The Old Testament story of the widow Judith--the irresistible siren who lured her people's deadly enemy, Holofernes, to his death, beheading him in his own bed to save Jerusalem--is an enduring cultural myth in Western society. In this original and provocative book, Margarita Stocker explores the Western fascination with the image of Judith and the abundance of interpretations that have surrounded her at different times between the early Middle Ages and the present day. The myth of Judith provides an important key to modern society's view of women and power, the book argues. In dealing with...