(1574) is an epic poem by the French Protestant poet Guillaume Salluste Du Bartas (1544-1590) that borrows its subject from the deuterocanonical Book of Judith. It recounts the widow Judith’s successful assassination of Nebuchadnezzar’s viceroy Holofernes, an act which delivers the people of her town Bethulia from Holofernes’ army.

is comprised of six books written in alexandrine verse. The first book describes the decision of the Bethulians to resist Holofernes’ invasion and their preparations for his attack. In the second book, Holofernes informs himself about his enemy, learning the story of the Israelites from a local Ammonite leader (who seems so impressed as he tells the story that Holofernes sends him over to join the Bethulian camp as a punishment). The

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Citation: Maynard, Katherine. "La Judit". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 24 October 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=34712, accessed 22 November 2024.]