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."
No kidding ?
“It is funny how these “modern” archaeologists and historians cannot give one shred of credibility to the Bible yet if they find some Sumerian or Babylonian fable they treat it like fact.’
Not true.
Places are accepted, its the events that are in question.
“History confirms that pottery fragments found in ancient Philistine controlled areas of Israel matches that of fragments found on Crete.:”
How about trade?...Pottery matching various sites have been found all over the Med.
Ping
Og and the Rephaites died long before Goliath.
Do you assume he came from that?....maybe he was Anikite (sic)
I don’t know but I have never read that Philistines were known as tall....more like Goliath was an anomaly
Goliath and these four were all descendants of Rapha in Gath and well known.
1) Ishbi-Benob, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels (more than seven pounds) and who said he would kill David;
2) Saph (or Sippai), another descendant of Rapha (the giant);
3) Lahmi (the brother of Goliath), whose spear shaft resembled a weaver’s rod; and
4)a huge man (unnamed in the text) with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot.
People inflicted with this disease, and it is a disease, grow rapidly and die young but there could easily have been a giant named Goliath, David could have defeated due to his superior fighting ability.
It is entirely possible that Goliath never had to actually fight before, his very size would have scared the carp out of most opponents.
Just some rambling thoughts on the subject by a guy who has lots of trivia stored away in his brain!
“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.”
I don’t suppose there could have been two people named Goliath. It’s not like I’ve never met anyone else named Mike.
|
|
|||
Gods |
Thanks BGHater."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."Part of the Samson story (familiar to most I'm sure) exists in a different form elsewhere in Judges, but the guy's name is given as Shamgar. |
||
|
· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google · · The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists · |
|||
perhaps they are the peoples whom we know as the Minoans?
Saul was a tall man, head and shoulders above everyone. How do you know everyone was only five foot tall? Where does it way that?
how about phonecians
One doesn’t have to believe in God or that any of this is real.
But to act as in this belief will likely yield one a better and more productive life.
wasn’t the 1900 BC timeframe when the Minoan civilization was wiped out by that volcano? dunno for certain, that’s why I ask...
While you ponder that ... have some tolerance and respect.
YOU don't have to be a Christian. That is your choice however when Christian tenants disappear, you'll miss us. I am not referring to perverted “Christianity” like the Crusades or the Inquisition - hardly “Christian”.
well, even the Bible says David was a conniver as king. Remember him sending Uriah to his death because he lusted for Bathsheba.
There are a few other deaths and assassinations that benefited David that might be suspicious or on shaky ground as well.
It’s good to be the King.
Close, but no cigar.
5 And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver's beam.
This was later, after David had slain Goliath. Elhanan killed Goliath's brother.
If the learned professor can't get her events and characters and chronology straight, why should anyopne put any credence in her 'findings'?
> But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen each man’s plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle;
Speaking personally, I would not want to be hit by a plowshare, mattock, ax or sickle: these would smart mightily and draw blood and could easily prove decisive.
Interestingly, many of the Japanese and other Asian hand-to-hand combat weapons are based on agricultural implements, too. My favorite, the nunchuks, are based on a rice flail.
So the Hebrews, tho’ somewhat disadvantaged by having no swords amongst them, would hardly have been unarmed.
When young George lived on the Ferry Farm on the Rapahannock near Fredericksburg, the kids at the time would throw stones across that river. George had the reputation of reaching the other bank more often than anyone else...the start of the coin across the Potomac legend.
LOL! Thanks! I should have looked at up rather than taking the reporter's word at face value.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.