Some Biblical names—i.e., David or Sarah—have retained their popularity for millennia. Others, like Delilah and Abner, periodically produce namesakes but never in massive numbers. For a variety of reasons, a third group of Biblical names, like those who bore them, seem to have died in their Biblical incarnations. Such, we might think, would be the fate of the hapless general Holofernes, beheaded by the bewitching Judith in the 13th chapter of her book. Surely, this is not a name that enjoyed much of an afterlife! As it turns out, numerous artists have depicted the climactic scene wherein Judith kills […]
