The kings in the northern kingdom of israel during his time were jeroboam ii, zechariah, shallum, menahem, pekahiah, pekah, and hoshea. They would rather be slaves to the assyrians than be dead. However, the book goes not so far as joshua and later 12 maccabees which order and condone terrorist methods against the enemies. Mordecai put on sackcloth in the book of esther, but the book does not say he prayed. It tells of a jewish widow, judith, who uses her beauty and charm to destroy an assyrian general and save israel from oppression. Who proposed surrender to the assyrians if there was no help within five days. Feb 04, 2021 the book of judith is especially striking for its feminism.
Uzziah, in the old testament 2 chronicles 26, son and successor of amaziah, and king of judah for 52 years c. This verse, an echo of deborahs vindication of jaels similar, handson murder of sisera judges 4. Uzziah and the towns other magistrates succumb the townspeoples demands and say they will. However, the original text was lost, and only a greek translation remained, and not a very accurate one at that. In the apocrypha, judith is the saint who murdered for her people. Pdf the book of judith is relatively often discussed nowadays, mainly because of its. Both women are in an ambiguous social situation when we first meet them in the bible. And judith had heard all the words that uzziah and the elders had spoken unto the people, and that they had sworn to deliver the city unto the assyrians after five days. What does the name uzziah mean in hebrew, and how will judith outshine. Judith, who leads an ascetic and solitary life, summons uzziah and his fellow. The story first appeared in a very ancient book named after the heroine, yehudit judith, and it was written in hebrew. The only divine attribute named in the creed is gods omnipotence. Judith told everything she had done the previous days. This theme is developed further in judith 78, in the elder uzziah s answer to the crying israelites, and then judith.
Uzziah praised judith and all the people prostrated themselves and worshipped god. Joakim, the high priest and leader of the council in jerusalem. Uzziah, also known as azariah, was the tenth king of the ancient kingdom of judah, and one of amaziahs sons. From a literary perspective, the book is an artistic masterpiece, constructed in two parts 1. Whatever the reasons, the rabbis did not count judith among their scriptures, and the reformation adopted that position. When her town was besieged and death stared them all in the face, judith hatched a plan to save herself and the townspeople. He sent out groups of soldiers instead of one big army of 307,500 soldiers vs. Judith is considered the ultimate wise, clever woman after helping uzziah and. What did holofernes do to make the people of bethulia surrender without war. Judith 8 at that time, judith heard about uzziah s decision. As we study his life, we discover the wonderful strength of seeking god and the dreadful weakness of pride. The bethulians are overcome by hunger and thirst and ask their leaders to surrender. How worthy of praise is the lord god who created heaven and earth.
Via a literary approach which sees judith as a fictional short story, this. His name is given as azariah in the book of kings and uzziah in chronicles. Uzziah was successful in war and peace, in planning and execution, in building and planting. Study questions for the ignatius catholic study bible. But it illustrates, quite vividly, the importance of holding fast to god. The surviving greek manuscripts contain several historical anachronisms, which is why some scholars now consider the book nonhistorical.
So, in a deep sense this was not a test of god, but of them. The story is set much earlier, in the reign of the imperialist babylonian king nebuchadnezzar c. Shorter medieval hebrew tales of judith open book publishers. The book of judithconsidered canonical by roman catholics, apocrypha literature by. As a result, today the story of judith is better known to many christians than to most jews. Study questions for the ignatius catholic study bible the book of judith scott hahn and curtis mitch. Uzziah, the magistrate of bethulia, the city besieged by holofernes and the assyrian army. Josephs ancestors were oziel, elkiah, ananias, gideon, raphaim, ahitub, elijah, hilkiah, eliab, nathanael, salamiel, sarasadai, and israel. Uzziah, the magistrate of bethulia, the city besieged by. They needed water to fill the cisterns since the assyrians had cut their water supply 34 days earlier. Sep 10, 2012 the book of judith is a carefully crafted work that combines a good story with a powerful theological punch.
The book of judith is anonymous, written by a palestinian jew who writes in greek with a distinctive hebrew accent, probably in the late 2nd century bce or early 1st century bce. Ministering during uzziah s reign were the prophets hosea, isaiah, amos, and jonah. It is not clearly known when the story which we are about to tell actually took place. She was the daughter of merari son of ox, son of joseph, son of oziel, son of elkiah, son of ananias, son of gideon, son of raphaim, son of ahitub, son of elijah, son of hilkiah, son of eliab, son of nathanael, son of salamiel, son of. He was outstanding in everything we associate with a good ruler. Aug 28, 20 but judith heard the evil words that the people had spoken against the ruler, because their courage failed them for lack of water. However in this interaction, often distinct personality traits of the secondary character likewise appear. She exhibits characteristics showing her the equal of israels finest warriors. The minor characters in the books often play similar roles.
Judith then showed the head of holofernes and said, this is the head of holofernes, generalinchief of the assyrian army. Thieles chronology has uzziah becoming coregent with his father amaziah in 792791 bce, and sole ruler of judah after his fathers death in 768767 bce. Judith enters the scene by the time judith is introduced in the eighth chapter, the israelites water had been cut off and their courage had failed them. Uzziah, the chief magistrate, persuades the people to wait five days. Contrast uzziah s expectation from god in verse 31 with judith s expectation in verse 33. This article looks at selected secondary characters in the book of judith. Uzziah and the towns other magistrates succumb the townspeoples demands and say they.
The book of judith s truly remarkable heroine, judith, introduced as a devout, shapely, beautiful and wealthy widow judith 8. Judith is volume 40 in the acclaimed anchor bible series of new book by book translations of the old and new testaments and apocrypha. Judiths plan after purifying herself and praying diligently, judith was ready to go forth. Uzziah and others wanted to defend their town, but they were con. The book of judith considered canonical by roman catholics, apocrypha literature by. Judith asks uzziah and the elders to stand at the gates when she and the maid leave. She, however, had no intentions of praying for rain.
King nebuchadnezzar of nineveh and assyria determines to punish the vassal states on his western border after they fail to send soldiers to support him in his war against king arphaxad. Indeed her beheading of holofernes, the invading assyrian generalin his own tent, with his own sword, and surrounded by his own heretofore victorious army, no less. Uzziah and the bethulian elders are a group of characters that deserve. As long as uzziah made a point to seek god, god made him prosperous 2 chronicles 26. She coolly seduced, then murdered the enemy general holofernes and hung his severed head on the city walls. Lesson 2 the book of judith ministudy catholic way. Judith is a history, and its historical accuracy has been verified by several archeological discoveries.
Simeonite uzziah of the book of judith a historical. How does judith describe gods omnipotence verses 9. Uzziah called judith a redeemer for the people, a mediator between the citizens and god similar to moses, perhaps. Wisely appealing to their senses of sight and smell, she mesmerizes them. Uzziah overestimated his own importance in bringing about the great achievements he experienced. Pdf moral teaching of the book of judith researchgate. Indeed her beheading of holofernes, the invading assyrian generalin his own tent, with his own sword, and surrounded by his own. The book is filled with double entendres and ironic situations, e.
In the earlier part of his reign, under the influence of a prophet named zechariah, he was faithful to god, and did that which was right in the eyes of the lord 2 kings 15. Judith of bethulia quiz i women of the bible quiz questions. Josephs ancestors were oziel, elkiah, ananias, gideon, raphaim, ahitub, elijah, hilkiah, eliab, nat. Via a literary approach which sees judith as a fictional short story, this article examines the contributions of selected characters who play supporting roles to judith. Dec 12, 2018 uzziah s praise of judith is very similar to gabriels salutation to mary luke1. She was the daughter of merari, the granddaughter of ox and the greatgranddaughter of joseph. Judith 8 nrsvce the character of judith now in those. Uzziah took the throne at the age of 16, and reigned for about 52 years.
Uzziah was the grandson of joash, a king of judah, who began his career at the age of seven when crowned by the priest jehoiada. He promises that if god does not intervene and save them during the five days, they will surrender. The first 24 years of his reign were as coregent with his father, amaziah. But it is one of the apocryphal texts and is included in the new testament. Judith is one of only four women for whom a biblical book is named the others are ruth, esther, and susanna. Mary, of course, was a betrothed virgin, and judith was a childless widow. She offered herself to holofernes, the assyrian general sent by nebuchadnezzar to destroy the israelites. Youve argued in your article is the book of judith historically accurate. Judith was a beautiful, clever, coolwitted widow in the ancient town of bethuliah. Throughout the book, it seems judith merely smiles and men collapse judith 10. Uzziah and the leaders were persuaded by her wisdom and wanted judith to pray with them.
The book of judith has an extraordinary teaching about what god is and is not judith 8. Judith, the feminine form of the masculine name judah, means jewess. What is the purpose of the detailed description in 1. The young men and the women also hurried to the assembly. Uzziah was 16 when he became king of judah and reigned for 52 years. He guided you as you cut off the head of our deadliest enemy. Relevant to our efforts to merge kings, chronicles and isaiah kci with the book of judith boj is the need now to test whether isaiah himself can find his appropriate match in the simeonite uzziah, chief magistrate of judith s town of bethulia, who in the context of our reconstruction must have been a great man in the kingdom of king hezekiah of judah. How did god use judiths attributes to bring her safely before holofernes. They were crying out to god and complaining to the elders and uzziah, of the tribe of simeon. The book of judith second or early first century b.
Interpreters argue about whether judith is a positive or negative role model for readers then and now. Judith as such merges two strong biblical traditions. Judith 8 new revised standard version catholic edition nrsvce the character of judith. As the narrative unfolds, judith is consistently depicted as superior to the men with whom she is associated. Protestants dont have it in their bibles, and many catholics do, but wouldnt know it. Called to be mary, called to be judith the harvard ichthus.
It says that god is not a human being to be bargained with or put to the test. King uzziah in the bible is shown as a wonderfully intelligent and innovative king, under whom the state of judah prospered 2 chronicles 26. Achior was made to stand with all the people surrounding him, and uzziah questioned him about what had happened. The book of judith is not factual history, but should be regarded as didactic fiction, i. All of the quotes in my commentary on judith are from moore, judith, anchor bible. Jan 19, 2020 judith, the truly remarkable heroine of the book of judith, is introduced as a devout, shapely, beautiful and wealthy widow judith 8. The oldest extant text of judith is the preservation of 15. The early church, however, held this book in high honor. In creating a protagonist the author has chosen a woman, who calls to mind the israelite heroines of the past judith the jewess. The book of judith is a deuterocanonical book, included in the septuagint and the catholic and eastern orthodox christian old testament of the bible, but excluded from the hebrew canon and assigned by protestants to their apocrypha. The book of judith is found in the apocrypha, a group of books con tained in the septuagint but not in. Most of the kings who ruled judah and israel were idolatrous, although a few were not. How did god use judiths attributes to bring her safely before holofer. Uzziah also called azariah was a remarkably successful king.
This article investigates the story of judith, using the greimassian approach to. The strength of the good king uzziah became king of judah at age sixteen, following the death of his father, amaziah. Unfortunately, after zechariah died, uzziah made some mistakes later in his life. She is clever in that she does not hesitate to use deceit in her dealings with holofernes. Conspicuously absent from the book of judith, though, is the bibles king hezekiah. The book of judith was written down about 100 bc, and variants of it are preserved in greek and latin, although it was probably composed in hebrew. His reign was the most prosperous excepting that of jehoshaphat since the time of solomon. Indeed, the book of judith is filled with many allusions to biblical characters. What mistake did holofernes make when he was dining with judith. He structured his army in a modern way, more adapted to fight against the enemies of judah. He did so many things well that a consuming pride gradually invaded his life like the leprous disease that finally destroyed his body. Equal to the encounter, and playful with her use of the address lord, which holofernes hears as deference to him, but judith means as reference to god, judith promises to tell him nothing false 11.
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