What does the story of Judith and Holofernes tell us about Jewish history?

As far as stories go, the tale of Judith and Holofernes has all the elements of a nail biting thriller. No wonder the great artists chose it as the subject of their paintings yet it remains a story that has faded from our collective memories. One wonders, did it really happen?

The intro in the Good New Bible reads: The book of Judith depicts a time when the Jewish nation was about to be crushed by an enemy army. Judith, the heroine of the story, is a deeply religious widow who observes all the requirements of the laws of Moses. She depends on God to help her complete the dramatic rescue of the nation by killing Holofernes.