Bethulia
Sign in to savethumb|The Siege of Bethulia by Jacob van Swanenburg, Bethulia (, Baituloua; Hebrew: בתוליה) is a biblical "city whose deliverance by Judith, when besieged by Holofernes, forms the subject of the Book of Judith."
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5 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Location
- Madaba Map
- See also
- Notes
thumb|The Siege of Bethulia by Jacob van Swanenburg, Bethulia (, Baituloua; Hebrew: בתוליה) is a biblical "city whose deliverance by Judith, when besieged by Holofernes, forms the subject of the Book of Judith."
==Etymology== The name "Bethulia" in Hebrew can be associated, in an allegorical sense, with "Beth-el" (house of God). If treated as a real geographical name, it can be explained as a composite word built from "betulah", virgin, and "Jah", the proper name of God, so literally "YHWH's virgin". This suits the portrayal of Judith as a chaste widow and the book's emphasis on following religious rules, chastity among them.