THE BOOK OF JUDITH: The Complete Deuterocanonical Story of the Heroine Who Saved Her People
About this ebook
Then a widow named Judith decides she is not willing to wait and see what God does. She is going to act.
The Book of Judith brings you the complete deuterocanonical story of one of the most striking women in ancient literature, in a fresh, original modern English translation, paired with the historical background, reflection, and study tools you need to actually understand what you are reading.
For over two thousand years, Judith's story has been read as scripture by Catholics and Orthodox Christians, set aside as edifying but non-canonical by Protestants, painted by masters including Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi, and argued over by scholars who still cannot agree whether it happened, or was ever meant to.
This edition gives you the whole story, and the whole context, in one volume.
Inside this edition, you will find the complete text of Judith translated directly from the ancient Greek Septuagint specifically for this edition, not copied or lightly updated from any existing translation. You will find a full historical background section covering the Neo-Assyrian Empire, the deuterocanon, and the long scholarly debate over whether Judith's story is history, parable, or early historical fiction. Every chapter of the story comes with historical notes and reflections connecting the ancient text to its real-world context and to your own life. In-depth thematic chapters explore Judith's fasting and prayer life, her use of beauty and deception, her place alongside Deborah, Esther, and Jael, and the difficult ethics of what she does to Holofernes.
A complete study guide rounds out the edition: discussion questions for every chapter, an eight-week group study plan, personal journal prompts, and ready-to-adapt sermon and teaching outlines.
Whether you are reading for personal growth, leading a Bible study, preparing a sermon, or simply want to finally read a book your own Bible may have left out, this edition is built to give you the real story, without cutting corners on the history or the hard questions.
Meet Judith. On her own terms, for the first time.
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About the author
Thornbridge Press is an independent publishing imprint devoted to bringing overlooked and under-read pieces of biblical and historical literature back into the hands of ordinary readers.
Our editions are built on a simple premise: the text deserves a fair, careful translation, and the reader deserves enough honest context to actually understand what they are reading, without being talked down to and without having the hard questions quietly smoothed over.
Every Thornbridge Press edition pairs an original translation, prepared specifically for that volume, with historical background drawn from current scholarship, reflections that connect ancient texts to modern life, and practical study tools for readers, small groups, and teachers alike.
The Book of Judith is Thornbridge Press's edition of one of the most historically contested and artistically influential books in the biblical and deuterocanonical tradition, presented in full for the first time to many readers who have only ever known her by reputation.
