Judith was left alone in the tent with Holofernes, who lay sprawled on his bed, drunk with wine. Then Judith said to her maid to stand outside and wait for her to come out, just as she did every day. She had also taken the precaution of saying she would be going out to pray, and she had told Bagoas the same. Everyone had left Holofernes’ tent, great and small, and no one remained in the bedroom. Judith, standing beside the bed, prayed silently: “Lord, God of all strength, help me now in what I am about to do, for the glory of Jerusalem. This is the moment for You to rescue Your people. Grant success to my plan, so that I may strike down the enemies who have risen against us.” She went to the head of the bed, where Holofernes’ sword hung, took it down, and approached the bed. She grabbed Holofernes by the hair of his head and said: “Lord God of Israel, give me strength this moment.” Then, using all her strength, she struck him twice in the neck and cut off his head. She rolled his body off the bed and pulled down the canopy from the bedposts. After that, she came out and handed Holofernes’ head to her maid, who placed it in the food bag she had brought. The two of them then left the camp together, just as they were accustomed to doing when they went out to pray. Once they had passed through the camp, they circled the valley and climbed the hill toward Bethulia, arriving at the city gates. (Judith 13, 2- 10)

The Book of Judith is an edifying novel written around 150 B.C., it tells the story of a young, pious widow named Judith who saves her city, Bethulia, by cleverly and seductively killing Holofernes, the leader of the Assyrian troops. She constantly invokes the power of the God of her ancestors to face the enemy of her people.

The scene represented is the climax of the story: Judith and her maid manage to infiltrate the enemy camp and seduce Holofernes. After four days of being together, Holofernes invites Judith to spend some time alone in his tent, where a banquet is being prepared. Holofernes ends up drinking too much and falls into a deep sleep. The young woman takes advantage of this and cuts off his head to bring it back to her city as both a trophy and a warning.

In Catholicism, the figure of Judith is linked to that of Mary, portraying her as a prefiguration of the one who would defeat evil.