Judith of bethulia 1914 is a film starring blanche sweet and henry b. Bethulia may mean house of god byt lyh or house of ascent byt lyh, perhaps a reference to either bethel or shechem. Bethulia, an israelite town, was threatened by the king nebuchadnezzars assyrian. Pdf the book of judith is relatively often discussed nowadays, mainly because of its interest for feminist studies.
Book of judith the catholic encyclopedia bible encyclopedia. Griffith directed sweet in judith of bethulia, the last film he made for biograph. This suits the portrayal of judith as a chaste widow and the books emphasis on following religious rules, chastity among them. Judith of bethulia is an american film starring blanche sweet and henry b. Griffiths first feature as well as his final film for the biograph company. Within several years of its release, the company stopped making movies. The walls withstand the assault, but many people are killed and holofernes lays the fortress under siege. The name bethulia may, therefore, be assumed to be an allegorical one, meaning perhaps bethel house of god, or it may be a word compounded of betulah and jah yhwhs virgin. The judean fortress of bethulia is attacked by the powerful army of nebuchadnezzar, led by holofernes. The return of judith to bethulia, 1472 1473 sandro. The american playwright thomas bailey aldrichs judith of bethulia was first performed in new york, 1905, and was the basis for the 1914 production judith of bethulia by director d. Judith 7 ceb holofernes lays siege to bethulia the.
Nabuchodonosor, king of ninive, sends his general holofernes to subdue the jews. Griffith, based on the play of the same name by thomas bailey aldrich. Semi historical story from the old testament about judith blanche sweet, a strong willed woman who rises up to defend her town of bethulia against holofernes henry b. Griffith, based on the play of the same name by thomas bailey. The picture was probably created in pendant with the discovery of the murder of holofernes.
The story of judith is in the apocryphal book of judith. She was the daughter of merari and the granddaughter of ox. Book of judith, apocryphal work excluded from the hebrew and protestant biblical canons but included in the septuagint greek version of the hebrew bible and accepted in the roman canon. Consider the underrated judith of bethulia, which utilizes many of griffiths signature techniques to tell a grandiose historical tale and exhibits its own array of indelible images. Entry for book of judith the catholic encyclopedia one of 8 bible encyclopedias freely available, this encyclopedia is one of the most comprehensive resource on catholic teaching, history, and information. Apr 08, 20 charles busch discussing his play judith of bethulia. After ritual cleansing, she dresses elegantly and seductively to infiltrate holfernes camp. Name of the city which, according to the book of judith, was besieged by holofernes. Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
This film illustrates the work of actor robert harron and cinematographer billy. The view that bethulia is merely a symbolic name for jerusalem or a fictitious town, has met with little favor, even among those who deny the historical character of the book. Then, holfernes is content to lay a patient siege and wait until lack of water and food forces the surrender of bethulia. Judith of bethulia judith of bethulia is in fourandahalf reels, founded upon the biblical tale, with the captions probably culled from the poem of thomas bailey aldrich. It has been variously identified, by some even with jerusalem. Judith, a beautiful and beloved widow, prays for guidance and has a vision that she must offer herself as a sacrifice to holofernes in order to save bethulia.
In the shorter version of the legend published by gaster proceedings of the society of biblical archeology, 1894,16. Bethulia, an israelite town, was threatened by the king nebuchadnezzars assyrian army under the command of holofernes. Charles busch discussing his play judith of bethulia. Judith the widow 2a widow named judith lived in bethulia and knew everything that was happening. Judith 7 nrsv the campaign against bethulia bible gateway. The book of judith is a deuterocanonical book, included in the septuagint and the catholic and eastern orthodox christian old testament of the bible, but excluded from the hebrew canon and assigned by protestants to the apocrypha. Judith of bethulia was based upon a wellknown play, and its religious theme had a presold audience. This play written for miss nance oneil and produced at the tremont theatre, boston, october, 1904 is in part a dramatization of the authors narrative. Judith of bethulia is a 1914 american silent film produced and directed by d. This film illustrates the work of actor robert harron and cinematographer billy bitzer, stars of silent hall of fame. After this every one returned home to his own inheritance, and judith went to bethulia, and remained on her estate, and was honored in her time throughout the whole country. Jan 31, 2020 the book of judith presents a truly remarkable heroine.
Find more prominent pieces of mythological painting at best visual art database. This saga of the chaste widow judith, draped with baubles, bangles and beads, undergoing dishonor and humiliation for a good cause in old jerusalem is busch at his wittiest and most hysterically funny. A religious woman seeks to save her people from destruction by. This image might not be in the public domain outside of the united states. In the return of judith to bethulia, botticelli uses a familiar theme and a familiar type of figure. Filmed in 19 and released in 1914, it was one of the first fulllength feature films. Judith leaves bethulia for the assyrian camp in an.
The name bethulia may, therefore, be assumed to be an allegorical one, meaning perhaps bethel house of god. The latter besieges them in bethulia, a city on the southern verge of the plain of esdrelon. Grove musics instrumentation for this is listed as 84vv, fl, str, bc, and the editorial comment on the typeset is note. Judith was the female character that subdued the male in a hostile environment. Judith of bethulia 1914 transformation of mike 1912 silent. Film and apocryphal imitation of the femininejudith of bethulia. A victory celebration then is held in bethulia and judith is hailed as the citys saviorafi catalog. Judith of bethulia is available on dvd from alpha and the disc is pretty wretched. Charles buschs judith of bethulia gave me one of the best laughoutloud times ive ever had. Greek betuloua the city whose deliverance by judith, when besieged by holofernes, forms the subject of the book of judith. The book of judith tells the story of a beautiful jewish widow who saves her people by murdering the assyrian general, holofernes. The creator and year of publication are essential information and must be provided. The strength of their forces was one hundred seventy thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry, not including the baggage and the men handling ita. Other articles where judith of bethulia is discussed.
The account of judith beheading holofernes is given in the deuterocanonical book of judith according to which holofernes was an assyrian general about to destroy the city of bethulia. Judith of bethulia is a very interesting biblical epic, starring several of griffiths stable of actors at biograph, such as blanche sweet in the title role, henry b. Media in category judith of bethulia the following 8 files are in this category, out of 8 total. Judith 8, contemporary english version interconfessional.
The city whose deliverance by judith, when besieged by holofernes, forms the subject of the book of judith. Judith as a personification of all israel sang a thanksgiving psalm. Judith was a jewish woman who was totally devoted to god from the town of bethulia. Walthall, and produced and directed by alam ashraf, based on the play of the same name by thomas bailey aldrich. Pdf moral teaching of the book of judith researchgate. Additionally, judith is yet another film of griffiths that passively promotes its own brand of quasifeminism, a recurring trait of his that goes unnoticed. Find more prominent pieces of mythological painting at.
Shot on location in 19 in chatsworth, california, judith of bethulia was released in 1914. Judith 7 new revised standard version nrsv the campaign against bethulia. The scenes within the city are shot extremely well, with appropriate period detail. Judith displaying holoferness head to the people of bethulia, plate seven from the story. The view that bethulia is merely a symbolic name for jerusalem or a fictitious town, has met with little favor, even among those who. A full hour in length, it was one of the earliest feature films made in the united states. Because the materials source was the biblical apocrypha, griffith knew he could compete directly with the religious films coming out of europe. The image is soft and some of the title cards are cropped off, plus a painful canned score. After a period of decline, biograph ceased operations. The film was the first featurelength film made by pioneering film company biograph, although the second that biograph released. The situation of the leaders of bethulia is seen in a similar manner. In the betterknown longer version, however, the whole context points to the situation of the city as having been on the mountains to the south of the large.
The site usually supposed to represent bethulia namely, the strong village of sanur does not fulfill these various requisites. The strength of their forces was one hundred seventy thousand infantry and twelve. In the shorter version of the legend published by gaster proceedings of the society of biblical archeology, 1894, xvi. Judith 7 ceb holofernes lays siege to bethulia bible gateway. The return of judith botticelli, sandro gallery web. Despite this, she is a model of jewish courage and piety.
Judith displaying holoferness head to the people of bethulia, plate. When an enemy army besieges the city and its citizens are doomed without food and water, its most prominent resident judith makes a desperate and risky move. Judith 7 common english bible ceb holofernes lays siege to bethulia. Many times in botticelli’s paintings he explores the relationship between sexes and often times, the female comes out on top. After this holofernes commanded his servants to take achior, and lead him to bethulia and to put him in the hands of them of israel. Judith of bethulia 1914 is an american film starring blanche sweet and henry b. Hugo willrich suggested in 1900 in his book judaica that bethulia is a corrupted form of bethalagan. From these references we gather that it stood beside a valley, on a rock, at the foot of which was a spring, not far from jenin. The name bethulia may, therefore, be assumed to be an allegorical one, meaning perhaps bethel house of god, or it may. Name of the city which, according to the book of judith, was besieged by holofernes the home of judith. The return of judith to bethulia was created in 1473 by sandro botticelli in early renaissance style. Judith is a beautiful and devout jewish widow, who seeks to save her home when the elders of bethulia decide to surrender unless help arrives. The book of judithconsidered canonical by roman catholics, apocrypha literature by protestants, and noncanon by jewstells the story of the ignominious defeat of the assyrians, an army bent on world domination, by the hand of a hebrew woman judith.
Jul 28, 2016 the army of holofernes was visible when encamped near dothan judith vii. Bethulia the 1901 jewish encyclopedia bible encyclopedia. Judith dedicated to god all the vessels of holofernes which the people had given to her and the canopy which she had taken from his bed. Judith with the head of holofernes, after jan saenredam. Judith of bethulia is a historical drama, directed by d. Judith of bethulia is a film starring blanche sweet and henry b. The return of judith to bethulia by botticelli, sandro. The book relates that nebuchadrezzar, king of assyria, sent his general holofernes on an expedition against.
She tricks him into trusting her, then when he is drunk she cuts off his head. Judith is introduced as a devout, shapely, beautiful and wealthy widow who exhibits characteristics equal to those of israels finest warriors. Conders choice joakim the high priest, resident in jerusalem at the time, wrote to the inhabitants of bethulia and of betomesthaim, two towns facing esdraelon, towards the plain of dothan. It was the scene of the principal events of the book of judith. Walthall as holofernes and lillian gish as a woman with a baby.
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