Judith of Bethulia

The film Judith of Bethulia (1913) was directed by D.W. Griffith and is based on the biblical story of Judith, a Jewish heroine. The Book of Judith tells of Judith saving the city of Bethulia from the Assyrian general Holofernes by beheading him while he was drunk. Griffith's film was an ambitious four-reel epic, notable for its massive sets and battle scenes, which were groundbreaking for American cinema at the time. This film was a significant step in Griffith's development of narrative techniques and his move towards longer film formats, though it led to his departure from Biograph Studios due to its high cost. The story itself is considered apocryphal and its historicity is debated, with some scholars suggesting it was written during the Maccabean period.1234