Issues in Bible Translation, 1 : Judith's Shadow

Abstract

Readers who are familiar with the Book of ludith among the 'Deutero- canonicals', or 'Apocrypha', as Christians from the Reformation tradition know

such books in the wider canon of the Christian Bible (cf. Trebolle Barrera 1998: 147- 257; Pagan 2001:164_168; Kohlenberger III1997:introductions), would notice the presence of a woman in the shadow of ludith, the story protagonist. This woman remains unnamed and enters the plot just as the central action starts. ludith has just rebuked two elders of her town Bethulia for the decision taken by Uzziah, the governor, and his council, that they would capitulate to the besieging Assyrians if no help came in view (Jdt 8). In the same breath, ludith announces that she is about to embark upon an initiative "that will go down through all generations of our descendants" (8,32, NRSV); but furnishes no information on what she was plotting, and no one was expecting anything spectacular (see 8,31). There follows a long prayer (ldt 9) and then a flurry of action during which ludith transforms herself into the stunning and beautiful woman that she was (10, 3-4). It is at this stage that this mysterious woman enters the scene.