Difference between revisions of "Judith"

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*ANCIENT SOURCES: see [[Judith (sources)]]
#REDIRECT [[:Category:Judith (subject)]]
*SCHOLARLY AND FICTIONAL WORKS: see [[Judith (works)]]


'''Judith''' is a literary character, the protagonist of the Book of Judith.
==Overview==
According to the book of Judith, Judith was a wealthy and beautiful widow, who freed her people by killing Nebuchadnezzar's general [[Holofernes]] who was about to invade the land of Israel.
==Judith in ancient sources==
*See [[Book of Judith]]
==Judith in Scholarship==
Scholarly research focuses on the study of the [[:Category:Book of Judith (text)|Book of Judith]]. The suggestion that Judith could be a fictional counterpart of the Hasmonean Queen [[Salome Alexandra]], facing the invasion of the Armenian King [[Tigranes the Great]] would give some historical relevance to the character.
==Judith in Fiction==
Judith enjoyed an extraordinary success in Christian iconography, especially in the period of the Counter-Reformation, as a symbol of the inviolability and invincibility of the Church. What made the subject so appealing to artists and audience, however, was not as much its theological meaning but rather the opportunity it offered to portray a heroine in which beauty and strength were united. Judith was usually depicted in the act of beheading Holofernes, or triumphant with the sword and the head of Holofernes, often in company with her maidservant, by artists such as [[Titian]], [[Caravaggio]], [[Valentin de Boulogne]], and many others. In the 18th century, the most illustrious composers (including Scarlatti and  Vivaldi) made Judith the protagonist of celebrated oratorios. ''La Betulia liberata'' by [[Pietro Metastasio]] became one of the most popular librettos, set to music by numerous composers, including the young Mozart. In the 19th century, Judith as other biblical heroines underwent her transformation into an Oriental beauty. The result was that her character became more and more similar to, and competing with, that of [[Salome]]. By the early 20th century, Salome replaced Judith as the most popular Biblical heroine, by taking up most of her features and adding that touch of youthful perversion that the pious widow Judith could not have.
The most comprehensive monograph on Judith in the art is [[Judith, Sexual Warrior (1998 Stocker), book]].
==Related categories==
*[[:Category:Book of Judith (text)|Book of Judith (text)]]
*[[Salome Alexandra|Salome Alexandra (subject)]] / [[Tigranes the Great|Tigranes the Great (subject)]]
==External links==
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Judith Wikipedia]


[[Category:Index]]
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[[Category:People]]
[[Category:People]]

Latest revision as of 06:31, 10 February 2012

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