Assassination of Holofernes and Night Escape

Thick wine saturated the heavy woolen carpets inside the sprawling Assyrian command tent. Guards withdrew to their posts along the outer perimeter of the vast encampment. Judith stood alone beside the bed of a commander completely unconscious from alcohol. She gripped the heavy iron sword and silently finalized her violent plan.

The massive military camp sat in the valley below, roughly two miles from the mountain pass. The route back to the fortress of Bethulia required a steep ascent over rocky terrain. Judith and her maid navigated this treacherous path in total darkness for several hours. They carried the severed head inside a simple leather bag designed for daily provisions.

The bronze gates of Bethulia marked the boundary of safety during the sixth century b.c. Watchmen stood on the towering limestone walls and listened for any movement in the valley. Judith called out to the guards and commanded them to open the heavy iron doors. She declared that the God of Israel had guided her steps and destroyed their enemy.

Strike him down now, Lord God of all power, and look with favor upon the work of my hands.

The elders of the city rushed to the stone gates and lit large fires for illumination. Judith pulled the head from the leather sack and displayed it to the stunned crowd. Shock rippled through the assembled leaders as they stared at the dead military commander. Uzziah loudly blessed her courage as the people prepared for an inevitable morning assault.