Posted on 11/10/2005 4:37:28 AM PST by SJackson
CONTACT: Elana Oberlander, Office of the Spokesman, Bar-Ilan University
Has the Biblical Goliath Been Found?
Bar-Ilan University Archaeologists Unearth Earliest Philistine Inscription in Which Names Similar to Goliath Appear
Ramat Gan - A very small ceramic sherd unearthed by Bar-Ilan University archaeologists digging at Tell es-Safi, the biblical city "Gath of the Philistines", may hold a very large clue into the history of the well-known biblical figure Goliath. The sherd, which contains the earliest known Philistine inscription ever to be discovered, mentions two names that are remarkably similar to the name "Goliath". Tell es-Safi/Gath is located in the southern coastal plain of Israel, approximately halfway between Ashkelon and Jerusalem.
The discovery is of particular importance since the Bible attributes Gath as the home town of Goliath. "Gath of the Philistines," was one of the major cities of the Philistines, the well-known arch-enemies of the Israelites in the biblical text. The archaeological find may also be seen as the first clear extra-biblical evidence that the well-known biblical story of the battle between David and Goliath (and, in particular, the very existence of a figure such as Goliath during the biblical period) may be more than just a legend, according to Prof. Aren Maeir, Chairman of Bar-Ilan University's Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, who has been directing the excavations since they began in 1996. Prof. Maeir will present his findings next week at the conference of the American Schools of Oriental Research in the U.S. city of Philadelphia.
Other recent findings uncovered at the recent excavations at Tell es-Safi include a large assortment of objects of various types which are linked to Philistine culture. Additional remains relating to the siege system constructed by Hazael, King of Aram Damascus around 800 BCE, were revealed, along with extensive evidence of the subsequent capture and destruction of the city by Hazael, as mentioned in Second Kings 12:18. Remains of the Crusader period fortress, Blanche Garde, built after the first Crusade in the mid-twelfth century CE, were also discovered.
Written in archaic "Proto-Canaanite" letters, the inscription found on the sherd, dating to the 10th or early 9th century BCE, contains two non-Semitic names: Alwt and Wlt. Most scholars believe the name Goliath, of non-Semitic origin, is etymologically related to various Indo-European names, such as the Lydian name Aylattes. Following intense examination of the inscription, Prof. Maeir (along with his colleagues Prof. Aaron Demsky, an expert in epigraphy at Bar-Ilan University, and Dr. Stefan Wimmer, of Munich University) has concluded that the two names which appear in the inscription are remarkably similar to the etymological parallels of Goliath.
"It can be suggested that in 10th-9th century Philistine Gath, names quite similar, and possibly identical, to Goliath were in use," says Prof. Maeir. "This chronological context from which the inscription was found is only about 100 years after the time of David according to the standard biblical chronology. Thus, this appears to provide evidence that the biblical story of Goliath is, in fact, based on a clear cultural realia from, more or less, the time which is depicted in the biblical text, and recent attempts to claim that Goliath can only be understood in the context of later phases of the Iron Age are unwarranted."
While the letters are Semitic, the names appearing in the inscription are Indo-European (the linguistic family of ancient Greek and related languages). It is assumed by most scholars that the Philistines migrated to the Levant from somewhere in the Aegean region. On their arrival, they brought with them assorted Aegean cultural facets. With time, their culture became more and more effected by the local cultures, slowly incorporating local elements. This inscription, with Semitic script and Indo-European names, is among the earliest hard evidence showing this process.
The Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project is a long-term investigation aimed at studying the archaeology and history of one of the most important sites in Israel. Tell es-Safi is one of the largest tells (ancient ruin mounds) in Israel and was settled almost continuously from the 5th millennium BCE until modern times.
Continuous excavations of the site are planned for at least the next decade.
>>>What's with this 'BCE' and 'CE' dating crap?
On second thought, it is most likely the Socialist/Communist/Liberals trying to wipe GOD and any reference to Jesus out of our culture.
I beleive the source of the article is in Israel. IMRA, Independent Media Review and Analysis, was founded in 1992, by Drs. Aaron and Joseph Lerner, as an ongoing analysis of developments in Arab-Israeli relations.
I'm going to assume that the Drs. Lerner are Jewish and therefore do not recognize Jesus as the Christ.
I've always wondered if the Phillistines could have been refugees from the fighting at Troy. Trojans would have been Indo-European with an Aegean origin and could easily have migrated down the coast.
Archeology continues to find clues and proofs that ancient legends and stories are based on factual events whose memories were passed down from generation to generation.
That's exactly what it is - pure PC BS.
Politically correct way of saying B.C. and A.D.
Now it is "Before the Common Era" and the "Common Era".
The use of "Before Common Era" and "Common Era" dating does not automatically mean that the person who chose to use it is anti-Christ or anti-religion.
The BC and AD dating system is too fuzzy for precise dating since no one knows for sure in which year Jesus was born or even the month and day.
It is also inaccurate to use AD for dates after Jesus birth but before his death. And for those who believe he never died, the term AD is completely meaningless in any case.
No Muslim dating is 600 yrs off. It is used to keep some Jewish folks from getting too upset.
"What's with this 'BCE' and 'CE' dating crap?"
Interesting question. Given that the archaeologists in the story are from an Israeli University, would you expect them to refer to Jesus?
BCE and CE are used universally in that field, since not everyone who works in that field is a Christian. Amazing, huh?
BC and AD are equivalent values to BCE and CE. There is no other reason to use them as a reference than to remove all religous connotations.
yes BCE and BE now being used in my daughter's pulic charter military academy that is usually good about God and country.
"BC and AD are equivalent values to BCE and CE. There is no other reason to use them as a reference than to remove all religous connotations."
That's quite true, and that is precisely why it is done. In the example of this story, why would Jewish archaeologists refer to Christ in their dating. In the field of archaeology, BCE and CE are used exclusively, because it is a field with world-wide scholars.
Since Christianity is the religion of choice of only about 1/3 of the world's population, a religion-neutral dating system has been established by the archaeological community. It's not a plot. Not everyone is a Christian.
Plus them Jews have this wzcky objection to acknowledging Our Lord.
Very cool. Amazing; isn't it, how archeology keeps finding evidence that the Bible is true rather than the other way around.
AD means a Latin phrase "Anno Domini" which somebody told me means "In the year of our Lord"....not "After Death".
Amen
Since the research is done by an Israeli University, I'd say there's a good chance ther report was originally written in Hebrew. A good chance the dating followed the Hebrew calendar. If so, I wonder if dropping the Hebrew dating is anti-Jewish?
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