Judith is an Old English poem written by an anonymous author. This is possibly the same author who wrote the epic poem Beowulf as it appears in the same manuscript as this poem. This poem is based on the Book of Judith, which is present within Catholic as well as Orthodox Christian Bibles.
The Book of Judith tells the story of a God-fearing, Israeli woman named Judith (of Bethulia) who decapitates the Assyrian general Holofernes. She did so after learning Holofernes had planned to attack the Jews of her city and seize the land under the rule of Nebuchadrezzar, king of Assyria. Judith's courage led to a major victory for the city of Bethulia.
Regarding the poem, the author managed to display a well-detailed, elegant, and vivid description of the dramatic scenes comprising this story. It is quite lengthy despite not being complete. Furthermore, this poem is one of numerous creative adaptations of the Book of Judith.
