's painting Judith Slaying Holofernes, 1614–1620]], 1613]] Holofernes (; ) was an invading general in the Book of Judith, who was beheaded by Judith, who entered his camp and decapitated him while he was intoxicated.
Etymology
The name 'Holofernes' is derived from the
Old Persian name , meaning "with wide-reaching glory", and is composed of the terms , meaning "wide", and , meaning "glory".
Biblical account
According to the Book of Judith, Holofernes had been dispatched by "Nebuchadnezzar" to take vengeance on
Israelites, which had withheld assistance in his most recent war. Having occupied every land along the coastline, Holofernes outlawed the worship of any god other than Nebuchadnezzar. Despite being warned against attacking the
Israelites by Achior, the leader of the
, Holofernes laid
siege to the city of
Bethulia. The city almost fell to the invading army because Holofernes' advance stopped the water supply to Bethulia, which led to its people encouraging their rulers to capitulate. The leaders vowed to surrender if no help arrived within five days.
Bethulia was saved by Judith, a
widow, who entered the camp of Holofernes, seduced him, and got him drunk before beheading him. She returned to Bethulia with the severed head. The assassination of Holofernes led to the defeat of his army.
Identification
The
Catholic Church has traditionally maintained the
historicity of the Book of Judith, setting it to the reign of Manasseh of Judah. As a result, this Holofernes would be the
Turtanu of
Ashurbanipal's armies.
Catholic apologist
Jimmy Akin has speculated that the book of Judith could be a
roman à clef, a historical record with different names for people and places, which would explain the different names.
There are historical references to a "Holofernes" in the Persian king Artaxerxes III Ochus's army, which led some to speculate that this is the Holofernes described in this book. However, this idea is generally rejected as implausible.[Noah Calvin Hirschy, Artaxerxes III Ochus and His Reign, p. 81 (Univ. of Chicago Press 1909).]
Because the Hebrew manuscripts from the Middle Ages refer to the Maccabean Revolt, Hebrew versions of the tale in the Megillat Antiochus and the Chronicles of Jerahmeel identify "Holofernes" as Nicanor; the Greek version used "Holofernes" as deliberately cryptic substitute, similarly using "Nebuchadnezzar" for Antiochus.
In popular culture
Holofernes is depicted in
Geoffrey Chaucer's
The Monk's Tale in
The Canterbury Tales, and in
Dante's
Purgatorio, in which Holofernes is to be found on the Terrace of Pride as an example of "pride cast down", XII.58–60. As a painter's subject he offers the chance to contrast the flesh and jewels of a beautiful, festively attired woman with the grisly head of the victim, a deuterocanonical parallel to the
Jael sequence in the
Hebrew Bible, as well as the
New Testament vignette of
Salome with the head of John the Baptist.
There is a mention to Holofernes in the song "That Unwanted Animal" by The Amazing Devil.
German pop rock band Wir sind Helden's singer Judith Holfelder-Roy chose the stage name Judith Holofernes in reference to both of them Holofernes and of his female assassin.
Welsh Death Metal band Venom Prison's 2020 album Primeval features a song titled "Slayer of Holofernes".
See also
External links
