Texts in Conversation
In Judith 14, the death of the Assyrian leader Holofernes is discovered at night and followed by a loud outcry, closely echoing the scene in Exodus 12 where Egypt wails after the death of the firstborn. Judith is likely shaping its own narrative to closely follow the patterns of the Exodus narrative.
Share:
Exodus 12:30
Hebrew Bible
29 It happened at midnight—the Lord attacked all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the prison, and all the firstborn of the cattle. 30 Pharaoh got up in the night, along with all his servants and all Egypt, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no house in which there was not someone dead. 31 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron in the night and said, “Get up, get out from among my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, serve the Lord as you have requested!
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Judith 14:19
Deuterocanon
17 Then he went to the tent where Judith had stayed, and when he did not find her, he rushed out to the people and shouted, 18 "The slaves have tricked us! One Hebrew woman has brought disgrace on the house of King Nebuchadnezzar. Look, Holofernes is lying on the ground, and his head is missing!" 19 When the leaders of the Assyrian army heard this, they tore their tunics and were greatly dismayed, and their loud cries and shouts rose up throughout the camp.
Date: 150-100 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Source
Search:
Notes and References
"... In several ways Holofernes resembles the Pharaoh at the time of the exodus, while Judith exhibits similarities to both Moses and Miriam. The contest between Israel's God and Holofernes is comparable to the dispute between the Lord and Pharaoh in Exodus. For instance, Pharaoh's question about Israel's God, ('Who is he?', Exodus 5:2), is loosely echoed in Holofernes' defiant question, ('Who is God if not Nebuchadnezzar?', Judith 6:2). The answer to both these questions comes in the victory songs, since Judith's song of triumph (Judith 16:1-17) echoes the Song of Moses and Miriam at the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1-21). When Judith 16:2 sings: 'The Lord is a God who crushes wars', it alludes to the Greek form of Exodus 15:3: 'the Lord who crushes wars'. Moreover, after a decisive blow against the foreign oppressor has taken place at night (Exodus 12:29; Judith 13:1), the discovery produces a loud cry. Just as when the Egyptians discovered the death of the firstborn, ('A great shouting happened', Exodus 12:30), so when the Assyrians discovered the death of Holofernes, ('Their shouting and cry became very great', Judith 14:19) ..."
Corley, Jeremy
"Imitation of Septuagintal Narrative and Greek Historiography in the Portrait of Holofernes" in Xeravits, Géza G. (ed.) A Pious Seductress: Studies in the Book of Judith
(pp. 22-54) De Gruyter, 2012
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.