Judith

Siege of the City

The next day, Holofernes issued orders for his entire army and those who had come to his aid to move their camp toward Bethulia, occupy the mountain slopes, and wage war against the Israelites.

All his brave warriors moved that day; the fighting forces consisted of one hundred seventy thousand foot soldiers and twelve thousand cavalry, not including the baggage and the men who cared for it, as well as the crowd of people who accompanied them—a sizable crowd.

They camped in the valley near Bethulia, next to the spring. They spread out across the entire width from Dothan to Balbaim and from Bethulia to Cyamon, which faces Esdraelon.

When the Israelites saw how many they were, they were afraid and said to each other: “Without a doubt, this crowd will consume the entire country; neither the high mountains, nor the ravines, nor the hills will be able to stop their advance.”

Nevertheless, each one grabbed his fighting gear; they lit fires on the tops of the towers and kept watch all night.

On the second day, Holofernes assembled all his cavalry in front of the Israelites at Bethulia.

He observed the approaches to their town, identified the water sources, seized them, and stationed guards over them, then he returned to his army.

The leaders of the Edomites, the commanders of the Moabites, and the generals of the seacoast came to Holofernes and said:

“Let our leader listen to us, and your army won’t suffer any loss.

These people of Israel trust not in javelins but in the heights of the mountains they inhabit, since it is not easy to reach the summits of their mountains.

Therefore, master, if you want to save your men’s lives, do not confront them in battle formation.

Stay at your camp and keep all your men safe, but let us take control of the spring coming from the foot of the mountain,

because that is where the people of Bethulia get all their water. They will die of thirst so they will surrender their town. We and our people will climb the highest points of the nearby mountains and establish outposts to stop anyone from leaving the town.

The famine will wipe them out; men, women, and children will be lying dead in the streets of their town before the sword is ever raised against them.

So you will have punished them harshly for rebelling and refusing to meet with you to offer peace.”

This advice pleased Holofernes and all his officers, and he agreed to follow their instructions.

The Moabites, with five thousand Assyrians, set up camp; they established their position in the valley and cut off the springs and water supply to the Israelites.

The Edomites and the Ammonites climbed up and camped on the mountain near Dothan. They sent some of their men to the south and east, facing Egrebel, near Chusi, which is on the torrent of Mochmur. The rest of the Assyrian army camped in the plain, covering the countryside. Their tents filled the campsite, and their baggage was spread out wide, for they were a huge crowd.

Disheartened, the people of Israel called on the Lord their God because their enemies had surrounded them and cut off all escape routes.

The Assyrian army, including foot soldiers, chariots, and horsemen, surrounded them for thirty-four days.

The inhabitants of Bethulia saw the water jars emptying and the wells drying up, so they had to ration their drinking water each day.

The small children grew too weak to stand from thirst; the women and young people collapsed in the streets and doorways of the town.

Then, men, women, young people, and children gathered and accused Uzziah and the town’s leaders. They called out loudly and said before all the elders:

“May God judge between you and us, for you are the cause of this misfortune by not engaging in peaceful negotiations with the Assyrians.

Now no one can help us; God has handed us over to these pagans so that we lie dying before them from extreme thirst and suffering.

You must call on the Assyrians and let Holofernes’ entire army plunder us.

It’s better for us to become their spoil, for then we will become slaves. Still, at least we will live and not have to see our women, our older children, and the little ones die before our eyes.

We implore you by heaven and earth, and by our God, the Lord of our ancestors, who punishes us according to our sins and the sins of our fathers: make this decision today.

Altogether, they raised a great lamentation among the assembly and cried out loudly to the Lord God.

Then Uzziah said to them: “Have confidence, my brothers; hold on for five more days, during which the Lord our God will show us his mercy, for he will not abandon us forever.

If these days pass without his coming to our help, then we shall do what you say.”

Then he dismissed the men, each to his post, and they headed toward the ramparts and town towers, while he sent the women and children back to their homes. Now, a great depression had swept through the town.