town gates are opened, and she and her maid leave, receiving the praise of the people of Bethulia as she, together with her maid, departs through the gate, and leaves the city. She travels out and down the valley heading towards the Assyrian camp of the enemy general Holofernes intending to be captured.  

Thus prepared, Judith and her maid set forth at night and made their way through the darkness to the town gate, where Uzziah and the elders are waiting. The town gates are opened, and she and her maid leave, receiving the praise of the people of Bethulia as she, together with her maid, departs through the gate, and leaves the city. She travels out and down the valley heading towards the Assyrian camp of the enemy general Holofernes intending to be captured.  

==Judith: God's instrument of war==

==Judith: God's instrument of war==

Judith, the truly remarkable heroine of the Book of Judith, is introduced as a devout, shapely, beautiful and wealthy widow (Judith 8:4, 7). She exhibits characteristics showing her the equal of Israel’s finest warriors. Consider these characteristics: Judith commands, plans, leads, strategizes. Indeed her beheading of Holofernes, the invading Assyrian general—in his own tent, with his own sword, and surrounded by his own heretofore victorious army—marks her as a political savior in Israel on a par with David.

Judith, the truly remarkable heroine of the Book of Judith, is introduced as a devout, shapely, beautiful and wealthy widow (Judith 8:4, 7). She exhibits characteristics showing her the equal of Israel’s finest warriors. Consider these characteristics: Judith commands, plans, leads, strategizes. Indeed, her beheading of Holofernes, the invading Assyrian general—in his own tent, with his own sword, and surrounded by his own heretofore victorious army—marks her as a political savior in Israel on a par with David.

Her song, containing many distinctively feminine insights, details her preparation for war—how she anointed her face with perfume and fixed her hair. Judith’s song speaks of her sandals, her renowned beauty, her exquisite tiara and the deliberate action of putting on a linen gown, knowing it would beguile her intended prey, Holofernes (Judith 16:7-8). These were her weapons, as important and deadly as Sisera’s 900 chariots in Deborah’s war (Judges 4:3). Judith triumphantly proclaims “the Persians shuddered at her audacity and the Medes were daunted by her daring” (Judith 16:10).

Her song, containing many distinctively feminine insights, details her preparation for war—how she anointed her face with perfume and fixed her hair. Judith’s song speaks of her sandals, her renowned beauty, her exquisite tiara and the deliberate action of putting on a linen gown, knowing it would beguile her intended prey, Holofernes (Judith 16:7-8). These were her weapons, as important and deadly as Sisera’s 900 chariots in Deborah’s war (Judges 4:3). Judith triumphantly proclaims “the Persians shuddered at her audacity and the Medes were daunted by her daring” (Judith 16:10).

*593. The 5th year of Zedekiah king of Judah, the 5th year of the exile of Jehoiachin/Jeconiah/Coniah. <br/> "''in the 5th year at the time when the Chaldeans took Jerusalem and burned it with fire''", Baruch read to Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2565-baruch-book-of "''this book''" (Book of Baruch).]<ref>See also [http://www.usccb.org/bible/baruch/0 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Baruch — introduction]</ref> <br/> Baruch took the vessels that had been carried away from the Temple to return them to the land of Judah. Offerings could still be made on the "''altar of the Lord our God''", and prayer "''for Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, and for the life of Balthasar his son / for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and for the life of Belshazzar his son''". Baruch 1:1-12.<br/> ''See'' [http://www.holyhome.nl/ot%20pseudepigrapha.pdf Pseudepigrapha]. <br/> [http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rak/publics/pseudepig/ParJer-Eng.html ''Paraleipomena Jeremiou'' Things Left Out of Jeremiah (4 Baruch)]<br/> Ezekiel's vision of the LORD and his call at the age of 30, the age priests normally were inducted into office (593).<ref name=Ezekiel>"Ezekiel", Daniel I. Block, ''Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary'', pp. 536–537.</ref> Ezekiel 1:1; Numbers 4:30.

*593. The 5th year of Zedekiah king of Judah, the 5th year of the exile of Jehoiachin/Jeconiah/Coniah. <br/> "''in the 5th year at the time when the Chaldeans took Jerusalem and burned it with fire''", Baruch read to Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/2565-baruch-book-of "''this book''" (Book of Baruch).]<ref>See also [http://www.usccb.org/bible/baruch/0 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Baruch — introduction]</ref> <br/> Baruch took the vessels that had been carried away from the Temple to return them to the land of Judah. Offerings could still be made on the "''altar of the Lord our God''", and prayer "''for Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, and for the life of Balthasar his son / for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and for the life of Belshazzar his son''". Baruch 1:1-12.<br/> ''See'' [http://www.holyhome.nl/ot%20pseudepigrapha.pdf Pseudepigrapha]. <br/> [http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rak/publics/pseudepig/ParJer-Eng.html ''Paraleipomena Jeremiou'' Things Left Out of Jeremiah (4 Baruch)]<br/> Ezekiel's vision of the LORD and his call at the age of 30, the age priests normally were inducted into office (593).<ref name=Ezekiel>"Ezekiel", Daniel I. Block, ''Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary'', pp. 536–537.</ref> Ezekiel 1:1; Numbers 4:30.

*592. The 6th year of Zedekiah king of Judah, the 6th year of Jehoiachin (592). <br/> Ezekiel's vision of the appearance of a man clothed in linen. Ezekiel 8:1.

*592. The 6th year of Zedekiah king of Judah, the 6th year of Jehoiachin (592). <br/> Ezekiel's vision of the appearance of a man clothed in linen. Ezekiel 8:1.

*591. The 7th year, the word of the L<small>ORD</small> when the elders came to Ezekiel to inquire of the L<small>ORD</small>. Ezekiel 20:1. <br/> 3,023 persons were carried away by Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah 52:28. <br/> Nabuchodonosor/Nebuchadnezzar overthrew and utterly destroyed Arphaxad, and plundered Ecbatana. He captured Arphaxad and stuck him down with hunting spears. Judith 1:13-16. <br/> The 17th/18th year of Nabuchodonosor. <br/> Nabuchodonosor/Nebuchadnezzar sent his general [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7824-holofernes-holophernes Holofernes/ Holophernes] (evidently a name of Persian origin) <ref name=Mackey/> to take revenge on the whole territory of Cilicia, Damascus, Syria, Moab, Ammon, all Judea, and Egypt. Judith 2:1. <br/> The Jews had only recently returned from the captivity (2 Chronicles 34-35),<ref>The earlier Assyrian captivity. [http://pages.ucsd.edu/~dkjordan/arch/heb/Judith.html Hebrew Tales: The Story of Judith], University of California (pages.ucsd.edu)</ref> and all the people of Judea were newly gathered together, and the sacred vessels and the altar had been newly consecrated after their profanation. <br/> Judith 4:1-3. Baruch 1:8-9 <br/> [http://biblehub.com/topical/j/joakim.htm Joakim/Eliakim] son of Hilkiah was high priest in Jerusalem. Judith 4:6; Baruch 1:7. <ref>The prefatory introduction to the Book of Judith in the Douay-Rheims Bible says that the sacred writer of the book is generally believed to be the high priest Eliachim, also called Joachim (Joakim). The text of Judith in the Douay-Rheims renders Joakim as "Eliachim". Judith 4:5-6, 10; 15:9. See multiple versions of Judith 4:5/4:6:<br/>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judith%204:6&version=CEB CEB Joakim],<br/>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judith%204:5&version=DRA DR Eliachim],<br/>[http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1611_Judith-4-6/ KJV 1611 Ioacim],<br/>[http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Judith-4-6/ KJV 1769 Joacim],<br/>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judith%204:6&version=NABRE NABRE Joakim],<br/>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judith%204:6&version=NRSV NRSV Joakim],<br/>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judith%204:6&version=RSV RSV Jo'akim],<br/>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judith%204:6&version=RSVCE RSVCE Jo'akim],<br/>[http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/vul/jdt004.htm Vulgate ch. 4 (see v.'''5''') Eliachim],<br/>[http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/septuagint/chapter.asp?book=19&page=4 Septuagint (LXX) ch. 4 ''scroll down'' (see v.'''6''') Joacim.] <br/> It is not impossible that [http://biblehub.com/topical/e/eliakim.htm  Joakim/Eliakim/Eliachim the high priest], son of [http://biblehub.com/topical/h/hilkiah.htm Hilkiah the high priest], as a high-ranking member of the court of Judah, should be appointed by God to also function as master of the palace, steward and prime minister of the country, chief among those charged with overseeing and directing the welfare of the people. He did not need to issue orders in the name of the king or consult with him for permission to act. It is not strange that the ineffective and vacillating King Zedekiah is never mentioned in the Book of Judith. See [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=isaiah%2022:15-25&version=KJV Isaiah 22:15-25.], [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=zechariah%203:1-7&version=KJV Zechariah 3:1-7], and [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=zechariah%206:9-14&version=KJV Zechariah 6:9-14.] <br/>Joakim exercised religious and military authority comparable to that of Jonathan in Maccabean times (see [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1maccabees%2010:18-21&version=DRA 1 Maccabees 10:18–21])</ref> <br/> He was the brother of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok the high priest. Azariah was the father of Seraiah, the father of [http://biblehub.com/topical/j/jozadak.htm Jozadak/Jehozadak] the father of Jeshua, who was high priest in the days of Zerubbabel after the Exile. <br/> [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1chronicles%206:13-15&version=KJV 1 Chronicles 6:13-15]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ezra%203:2&version=KJV Ezra 3:2].)

*591. The 7th year, the word of the L<small>ORD</small> when the elders came to Ezekiel to inquire of the L<small>ORD</small>. Ezekiel 20:1. <br/> 3,023 persons were carried away by Nebuchadnezzar. Jeremiah 52:28. <br/> Nabuchodonosor/Nebuchadnezzar overthrew and utterly destroyed Arphaxad, and plundered Ecbatana. He captured Arphaxad and stuck him down with hunting spears. Judith 1:13-16. <br/> The 17th/18th year of Nabuchodonosor. <br/> Nabuchodonosor/Nebuchadnezzar sent his general [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/7824-holofernes-holophernes Holofernes/ Holophernes] (evidently a name of Persian origin) <ref name=Mackey/> to take revenge on the whole territory of Cilicia, Damascus, Syria, Moab, Ammon, all Judea, and Egypt. Judith 2:1. <br/> The Jews had only recently returned from the captivity (2 Chronicles 34-35),<ref>The earlier Assyrian captivity. [http://pages.ucsd.edu/~dkjordan/arch/heb/Judith.html Hebrew Tales: The Story of Judith], University of California (pages.ucsd.edu)</ref> and all the people of Judea were newly gathered together, and the sacred vessels and the altar had been newly consecrated after their profanation. <br/> Judith 4:1-3. Baruch 1:8-9 <br/> [http://biblehub.com/topical/j/joakim.htm Joakim/Eliakim] son of Hilkiah was high priest in Jerusalem. Judith 4:6; Baruch 1:7.<ref>The prefatory introduction to the Book of Judith in the Douay-Rheims Bible says that the sacred writer of the book is generally believed to be the high priest Eliachim, also called Joachim (Joakim). The text of Judith in the Douay-Rheims renders Joakim as "Eliachim". Judith 4:5-6, 10; 15:9. See multiple versions of Judith 4:5/4:6:<br/>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judith%204:6&version=CEB CEB Joakim],<br/>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judith%204:5&version=DRA DR Eliachim],<br/>[http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1611_Judith-4-6/ KJV 1611 Ioacim],<br/>[http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Judith-4-6/ KJV 1769 Joacim],<br/>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judith%204:6&version=NABRE NABRE Joakim],<br/>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judith%204:6&version=NRSV NRSV Joakim],<br/>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judith%204:6&version=RSV RSV Jo'akim],<br/>[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=judith%204:6&version=RSVCE RSVCE Jo'akim],<br/>[http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/vul/jdt004.htm Vulgate ch. 4 (see v.'''5''') Eliachim],<br/>[http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/septuagint/chapter.asp?book=19&page=4 Septuagint (LXX) ch. 4 ''scroll down'' (see v.'''6''') Joacim.] <br/> It is not impossible that [http://biblehub.com/topical/e/eliakim.htm  Joakim/Eliakim/Eliachim the high priest], son of [http://biblehub.com/topical/h/hilkiah.htm Hilkiah the high priest], as a high-ranking member of the court of Judah, should be appointed by God to also function as master of the palace, steward and prime minister of the country, chief among those charged with overseeing and directing the welfare of the people. He did not need to issue orders in the name of the king or consult with him for permission to act. It is not strange that the ineffective and vacillating King Zedekiah is never mentioned in the Book of Judith. See [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=isaiah%2022:15-25&version=KJV Isaiah 22:15-25.], [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=zechariah%203:1-7&version=KJV Zechariah 3:1-7], and [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=zechariah%206:9-14&version=KJV Zechariah 6:9-14.] <br/>Joakim exercised religious and military authority comparable to that of Jonathan in Maccabean times (see [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1maccabees%2010:18-21&version=DRA 1 Maccabees 10:18–21])</ref> <br/> He was the brother of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok the high priest. Azariah was the father of Seraiah, the father of [http://biblehub.com/topical/j/jozadak.htm Jozadak/Jehozadak] the father of Jeshua, who was high priest in the days of Zerubbabel after the Exile. <br/> [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1chronicles%206:13-15&version=KJV 1 Chronicles 6:13-15]; [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ezra%203:2&version=KJV Ezra 3:2].)

*589. The 9th year, 10th month, 10th day. "''The king of Babylon has this day laid siege to Jerusalem.''" 2 Kings 23:31–24:1; Ezekiel 24:1-2. <br/> The 9th year of Zedekiah, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem. Jeremiah 39:1. <br/> 589. [http://www.berenddeboer.net/sab/dan/1.html last siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar.] 607, 599, 587 (?).<br/> Zephaniah was the priest whom Zedekiah sent to Jeremiah asking him to pray for the nation.<ref name=Zephaniah>"Zephaniah 2.", "Zephaniah, book of", Paul L. Redditt and E. Ray Clendenen, ''Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary'', pp. 1706-1707.</ref> Jeremiah 21:1-7; 37:3-21. <br/> Judith beheaded Holofernes, the Assyrian army was dismayed and they fled. Judith 14:18–15:2. "''no one ever again spread terror among the people of Israel in the days of Judith or for a long time after her death.''" Judith 16:25. <br/> Jeremiah does say the Chaldeans suddenly withdrew. Jeremiah 37:5.

*589. The 9th year, 10th month, 10th day. "''The king of Babylon has this day laid siege to Jerusalem.''" 2 Kings 23:31–24:1; Ezekiel 24:1-2. <br/> The 9th year of Zedekiah, Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem. Jeremiah 39:1. <br/> 589. [http://www.berenddeboer.net/sab/dan/1.html last siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar.] 607, 599, 587 (?).<br/> Zephaniah was the priest whom Zedekiah sent to Jeremiah asking him to pray for the nation.<ref name=Zephaniah>"Zephaniah 2.", "Zephaniah, book of", Paul L. Redditt and E. Ray Clendenen, ''Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary'', pp. 1706-1707.</ref> Jeremiah 21:1-7; 37:3-21. <br/> Judith beheaded Holofernes, the Assyrian army was dismayed and they fled. Judith 14:18–15:2. "''no one ever again spread terror among the people of Israel in the days of Judith or for a long time after her death.''" Judith 16:25. <br/> Jeremiah does say the Chaldeans suddenly withdrew. Jeremiah 37:5.

: "''no one ever again spread terror among the people of Israel in the days of Judith or for a long time after her death.''" <br/>(reading ''"Judith = Judas Maccabeus"'') Judith 16:25.

: "''no one ever again spread terror among the people of Israel in the days of Judith or for a long time after her death.''" <br/>(reading ''"Judith = Judas Maccabeus"'') Judith 16:25.

On the fifth day of Hanukah, Jews eat cheese and other dairy products to remember Judith's great deed which parallels the Maccabees' in 167 B.C..<ref>[http://arthistory.about.com/od/stories_from_sacred_texts/a/story_of_judith.htm The Story of Judith: Art History Stories from Sacred Texts, By Beth Gersh-Nesic]</ref>

On the fifth day of Hanukah, Jews eat cheese and other dairy products to remember Judith's great deed which parallels the Maccabees' in 167 B.C.<ref>[http://arthistory.about.com/od/stories_from_sacred_texts/a/story_of_judith.htm The Story of Judith: Art History Stories from Sacred Texts, By Beth Gersh-Nesic]</ref>

===Original language===

===Original language===

As with other books in the Apocrypha, there are seeming anachronisms, most notably the claim that Nebuchadnezzar ruled over the Assyrian Empire from Nineveh. He actually ruled over Babylonia. Plus, Nebuchadnezzar’s father, Nabopolassar, had destroyed Nineveh years earlier, making this story’s history suspect for many. However, many view this account as a variation of the Exodus story, where faith in God and reliance on Him for deliverance from fear and protection from harm and evil is what believers must always do. This book is regarded as an appropriate reflection during the Passover celebration.

As with other books in the Apocrypha, there are seeming anachronisms, most notably the claim that Nebuchadnezzar ruled over the Assyrian Empire from Nineveh. He actually ruled over Babylonia. Plus, Nebuchadnezzar’s father, Nabopolassar, had destroyed Nineveh years earlier, making this story’s history suspect for many. However, many view this account as a variation of the Exodus story, where faith in God and reliance on Him for deliverance from fear and protection from harm and evil is what believers must always do. This book is regarded as an appropriate reflection during the Passover celebration.

The Book of Judith (second or early first century B.C.) appears to many to be an imaginative, highly fictionalized, romance that entertains as it edifies. From a literary perspective, the book is an artistic masterpiece, constructed in two parts (1:1–7:32, 8:1–16:25), with each internally ordered by a threefold ''chiastic'' pattern.<ref>[http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-chiastic-structure.htm wiseGEEK.com Clear Answers for Common Questions. What is a Chiastic Structure?]<br/>[http://newtestamentresearch.com/nt%20research-mk%202/chiastic_structuring.htm Chiastic Structuring: An Introduction]<br/>[http://www.wonderful1.com/Chiasms_in_the_Bible.html Chiasms in the Bible]</ref> Numerous correspondences between the two halves of the story provide elegant compositional symmetries. The Book of Judith is a story of balance and counter-balance that makes the point that God’s people have all they need to survive if they rely wholeheartedly on the covenant.

The Book of Judith (second or early first century B.C.) appears to many to be an imaginative, highly fictionalized, romance that entertains as it edifies. From a literary perspective, the book is an artistic masterpiece, constructed in two parts (1:1–7:32, 8:1–16:25), with each internally ordered by a threefold ''chiastic'' pattern.<ref>[http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-chiastic-structure.htm wiseGEEK.com Clear Answers for Common Questions. What is a Chiastic Structure?]<br/>[http://newtestamentresearch.com/nt%20research-mk%202/chiastic_structuring.htm Chiastic Structuring: An Introduction]<br/>[http://www.wonderful1.com/Chiasms_in_the_Bible.html Chiasms in the Bible]</ref> Numerous correspondences between the two halves of the story provide elegant compositional symmetries. The Book of Judith is a story of balance and counterbalance that makes the point that God’s people have all they need to survive if they rely wholeheartedly on the covenant.

Judith is conventional in upholding inheritance and purity rights, in prayer and fasting, in her ideas about God’s providence. She is unconventional in upbraiding the male leaders of her town for what they have said about God, though she does this within the privacy of her own home. No other woman in the Bible has another woman in charge of her estate; no other childless woman refuses to marry. On her account, “No one ever again spread terror among the Israelites during the lifetime of Judith, or for a long time after her death” (16:25).

Judith is conventional in upholding inheritance and purity rights, in prayer and fasting, in her ideas about God’s providence. She is unconventional in upbraiding the male leaders of her town for what they have said about God, though she does this within the privacy of her own home. No other woman in the Bible has another woman in charge of her estate; no other childless woman refuses to marry. On her account, “No one ever again spread terror among the Israelites during the lifetime of Judith, or for a long time after her death” (16:25).

==External links==

==External links==

[http://matt1618.freeyellow.com/cloud.html Refuting an Attack on the Deuterocanonicals. A Response to 11 ‘reasons’ that the Deuterocanonicals Should be Thrown Out of the Bible, By Matt1618. Introduction] (matt1618.freeyellow.com)

* [http://matt1618.freeyellow.com/cloud.html Refuting an Attack on the Deuterocanonicals. A Response to 11 ‘reasons’ that the Deuterocanonicals Should be Thrown Out of the Bible, By Matt1618. Introduction] (matt1618.freeyellow.com)

 

* [http://www.scripturecatholic.com/septuagint.html Septuagint Quotes in the New Testament]

[http://www.scripturecatholic.com/septuagint.html Septuagint Quotes in the New Testament]

* [http://www.bible.ca/catholic-apocrypha.htm Roman Catholic and Orthodox Faith Examined, and The Apocrypha: "Reasons why the Apocrypha does NOT belong in the Bible!"] (bible.ca)

 

* [http://carm.org/why-apocrypha-not-in-bible CARM Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry: Reasons why the Apocrypha does not belong in the Bible, by Ryan Turner] (carm.org)

[http://www.bible.ca/catholic-apocrypha.htm Roman Catholic and Orthodox Faith Examined, and The Apocrypha: "Reasons why the Apocrypha does NOT belong in the Bible!"] (bible.ca)

* [http://matt1618.freeyellow.com/chapter2.html Reasoning From the Scriptures with Ron Rhodes Critique of Chapter 2, Does the Apocrypha Belong in the Bible?, by Matt1618]

 

* [http://www.wmcarey.edu/browning/Classes/HOB/BibleD-OTText.pdf The Old Testament Text. (wmcarey.edu/browning/Classes)]

[http://carm.org/why-apocrypha-not-in-bible CARM Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry: Reasons why the Apocrypha does not belong in the Bible, by Ryan Turner] (carm.org)

* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08554a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Judith] (newadvent.org)

 

* [http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/judith-a-remarkable-heroine/ Judith: A Remarkable Heroine – Biblical Archaeology Society] (biblicalarchaeology.org)

[http://matt1618.freeyellow.com/chapter2.html Reasoning From the Scriptures with Ron Rhodes Critique of Chapter 2, Does the Apocrypha Belong in the Bible?, by Matt1618]

* [http://www.womeninthebible.net/1.15.Judith.htm JUDITH in the BIBLE: Jewish beauty beheads enemy general] (womeninthebible.net)

 

* [http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Book_of_Judith New World Encyclopedia: Book of Judith] (newworldencyclopedia.org)

[http://www.wmcarey.edu/browning/Classes/HOB/BibleD-OTText.pdf The Old Testament Text. (wmcarey.edu/browning/Classes)]

* [http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/judith-apocrypha Craven, Toni. "Judith: Apocrypha." Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. 20 March 2009. Jewish Women's Archive.] (jwa.org).

 

* [http://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9434470/ University of Massechussetts. "Representing the Biblical Judith in literature and art: An intertextual cultural critique", Peggy L. Curry, University of Massachusetts - Amherst]  

[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08554a.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Judith] (newadvent.org)

* [http://www.tldm.org/bible/old%20testament/judith.htm Book of Judith, with chapter headings] (tldm.org)

 

* [http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/septuagint/default.asp Greek and English Septuagint] <br/> [http://vulgate.org/ Latin and English Vulgate]<br/>[http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Apocrypha-Books/ King James Apocrypha Online]

[http://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/people-cultures-in-the-bible/people-in-the-bible/judith-a-remarkable-heroine/ Judith: A Remarkable Heroine – Biblical Archaeology Society] (biblicalarchaeology.org)

 

[http://www.womeninthebible.net/1.15.Judith.htm JUDITH in the BIBLE: Jewish beauty beheads enemy general] (womeninthebible.net)

 

[http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Book_of_Judith New World Encyclopedia: Book of Judith] (newworldencyclopedia.org)

 

[http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/judith-apocrypha Craven, Toni. "Judith: Apocrypha." Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia. 20 March 2009. Jewish Women's Archive.] (jwa.org).

 

[http://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9434470/ University of Massechussetts. "Representing the Biblical Judith in literature and art: An intertextual cultural critique", Peggy L. Curry, University of Massachusetts - Amherst]  

 

[http://www.tldm.org/bible/old%20testament/judith.htm Book of Judith, with chapter headings] (tldm.org)

 

[http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/septuagint/default.asp Greek and English Septuagint] <br/> [http://vulgate.org/ Latin and English Vulgate]<br/>[http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Apocrypha-Books/ King James Apocrypha Online]

[[Category:Old Testament]]

[[Category:Old Testament]]