Judith: embodying Holiness in a G-dless Space

Abstract

This article reviews key aspects of the overtly didactic Judith narrative, especially as this relates to the concepts of body, psyche and space, which apart from offering hope to Jews living in Hasmonean times, seem to go far beyond more traditional Jewish practice. In this context, aspects of the book of Judith seem to anticipate the ethical monotheistic teachings of more contemporary Jewish thinkers, such as Moritz Lazarus and Hermann Cohen. Here, an attempt will be made to show that the character of Judith, by virtue of her embodying the highest ethical standard which is synonymous with a Holy G-d as the highest source of moral authority is able to transform the profane into the sacred.