As Joseph Heller has King David reminisce in the book “Oh God”:
When I Looked at Goliath I knew two things: One, as a shepherd I had nothing better to do than practice my sling all day, and I could knock an apple off a tree or hit a wolf between the eyes at 200 paces every time. And two even If i missed I could easily outrun that lumber lummox with all that metal hanging off him.
A real combat sling in the hands of an expert was one of the deadliest weapons of the ancient world. A bullet (and that’s where that word comes from) to the unprotected head was a killing blow. What’s described in the bible is perfectly consistent with a skull fracture where parts of the skull explode into the brain and paralyze the victim-an injury a sling could easily inflict.
(though Goliath’s armor as described is anachronistic by about 2-300 years, being the armor of a Greek Hoplite)
i did NOT know that! I just checked it up -- thank you!
I’ve often wondered how the stone could penetrate Goliath’s skull if he was wearing his helmet, but then I supposed that Goliath, as another way of insulting David, took off his helmet and gave it to his shield bearer, shouting out “I won’t need this!.”