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Goliath

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okamido View Drop Down
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  Quote okamido Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Goliath
    Posted: 24-Oct-2011 at 17:40

We all know the tale of how David slew the Philistine giant, Goliath, with a well place sling-stone to the head, but is this how it really happened?

 

The KJV tells us, in 2 Samuel 21:19, "And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam."

The Torah as well as the NIV tell us however, "And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Beth-lehemite slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam."

This gets slightly more curious as 1 Samuel tells us that David took Goliath's head to Jerusalem. Why? The Israelites did not control Jerusalem at this time, so why take it there? Unless of course David was already King, had already taken Jerusalem, and his man, Elhanan, actually was the slayer of Goliath. Another possible reason would be that the name Goliath was actually inserted later, and was not actually the "Philistine of Gath", that David slew.

Why the reconstruction/ misinterpretation/ deception....and just who killed whom here?

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  Quote Centrix Vigilis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24-Oct-2011 at 19:03
Hullo Oka...nice to see ya.
I interpret the difference to translation errors or versions. As to the probable intent of taking the head into town? While it's never stated; I believe it to have been an act of psych warfare ops on David's part to strike fear into the hearts of the Philistines. As you are correct he was not yet King and still serving Saul. As to the identification of the head I'll stand with Goliath merely because my interp does not provide me with significant counter sources to id another.
 
See ya around pardner.
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  Quote okamido Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24-Oct-2011 at 19:37
Hey CV.
 
I ask because of the incessant inconsistencies that I always come across. One day, I am going to read something and my brain will have a cascade failure llike some AI that has been outsmarted by Captain Kirk. :)
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24-Oct-2011 at 19:44
Goliath of Gath was definitely a real person who lived around 1000BC. In Palestine archaeologists discovered a clay shard bearing his name
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  Quote Centrix Vigilis Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24-Oct-2011 at 20:42
Originally posted by Nick1986

Goliath of Gath was definitely a real person who lived around 1000BC. In Palestine archaeologists discovered a clay shard bearing his name
Link
 
I'll stand with Goliath merely because my interp does not provide me with significant counter sources to id another.Wink
 
Ole Nick verifys the point.
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17-Nov-2011 at 20:47
According to the bible Goliath stood six cubits and a span - over 9ft tall if you use the 529mm Egyptian Royal Cubit. However, the Israelites, being short in stature, would have had shorter arms and a smaller measurement representing the cubit
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  Quote Baal Melqart Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18-Nov-2011 at 12:37
Originally posted by Nick1986

According to the bible Goliath stood six cubits and a span - over 9ft tall if you use the 529mm Egyptian Royal Cubit. However, the Israelites, being short in stature, would have had shorter arms and a smaller measurement representing the cubit


The Israelites were short? Anyway, according to those measurements Goliath would have been about 3 metres tall, which i guess doens't make him a giant but just freakishly tall.
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01-Feb-2012 at 19:30
The slings still in use in modern-day Palestine are more than capable of killing a man. Even if Goliath was wearing a helmet, a stone would have stunned him, enabling David to remove his head
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16-Sep-2012 at 19:39
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  Quote Nick1986 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13-Nov-2012 at 08:51
Originally posted by Baal Melqart

Originally posted by Nick1986

According to the bible Goliath stood six cubits and a span - over 9ft tall if you use the 529mm Egyptian Royal Cubit. However, the Israelites, being short in stature, would have had shorter arms and a smaller measurement representing the cubit


The Israelites were short? Anyway, according to those measurements Goliath would have been about 3 metres tall, which i guess doens't make him a giant but just freakishly tall.

According to this source the average Israelite was only 5 feet tall. Even if Goliath was 7ft rather than 9ft he would have towered over his enemies
http://www.gci.org/bible/digging

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