The present volume contains papers delivered at the International Conference on the Deuterocanonical Books, held at the Sapientia College of Theology, Budapest, Hungary, 14–16 May, 2009. The contributions explore various aspects of the Book of Judith: its textual versions, historical background, theological ideas and literary afterlife.

The conference, on which this volume is based, was the most comprehensive scholarly meeting devoted recently to the Book of Judith. The contributors reopened several basic questions concerning the writing, such as the identification of concrete historical personalities reflected in the book, or some aspects of the halakhic system of the author.The scope of the contributions extends also to the late mediaeval use of the book by European playwrights.