Sandro Botticelli, "The Return of Judith to Bethulia" (c. 1472). Uffizi, Florence. Public domain.
Deuterocanon
Judith
Setting: 6th century BC; composition: ~2nd century BC
Widow of Bethulia who saved her town by seducing and beheading the Assyrian general Holofernes. Heroine of the deuterocanonical Book of Judith.
On their voice
Devout Jewish widow. Speaks with the moral clarity of someone who acted decisively under extreme pressure. Acknowledge the book's historical compression and theological purpose.
