218 S. Van Den Eynde speech (8). I will take praying and prayer as the explicit address of God, initiated by an individual or group, with the expectation that this address is (well) received by God. Not all human-divine conversation is prayer, since prayer suggests that it be initiated by the human party. Moreover, phrases that have their main function in human-human communication (e.g. the greetings in Ru 2,4) are excluded as well. For our investigation of plot, characterisation and theme, the mere fact that people pray is important. If the prayer is quoted in direct speech, or abbreviated in indirect speech, the readers can deduce clearly what is expected from God. Yet, a sentence as “they cried out to God” may have an effect on the plot as well since this prayer may evoke a reaction of God. Moreover, the fact that someone prays, is part of his/her characterisation and may build up a narrative-theological theme. Therefore, I offer in the diagram below a survey of references to all prayers in the book of Judith, indicating also the prayer language and/or the introductory formula’s. References to people Prayers quoted in direct Prayers with the content praying without mentioning speech (God addressed in quoted in indirect speech specific content second person, with intro- (with introductory formula) ductory formula) 4,9: ajnebovhsan pa'" ajnh;r 6,18-19: pesovnte" oJ lao;" 4,12: ejbovhsan pro;" to;n qeo;n Israhl pro;" to;n qeo;n prosekuvnhsan tw/' qew/' kai; Israhl 5,12: ajnebovhsan pro;" to;n ejbovhsan levgonte" 4,15: ejbovwn pro;" kuvrion qeon aujtw'n ; 9,1-14: ejbovhsen … Ioudiq 6,21: ejpekalevsanto to;n qeo;n 7,19: oiJ uiJoi; Israhl ajne- pro;" kuvrion kai; ei\pen Israhl bovhsan pro;" kuvrion qeo;n 13,4-5: ei\pen ejn th/' kardiva/ 8,31: dehvqhti autwn j' aujth'" (kuvrie …) 12,8: ejdeveto tou' kurivou qeou' 7,29: ejbovhsan pro;" kuvrion 13,7: ei\pen … (kuvrie …) Israhl ton qeovn ; 13,17: kuvyante" prose- 10,1: bow'sa pro;" to;n qeo;n kuvnhsan tw/' qew/' kai; ei\pan Israhl eujloghto;" ei\ oJ qeo;" hJmw'n … 11,17: proseuvxomai pro;" to;n 16,1-17: ei\pen Ioudiq qeonv 12,6: ejpi; proseuch;n ejxelqei'n 13,3: ejpi; th;n proseuch;n aujth'" 13,10: ejpi; th;n proseuchvn 16,18: prosekuvnhsan tw'/ qew'/ The prayers without specific content mentioned, as well as those mentioning the content in indirect speech, make use of specific prayer language, which as such indicates a direct human address of God ([ana] boavw pro" [ton qeovn]; proseuvcomai, proseuchv, ejpikalevw [ton j ; ; ; qeon], devomai). Some of the explicitly recited prayers contain prayer v (8) BALENTINE, Prayer, 30-31.