A Woman to Know: Judith
Judith went to the bedpost by Holofernes' head and took down his sword. She came closer, seized Holofernes by the hair of his head and said, 'O Lord, God of Israel, give me my strength now.' - The Book of Judith
(image credit: Artemisia Gentileschi, "Judith Slaying Holofernes," Art Institute of Chicago)
She's immortalized in countless paintings and sculptures and texts, but at its very bloody heart, Judith's story is all about one night.
Holofernes was going to conquer Judith's hometown, so she flirted up a storm and snuck into his tent and decapitated him.
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(image credit: Caravaggio, "Judith Beheading Holofernes," Wikimedia Commons)
Add to your reading list:
Judith: Sexual Warrior: Women and Power in Western Culture (Margarita Stocker)
A Feminist Companion to Esther, Judith and Susanna (Athalya Brenner)
Sisters at Sinai: New Tales of Biblical Women (Jill Hammer)
The Sword of Judith: Judith Studies Across the Disciplines (Kevin R. Brine, Elena Ciletti)
Violence & Virtue: Artemisia's "Judith Slaying Holofernes" (The Art Institute of Chicago)
Read more:
Hidden meanings in paintings of Judith (Women in the Bible)
The Book of Judith (American Bible Society)
Judith: Apocrypha (The Jewish Women's Archive)
Judtih: A Remarkable Heroine (Biblical Archaeology)
Judy Chicago's "The Dinner Party: Judith" (The Brooklyn Museum)
Great works: Judith beheading Holofernes (The Independent)
See more:
Judith decapitating Holofernes (The Walters Art Museum)
Violence and Virtue in "Judith Slaying Holofernes" (Art Institute of Chicago)
Gustav Klimt's Judiths (Art Corner)
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So many thanks to Dana Balch for recommending today's lady as a woman to know! You can follow her on Twitter.