(formed from ἱλέω, "whole", and καίνω, "I consume with fire"), a kind of sacrifice, wherein the whole offering is burnt or consumed by fire, as an acknowledgment that God, the creator, preserver, and lord of all, was worthy of all honour and worship, and as a token of men's giving themselves entirely up to him. It is called also in Scripture a burnt-offering. Sacrifices of this sort are often mentioned by the heathens as well as Jews; particularly by Xenophon, Cyroped.lib.viii.p.446.ed.Hutchins,1738, who speaks of sacrificing holocausts of oxen to Jupiter, and of horses to the sun; and they appear to have been in use long before the institution of the other Jewish sacrifices, by the law of Moses; (see Job.i.5.xii.8.and Gen.viii.20.xxii.13.). On this account, the Jews, who would not allow the Gentiles to offer on their altar any other sacrifices peculiarly enjoined by the law of Moses, admitted them by the Jewish priests to offer holocausts; because these were a sort of sacrifices prior to the law, and common to all nations. During Holocaust, ring their subjection to the Romans, it was no uncommon thing for those Gentiles to offer sacrifices to the God of Israel at Jerusalem. Holocausts were deemed by the Jews the most excellent of all their sacrifices. It is said that this kind of sacrifice was in common use among the heathens, till Prometheus introduced the custom of burning only a part, and reserving the remainder for his own use. See Sacrifice.

Holofernes, lieutenant general of the armies of Nabuchodonosor king of Assyria, who having in a remarkable encounter overcome Arphaxad king of the Medes, sent to all the neighbouring nations with an intention of obliging them this way to submit to his empire, pretending that there could be no power capable of resisting him. At the same time Holofernes, at the head of a powerful army, passed the Euphrates, entered Cilicia and Syria, and subdued almost all the people of these provinces.

Being resolved to make a conquest of Egypt, he advanced towards Judea, little expecting to meet with any resistance from the Jews. In the mean time, he was informed that they were preparing to oppose him; and Achior the commander of the Ammonites, who had already submitted to Holofernes, and was with some auxiliary troops in his army, represented to him that the Hebrews were a people protected in a particular manner by God Almighty, so long as they were obedient to him; and therefore he should not flatter himself with expectations of overcoming them, unless they had committed some offence against God, whereby they might become unworthy of his protection. Holofernes, disregarding this discourse, commanded Achior to be conveyed within sight of the walls of Bethulia, and tied to a tree, and left there, whither the Jews came and loosed him.

In the mean time Holofernes formed the siege of Bethulia; and having cut off the water which supplied the city, and set guards at the only fountain which the besieged had near the walls, the inhabitants were soon reduced to extremity, and resolved to surrender if God did not send them succours in five days. Judith, being informed of their resolution, conceived the design of killing Holofernes in his camp. She took her finest clothes, and went out of Bethulia with her maid-servant; and being brought to the general, she pretended that she could no longer endure the sins and excesses of the Jews, and that God had inspired her with the design of surrendering herself to him. As soon as Holofernes saw her, he was taken with her beauty; and some days after invited her to a great feast, which he prepared for the principal officers of his army. But he drank so much wine, that sleep and drunkenness hindered him from satisfying his passion. Judith, who in the night was left alone in his tent, cut off his head with his own sword; and departing with her servant from the camp, she returned to Bethulia with the head of Holofernes. As soon as it was day, the besieged made a sally upon their enemies, who going into their general's tent, found his headless carcass wallowing in its own blood. They then discerned that Judith had deceived them, and fled with precipitation, leaving the camp abounding with rich spoils; the Jews pursued them, killed a great number of them, and returned loaded with booty.

There is a great diversity of opinions concerning the time when this war between Holofernes and the Jews happened. Some date it from the captivity of Babylon, in the reign of Manasseh, and pontificate of Eliakim the high-priest; others place it at some time after the captivity; and some doubt the truth of the whole transaction. See the article Judith.