Religion In The Middle Ages

One of the most important subjects in today’s society and in the Middle Ages is religion. For monotheistic religions, the belief that there is a singular higher power that has authority over us, is everything. The primary religion in England during the Middle Ages is Christianity. It is evident in the works of many Old English authors, such as Bede, that Christianity plays a key role in trying to reach an audience. Religion is a major part of everyone’s life in the Middle Ages because it teaches people how to go about their daily business and how to treat others. In order to find out how to live their life according to God, Christians look in the Bible. Jewish people may look to the Tanakh, and Catholics may look to the Bible with less emphasis
This poem is filled with several references to Christianity and the Bible. To start, the setting of Judith takes place in the Middle East. The Assyrians, although in this poem are under General Holofernes, are led by King Nebuchadnezzar. “Both Sisera and Holofernes are the head commanders of foreign armies and act on behalf of the kings they represent (King Jabin and King Nebuchadnezzar)” (Wilson). ¬¬¬¬¬ King Nebuchadnezzar can be found in several places throughout the Bible, but primarily in the Old Testament. The main point that this poem gets across is salvation. The overall message in the Bible is salvation. In Christianity, God is the singular higher power, and Jesus is at his side. Catholics and Jews disagree when discussing who exactly Jesus is. The main message in Christianity and the Bible is that Jesus sacrifices himself for the sins of everyone. Judith risks her life for the good of her people when she goes into the enemy camp and kills General Holofernes. Judith is also compared to Moses because she is instructed by God to lead her people back to the promised land. Moses leads the Israelites out of slavery and out of Egypt into the promised land. “Judith draws attention to this term and its application to the heroine—the fact that she is emphatically “blessed” resounds throughout this
Jewish people know that Jesus was real, but they believe that he is just a prophet. Although it contains Christianity and Catholicism, Judith is based on Judaism. Judith takes place somewhere in the Middle East. The Assyrians mentioned in this poem are native to the Middle East. Judith and her people are Jewish. “the word "Judith" itself identifies the heroine as a Jew…Judith's speeches and the lively depiction of the Hebrews' speed and Godspeed in battle” (Chickering). Jewish people may believe more in Judith rather than Jesus because Judith is Jewish. Although the poem Judith is Old English and in England, The Book of Judith is written in Palestine. Unlike the other religions that influence Judith, Judaism uses its own books rather than using the Bible. Because of this, Jews do not really recognize The Book of Judith as a main part of their studies. Jewish people may choose to not recognize any part of Judith, but the poem still contains elements of the Jewish