OLOFERNE

OLOFERNE. – Commander-in-chief, the highest-ranking person after the king (Iudt. 2:4; cf. I Par. 16:5; II Par. 28:7; Esth. 13:3; 16:11), to whom Nabuchodonosor (= Artaxerxes III Ochus, 358–338 B.C.; V. GIUDITTA) entrusts the execution of the plan to occupy and devastate the rebellious West (Iudt. 2:4–13). O. assembles his general staff, gathers a large army, with 120,000 infantry and 12,000 cavalry of picked troops; he attacks and devastates Asia Minor and Syria; the coastal region, as far as Gaza, surrenders to him in terror (ibid. 2:4–13); Judah, instead, prepares its defense (ibid. 4). O. disdainfully rejects Achior (v.) and besieges Bethulia. He remains captivated by the beauty of Judith, who, invited to a banquet, cuts off his head while he lies drunk in deep sleep (ibid. 5–7; 12–13).

The name O. is “of a distinctly Persian type; in that language it means ‘fortunate’”; it is also written, and more correctly, Orofernes” (A. Vaccari [V. BIBLICA.], p. 309), as appears from comparison with other men

persians, such as Tissaferne, Dataferne, Artaferne. A king of Cappadocia is known who was called Oroferne (Polybius, III, 5, 2). Diodorus Siculus (Bibliotheca historica, XXXI, 19, 2-3) relates that the king of Cappadocia Ariarathus, a contemporary of Artaxerxes III, had a brother named O. who was alongside the Persians in fighting with them against Egypt (ca. 353 or 351). It is entirely in keeping with Eastern custom to entrust foreign nobles, especially those from subjected or allied countries, with positions of the greatest importance (cf. Gen. 41, 33-46; Esth. 8, 2; 16, 11; L. Soubigou [V. BIBLICA.], p. 512 ff.).

What is noted here concerning O. confirms the identification of Nabuchodonosor with Artaxerxes III, now commonly accepted for the Book of Judith.