Holofernes's Prayer

Then, a woman walks through those gates, carrying a bag...but what's inside is more shocking than anyone could imagine.

We're talking about Judith, of course, and the story found in the Book of Judith. She's just pulled off one of the most daring feats in Jewish lore. She's outwitted and, well, beheaded Holofernes, the Assyrian general who was about to crush her people.

So, what happens next?

Judith gives the head of Holofernes to her maid. Can you imagine? Talk about a heavy burden, both literally and figuratively! And she puts it in her bag of meat. Meat! The audacity! The deception! It's all part of Judith’s plan, meticulously crafted.

Then, these two women, Judith and her maid, they leave the enemy camp. The text tells us they went "according to their custom, to prayer.” How brilliant is that? They’re using their routine, their expected behavior, as a cloak of invisibility. They pass through the camp, circle the valley – avoiding unwanted attention, no doubt – and begin the climb up the mountain towards Bethulia, Judith’s home city. Finally, they reach the gates.

And here's where the drama really ramps up.

Judith, still some distance away, calls out to the watchmen. Her voice rings with authority, with triumph. "Open, open the gate now! God, our God, is with us to show his power yet in Jerusalem and his forces against the enemy, as he has truly done on this day!"

Did you catch that? She’s not just asking to be let in. She's proclaiming victory. She's declaring that God is on their side. And she's hinting – just hinting – at something incredible that has happened.

The men of the city, hearing her voice, are galvanized. They rush to the gate. They call for the elders. Imagine the scene: the urgency, the confusion, the flicker of hope ignited by Judith’s words. What does she have to say? What has she done? What does she have in that bag?

The anticipation must have been palpable. What was about to unfold would change everything. And it all started with a brave woman, a bag of meat, and a message that God’s power was about to be revealed.