Posted on 08/08/2009 8:21:36 AM PDT by BGHater
Archaeologists are putting some flesh on the bones of the David and Goliath myth by shifting through layers of earth at the site in the Holy Land.
While little physical evidence has ever been found to support the 3,000-year-old biblical story of David and Goliath, a team from Israel and Australia has been excavating 50 kilometres from Jerusalem in the city of Tell es-Safi, where Goliath was supposedly born.
According to the bible, Goliath stood around three metres tall and lived in the 10th century BC in the ancient city of Gath, which is now modern day Tell es-Safi.
It is one of the most enduring battles in history: the story of a simple shepherd boy who slays a Philistine giant and goes on to become king.
But short of finding his bronze armour or a skull with a pebble-sized hole, historians may never prove that Goliath ever existed.
Team leader and biblical archaeologist Aaron Mayer from Israel's Bar-Ilan University says he is excited at what they found so far.
"The question is how much was the story embellished," he said.
"They haven't found David and they haven't found his armour and they haven't found Goliath or his head or anything of the sort.
"I would say a Goliath-like people for sure existed here. You have evidence of an inscription which shows us two Goliath-like names at that time."
The Tell es-Safi dig is one of the biggest excavations of its kind in the Holy Land.
In recent years it has yielded a rich deposit of evidence that proves the Philistines lived there from prehistoric times and fought with the Israelites.
Professor Mayer says at the very least, it provides an important cultural background for the story of Goliath.
"I would say that probably a Goliath existed. For example, in the biblical text in one place it says that Goliath was killed by David," he said.
"In another place it says that another guy by the name of Elhanan killed Goliath, so perhaps there was a battle between Goliath and someone else and at some stage David, as a king, took credit for it."
But whatever the Bible says, Melbourne University archaeologist Louise Hitchcock is far from convinced.
"Certainly we have a shepherd that has a name that might be linked with Goliath, but to be named Goliath from what I understand about the Philistines is like to have the name John Smith," she said.
But Dr Hitchcock is convinced the archaeological evidence destroys another myth - the Philistines in name, she says, were far from Philistine by nature.
"What we are learning from their art, from their decorated... style of pottery, iron working, they were a technologically sophisticated culture and artistic and cosmopolitan culture," she said.
"So to be a Philistine is not really to be uncouth. To be a Philistine is to be cultured and civilised."
5 Smooth stones ping
"So to be a Philistine is not really to be uncouth. To be a Philistine is to be cultured and civilised."
There you have it!
They were metro-sexuals.
David killed a wuss. /s
Lol. Dunno, about big G. But, lil’ Daid was a warrior. Hunting Asiatic Lions and wolves. Not bad.
We know the reason David chose the five smooth was because Goliath had 4 brothers!
Wildly inaccurate. The Philistines probably settled sometime during the 1100s BC, several thousand years after writing began.
She makes it sound like this is a new concept. The Bible account makes it very clear the Philistines were more technologically advanced than the Israelites.
Who is this uncircumsized Philistine that taunts the army of the Living GOD?
Well we know how that worked out...
AMEN!
In Second Samuel, you can read who the 4 other relatives of Goliath were.
It’s all there
Also the first practitioners of ‘gun control.’
Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, ‘Lest the Hebrews make them swords or spears.’ But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen each man’s plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle;...So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan...” (1 Samuel 13:19-20; 22-23).
Now I understand why I feel compelled to practice with my slingshot once or twice a week. Well, other than the starlings pecking away at the tomatoes.
It is no myth.
Many myths are based in some form of fact. But that doesn’t make every myth true. For instance George Washington supposedly, in a myth(fable, legend etc..) threw a silver dollar across the Potomac and cut down a Cherry Tree but couldn’t tell a lie. We both know those are myths but his reputation preceded him enough that for a long time many people believed them. Such might be the case with the Philistines, they likely were taller than the Israelite’s but likely weren’t 9 feet tall. David certainly could have taken him out with one throw, and likely did cut off his head and traditions of the time did allow two opponents to settle a battle so the army’s themselves did not have to fight. However he probably wasn’t some child as is depicted in the Bible, and as mentioned Goliath likely wasn’t 9 feet tall, probably 6’+. Remember the Israelite’s, and many people for that part, back then were five feet or so tall.
Depends on your view of the bible. Goliath and his brothers were descendants from angel and human female breeding. They also had 6 fingers.
It more depends on what version of the texts you read.
I disagree with your assessment. Most archaeologist could give two wits whether the source is the bible or a talking stick, their job is to search for the truth in whatever form it comes. If the truth they find doesn’t match word for word one of the many variations of the bible then you shouldn’t become upset at that outcome. If you believe your particular version of the bible is correct then you should be more than happy that they will confirm your beliefs.
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