Books Jesus Read

82

Books Jesus Read

forces. Her spectacular victory is reminiscent of David’s triumph over Goliath. By setting the story long before the Maccabean Revolt, the author offers a “historical” example of what resistance to oppression should look like. That Judith is not history in the same sense as 1 Maccabees is shown by its many fictional details, like its description of Nebuchadnezzar as the king of Assyria when, in fact, he ruled the Babylonians much later. The nature of the work as fiction is also shown by its skillfully composed plot. Those who immerse themselves in this story will be challenged to reflect on the sovereignty of God and the mystery of discerning God’s will. Judith’s name simply means “a woman of Judah,” but this woman is anything but ordinary. Text It was the twelfth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. He ruled the Assyrians in the great city, Nineveh. 1 These too were the days of his enemy, Arphaxad, who ruled over the Medes in Ecbatana. Now, Arphaxad fortified Ecbatana with walls made of hewn stones three cubits thick and six cubits long. He built these walls seventy cubits high and fifty cubits wide. These he fortified with towers, one hundred cubits high and sixty cubits wide at the foundations. At last, he built its gates seventy cubits high and forty cubits wide, where his infantry could form their ranks and his armies march out in force. At that time, King Nebuchadnezzar declared war on King Arphaxad and attacked him in the great plain whose borders

1 Nebuchadnezzar is fictionally described here as king of the Assyrians though he was in fact king of the Babylonians (see 2 Kings 24:1).