Judith and Holofernes in Italian Art

The story of Judith and Holofernes begins when the Assyrian general Holofernes threatens to take the Jewish city of Bethulia. Judith, a God-fearing young widow, takes the threat to her hometown into her own hands. She wears her finest clothes and, with her maidservant, Abra enters the general’s camp and promises to share information that will seal his victory. With plans to entice the young beauty to his dinner table and then to his bed, Holofernes quickly becomes drunk. Later, a