During the time of Saul, the first king of Israel, the Jews fought numerous wars with the Philistines. The pagan people, famous for their belligerence, ravaged the Promised Land with frequent raids. The Philistines killed the Jews and took them captive. The people of Israel were exhausted under the yoke of these invasions and prayed to God for salvation.
By the will of God, it was up to the second king of the Jewish people to save the people from cruel oppressors - David, the son of Jesse from the tribe of Judah, originally from Bethlehem. But even before becoming king and finally defeating the long-time enemies of his relatives, David became famous for one amazing victory.
When he was very young, the Philistines once again invaded the land of Israel. Preparing to fight, the opposing troops stood one against the other near the city of Ephesus-Dammim. And then a mighty giant named Goliath emerged from the ranks of the Philistine army. He invited the Jews to decide the outcome of the battle through single combat. “Choose a man from yourself,” he shouted, “and let him come out against me. If he kills me, then we will be your slaves; if I defeat and kill him, then you will be our slaves and serve us.”
This giant, clad in armor, was terrible, and none of the Israelis dared to fight him. King Saul promised the daredevil who would defeat Goliath to give his daughter as a wife. Despite the promised reward, no one wanted to fight him. For forty days Goliath appeared morning and evening, laughing at the Jews and reviling the army of the living God.
At this time, young David appeared in the Israeli camp. He came to visit his older brothers and bring them gifts from his father. Hearing Goliath revile the Israelite soldiers, David was troubled in spirit. His heart, full of devoted faith in God, boiled with righteous anger at the words disgracing God’s chosen people. He volunteered to fight the giant and asked the king for permission.
But Saul said to him: “You are still very young, but he is strong and has been accustomed to war since childhood.” David replied that, as a shepherd, he more than once recaptured sheep from terrible predators: “When it happened that a lion or a bear came and carried away a sheep from the flock, I chased after him, and attacked him, and tore the sheep out of his mouth. And if he rushed at me, then I took him by the hair and struck him and killed him.”
“The Lord, who delivered me from the lion and the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine,” David ended, and everyone understood where the young man got such great strength: he completely trusted in God and hoped to defeat Goliath with His help.
Saul, infected by the courage and bravery of David, said to him: “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”
David came out against the formidable, copper-clad enemy with a simple shepherd's weapon: in his bag there were five smooth stones from the stream, and in his hand he carried a sling for throwing.
Goliath greeted David with ridicule: “Am I a dog that you are coming at me with a stick and stones?” David answered him: “You come against me with sword, spears and shield, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which you have defied. The Lord will help me, and the whole earth will know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear.”
With a well-aimed and accustomed hand, David threw a stone from his sling and hit Goliath right in the forehead. The giant fell unconscious. David, like lightning, jumped up to the defeated enemy and cut off his head with his own sword.
The Philistine army, amazed by David's miraculous feat, fled in confusion. The Israelis pursued them, driving them out of their native land. This glorious victory lifted the spirit of the Jewish people and strengthened faith in the living God, the Savior of Israel.
King Saul fulfilled his promise. He married his daughter Michal to David and made him his military leader.
When Saul and David returned from the battlefield, the women of all cities greeted them with singing and dancing, with solemn timbrels and cymbals. In great joy they exclaimed: “Saul defeated thousands, and David - tens of thousands!” Envy poisoned the king's joy of victory. He began to suspect David of wanting to take his throne.
From this moment until the end of his life, Saul will pursue David, wanting to kill him. But the chosen one of God will take the throne of Saul not through intrigues and intrigues, but through prudence in all his affairs. David would become the second and most glorious king of Israel due to his sincere faith and the love of the Israelis for him.
The time of persecution will become for him a real school of testing and preparation for the great service of the king of God's chosen people. David’s confidence is strengthened that a person’s life is completely in the hands of God. Only the Lord is able to save each of us from the wiles of the devil and from the sorrows of a world lying in sin.
The two armies met at an unnamed valley, in the middle of which grew a single oak tree.
But no one dared to start first.
The warriors, positioned on opposite slopes of the mountains, shouted at each other, swore, rattled their weapons, but things did not go further than that.
“And a single combatant named Goliath, from Gath, went out from the camp of the Philistines; He is six cubits and a span tall. A copper helmet is on his head; and he was clothed in scale armor, and the weight of his armor was five thousand shekels of brass; brass kneepads on his feet, and a brass shield on his shoulders. And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam” (1 Samuel 17.4-7)
“And the Philistine said, Today I will put to shame the armies of Israel; give me a man and we will fight together. And Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, and they were very afraid and horrified" (1 Sam. 17.10-11)
And then the Bible, as if nothing had happened, reintroduces us to David, having forgotten that it had already introduced him to us. It says that David was the son of Jesse, who had eight sons. Although we have already seen that there were seven of them.
Having found the brothers, David politely inquired about their health.
- "What's the health like there?“,” one of them answered gloomily. – Look at this Philistine monster, which curses us with obscene words. We feel that our end is coming."
“And Eliab, David's elder brother, heard him speak to the people, and said, “I know your arrogance and your evil heart; you have come to see the battle" (1 Sam. 17.28)
In response to his brother’s words, David only shrugged his shoulders. And smiling, he answered: "These are just words. No one is forbidden to speak.”. But, moving away, he continued to question the soldiers, subtly hinting that he would not refuse the princess even half of the kingdom.
These words reached Saul's ears, and the king called David. And asked:
How can you, young man, cope with this mature, battle-hardened man, this gigantic giant?
Wise Saul smiled at this boast, but he had no choice. There were no other volunteers.
“And Saul clothed David with his own garments, and put a helmet of brass on his head, and put armor on him. And David girded himself with his sword over his garment, and began to walk; because I was not used to such weapons. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk in this; I'm not used to it; and David took it all off himself.
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the stream, and put them in the shepherd's bag that was with him. And with a bag and a sling in his hand he came out against the Philistine.
And the Philistine looked; and when he saw David, he looked at him with contempt, for he was young, fair-haired and handsome in face. And the Philistine said to David, Why are you coming at me with a stick? Am I a dog? Come to me and I will give your body to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.
And David answered the Philistine: You come against me with spear, sword and shield, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which you have defied. Today the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will kill you. And I will remove your head from you.
So David defeated the Philistine with a sling and stone. Then David ran up and, stepping on the Philistine, took his sword and took it out of its scabbard, struck him and cut off his head with it; The Philistines, seeing that their strongman was dead, fled." (1 Sam. 17.38-51)
“When Saul saw David coming out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army: Abner! Whose son is this young man? Abner said: I don’t know.
When David was returning after the defeat of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him to Saul. And Saul asked him, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “The son of your servant Jesse is from Bethlehem” (1 Sam. 17.55-58)
And here the time has come to express another seditious thought: the feat of young David is exorbitantly inflated!
To be honest, it was no feat at all. Because when performing a feat, a person consciously goes to certain death.
When a warrior rushes into the embrasure of a bunker, he accomplishes a feat. There are more than thirty cases where soldiers covered a fascist bunker with their chests, saving the lives of their comrades and allowing them to capture a strategic height. By the way, for your information, among these thirty heroes who performed feats for the glory of the Motherland, there were three Jews.
Some of the thirty fighters still survived. But this does not detract from their merits - they went to certain death.
David's act cannot be called a heroic act.. Because when performing a heroic act, a person risks his life.
The one who rushes into a burning house to save a child, the one who goes with a grenade against a tank, the one who breaks into a bandit’s lair alone - commit a heroic act.
David's action cannot be called a courageous act.. Because by committing a brave act, a person risks his health, risks being wounded, mutilated, and risks contracting a dangerous disease.
Entering unarmed into a cage with a lion, engaging in single combat with an obviously stronger opponent, stopping a galloping horse, treating a typhoid patient outside a hospital setting - all these are courageous actions.
David's action was simply an action. Even with a capital “P”.
By stating this, the author does not at all want to diminish the merits of David. The author (also, by the way, David) has great respect for people of Action, people of action, not words. Those who do something, and do not say that they could do it even better. Having written this book, the author, without false modesty, believes that he has committed an Act.
David's deft, strong, well-aimed throw was an Action without any high-quality definitions.
But the blond young man did not go to certain death, did not expose his life or his health to any danger. He took no more risks than a hammer thrower takes in a sporting event.
The mighty Goliath, with his three-pound armor, posed absolutely no danger to David.
Judge for yourself: is a rhinoceros dangerous for a rabbit? Is a boa constrictor dangerous for an ant? A huge elephant is terrified of a small mouse. She can bite him, but he can’t bite her. He can't even trample her. While he raises and lowers his leg, the mouse walks under it ten times back and forth.
It was not for nothing that David abandoned his armor and sword. They would only hinder his movements.
It was an unequal fight.
A huge advantage was on David's side. He was light and agile, moved quickly across the field, and could dodge a blow. But he did not even come into contact with Goliath; he was beyond the reach of the heroic sword. Goliath not only did not have the opportunity to cut him, but could not even pinch such a nasty opponent. If Goliath had chased David, the fight would have ended even more shamefully for him - he would have died of a broken heart.
There is a funny episode in Mark Twain's book A Yankee in King Arthur's Court. A young Yankee boy, thrown into medieval England by the will of fate, is challenged to a duel by one of King Arthur's formidable knights. Like David, he refuses armor, a spear and a heavy armored horse. Sitting astride a donkey, armed with an ordinary broom, he easily deals with the knight, who is clumsy and ponderous.
So did that Yankee accomplish a feat?
Haven't I convinced you yet? Well, you know! You are invincible and invincible, like the copper image Goliath!
I'll have to use the last resort of persuasion; I don't have any more for you.
Try to imagine a fight for the title of world champion between... the champion of Japan in sumo wrestling and the snotty kid, the champion of the Odessa Moldavian in slingshot shooting.
And now I ask you: who do you think will be the first to ask for mercy from whom? I can bet ten to one that it won’t be my little fellow countryman!
In the first post-war years, the years of my hungry childhood, we played war with guns, sabers and pistols cut from wood. But the best weapon was a primitive slingshot.
For those who don’t know what it is, I’ll explain: it’s a small branch in the shape of the letter “Y”. An elastic band with a piece of leather attached to it was tied to the two ears of this upsilon. A naked pebble was inserted inside the skin, the elastic was tightened and - fuck! ding! - the glass in the window of the harmful neighbor is gone.
With slingshots they went from yard to yard, street to street. A gouged eye was not uncommon. A stone fired from a slingshot could have killed if it accidentally hit the temple. Some snipers achieved good results: from twenty steps they hit a wild pigeon or even a sparrow. There were no animal protection societies then, there was no one to protect people.
Hebrew boys, like boys of other nations, also played war. They were armed with wooden swords, spears, and shields. But, unfortunately, there were no slingshots. Because there was no rubber, no glass windows.
But the most effective weapon was the sling.
A sling is a rawhide belt, the ends of which are folded to form a loop. The slinger put a smooth stone into the loop and quickly untwisted the belt over his head. At the right moment, one end of the sling had to be released, so that the stone would fly as accurately as possible towards the target. The target could be some kind of gopher, a crow, or best of all, the head of a boy from a neighboring, hostile tribe, or a girl from a neighboring tent.
From early childhood, the children competed with each other to see whose throw would be more accurate. And with constant exercise they achieved impressive results.
There were also outstanding throwers among them, like the current golf champions. The best snipers, having reached adulthood, joined selected companies of slingers. Because the sling was a military weapon.
So marksmen were not that uncommon. This is what the Bible writes about the Benjamite army: “Of all this people there were seven hundred chosen men, who were left-handed, and all of them, throwing stones from slings at hair, did not throw them by” (Judges 20.16).
You see - they hit the hair from a long distance! In one hair. And Goliath had a whole head of this hair.
But throwing away jokes like stones from a sling, we should say quite seriously: David’s strong, well-aimed throw decided the course of the battle. In this, of course, the merit of the young shepherd is undoubted. He saved many lives and provided the Israelis with an easy victory over a formidable and numerous enemy. And, of course, he deserved to be carried in his arms. Popular rumor gave this successful throw a heroic overtone and regarded it as a miracle, a happy omen. Undoubtedly, the common people believed that the hand of David was directed by the Lord himself. The Spirit of God came upon this guy. He is God's chosen one!
But David's throw was no miracle. It is even possible that he made several throws until he hit Goliath. After all, the Bible says that he picked up some stones.
Now let's summarize.
David did not accomplish a feat and, unfortunately, was not a hero. He was a strong, accurate, dexterous guy, quite smart, self-confident and savvy. He managed to be in the right place at the right time. And he won the jackpot in the lottery called Life.
The fact that he was not a hero is confirmed by his further life, described in detail in the Bible.
David never faced danger, was always on the side of the strong against the weak, and loved to pull chestnuts out of the fire with the wrong hands.
And the last, most important note.
The legend of the fight between David and Goliath is so beautiful that it cannot be true! Most likely, this glorious victory was attributed to him by the court flatterers.
A careful reading of the First Book of Kings makes it clear that this book (like some others) is a collection of legends about one hero, written down from the words of several storytellers.
One legend says that David was chosen by Samuel to replace Saul, whom he disliked.
In another legend David ends up in Saul's house under the patronage of being a good master of the harp. Although it is a little unclear how the Russian national musical instrument fell into the hands of David?
According to the third legend, David, like Joseph the Beautiful, became the king’s favorite and his squire.
But, having taken such a prominent position at court, David, by will fourth storyteller, is transported again to his father's house, where he continues to herd sheep. The Bible introduces us to its favorite for the second time. The shepherd boy David brings bread to his older brothers. And while they are having lunch, he jokingly deals with Goliath, the hero from Gath.
Saul, for some reason, does not recognize either his guslar or his armor-bearer. He asks the commander: “Who is this guy and who is his father?”. But he himself had just recently sent a messenger to Jesse, asking his consent for David to continue to delight his soul and protect his body. This shows how kings are ungrateful and sclerotic.
Not only did different storytellers tell their tales in different ways, but the scribes also alternated. One scribe was lazy to read what another had written down before him.
The third scribe, without further ado, kept a record of historical events, wars, battles, word for word, as he heard about it from the lips of participants in the events, warriors and military leaders. And he wrote it down like this:
“There was another battle in Gob; Then Elchanan, the son of Jagareh, killed Orgim of Bethlehem, Goliath the Gathite, whose spear shaft was like a weaver’s beam” (2 Sam. 21.19).
“And a single combatant named Goliath, from Gath, came out from the camp of the Philistines. A copper helmet is on his head. Copper kneecaps were on his feet, and a brass shield over his shoulders. And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam” (1 Samuel 17.4-7)
As you can see, we are talking about the same Goliath from Gath, a man of heroic physique. And even his spear is the same. But, according to the new version, he is already a martial artist, and was killed not in battle, but in a duel, which is much more impressive.
It is not some private Elkhanan who kills him, but the legendary King David. By the way, these two heroes come from the same city - Bethlehem. It is even possible that they were friends and competed in sling throwing. David not only kills Goliath, he terrifies and puts to flight the entire army of the Philistines. This is how myths about heroes are created.
We are constantly assured that everything written in the Bible is the holy truth. Word for word, letter for letter! Therefore, it remains to be assumed that Goliath, beheaded by David, nevertheless picked up his head, screwed it into place, and rushed into a new battle with renewed vigor. All with the same spear, converted from a weaving beam.
But, I ask you, what kind of hero is this if he allows himself to be killed twice in a row?
So who really killed Goliath?
What is this Elkhanan one that suddenly fell on our heads to undermine the heroic reputation of King David? It was as if we had never met this name before. Let's try to look more carefully.
Ah, that's where you hid, my dear!
I discovered the name completely by accident Elkhanana among fifty names of war heroes. (2 Kings 23.24) True, here his father is called not Yagare-Orgim, but Dodo. What can you do, many biblical heroes have the peculiarity that they were born from two fathers at once.
As for the rest, everything fits. This is still the same Elchanan from Bethlehem.
I hope you understand that the feat that the king accomplished could not be attributed to a simple warrior? It was just a little bit the opposite. Moreover, the battle in question took place when David was already in old age. And when David was a young man, Goliath had not yet been born. But he was already beheaded.
This is the biblical “Truth”.
Naidis David
The hero of which country is not familiar with the chronicles of great battles? For a true warrior, even religious literature can easily become a useful textbook on battle tactics and psychological pressure. For example, the battle of Goliath is a clear example that faith in one’s own strength can destroy the enemy. With such motivation, one stone is enough to win. It’s a pity that for Goliath such a lesson was the last in his life.
The formidable man is first mentioned in the Bible. The First Book of Samuel contains a detailed description of both the hero and the battle that glorified Goliath's opponent, David. Is it worth reminding that the giant himself is presented in the Old Testament not as a valiant warrior, but as a reckless fool who does not believe in the power of God.
Despite the mythical nature of the legend, perhaps the story of Goliath is not fictional at all. The prototype of the giant warrior is mentioned in the records of the Roman military leader Josephus:
“And then one day a gigantic man named Goliath, from the city of Gitta, came out of the Philistine camp. He was four and a half arshins tall, and his weapons were fully consistent with his gigantic size.”
The second confirmation of the existence of Goliath was the discovery of archaeologists. At excavations in the city of Tel Es-Shafi (it is assumed that the city of Gath used to stand here), a part of a ceramic bowl was found, on which the name of the giant was engraved. This is the first reliable evidence that Goliath actually existed.
Today, the name of the fearsome warrior has become a household name. In the Marvel comic book universe, there are several characters named Goliath, including Bill Foster. No less famous is the namesake of Goliath from the cartoon “Gargoyles”, which, unlike the biblical character, is presented as a positive hero.
Goliath was born in the city of Gath, located in the territory of Philistia. The character's mother, a woman named Orpha, led a free lifestyle, so the hero's father is unknown.
Goliath grew up to be a big and strong man; the hero’s height was 2.89 m. The hero’s older brothers also had outstanding appearance. The Bible states that a relative of Goliath was the warrior Lahmi, who was killed by the famous fighter Elhanan ben Yair.
From early childhood, the Philistine was trained in military affairs. The giant towered over his comrades, so from his youth he was used by commanders as a terrifying weapon. The man had many victories, but most often Goliath boasted of capturing the greatest shrine of the Jewish people - the Ark of Revelation.
Despite his fearsome appearance and extensive experience in battle, the giant did not build a career. The man remained a simple soldier; Goliath was not trusted to command an army of thousands. This allows us to conclude that physical strength is the only achievement of a man. Intelligence and military ingenuity were not included in the list of the hero’s virtues.
The most famous myth about Goliath is associated with another battle. During the war between the Jews and the Philistines, Goliath challenged any warrior of King Saul to a fair fight. For 40 days, the man called on brave men to go to battle. The only condition is that if the hero wins, then the representatives of the Jewish people will forever become slaves of the inhabitants of Gath.
A formidable man, dressed in armor and armed with a heavy sword, awed the enemy army. Imagine Goliath’s surprise when the young shepherd David answered the man’s call. The young man went out to fight, dressed in casual clothes and with a bag at the ready. To the ridicule of his opponent, David replied that God, at whom Goliath had so imprudently made fun, would lead the young man to victory.
It's amazing how the giant was defeated. David's weapons were a sling and five smooth stones. The young man, quickly swinging a long rope with a loop at the end, drove a pebble into the giant's forehead. Goliath, who did not expect such an attack, did not cover his face. The man fell to the ground from the impact. The shepherd approached the defeated man and realized that the giant had lost consciousness. David cut off the head of the Philistine warrior with Goliath's personal sword.
In Christianity, the colorful characters mentioned in the Old Testament carry an unambiguous meaning. In the person of David, the ancient scriptures demonstrate to believers a typological prototype who triumphs over the Supreme Evil, or the devil.
Researchers argue that the comparison of Goliath to Satan is supported by textual evidence. For example, the giant’s height (six cubits and a span) significantly exceeds that of a human, but does not reach the divine figure 7. The myth also mentions the scaly armor of Goliath, referring the reader to the Serpent, which was often called Satan. However, most of the arguments regarding the hidden meaning of the legend are indirect.
The Koran also contains a story telling about the victory of the Islamic prophet over the unfaithful king of the Amalekites. The names of the main characters have been changed (Goliath is called Jalut, and David is called Talut) and minor details. And the death of the giant fully corresponds to the version voiced in the Bible. The parable of Jalut and Talut demonstrates to people the strength and power of God to help them achieve victory. You just need to believe.
The Jewish Holy Scripture (Tanakh) also mentions the legendary battle. David's opponent is still a giant, but the name of the enemy is Golyath from the Plishtim tribe. Another difference from the Old Testament is that the man is equipped with a large number of weapons. In addition to a spear and sword, Golyat is equipped with a bow and arrows. As in other sources, only blind faith in a higher power contributes to David’s victory over the enemy.
The biblical motif was first shown on television in 1960. The film "David and Goliath" tells the story of a spectacular battle described in religious scriptures. The role of the giant warrior was played by Italian actor Aldo Pedinotti.
In 1985, Paramount released the film King David. The film failed at the box office. New York Times critics wrote negative reviews, pointing out flaws in the script and direction. The image of Goliath in the failed film was embodied by actor George Eastman.
In 2015, Timothy Chey made another film about the famous battle. This time, the role of the fierce warrior went to the novice actor Jerry Sokoloski. The artist’s height is 2.33 m, so the tallest Canadian fits perfectly into the image.
The Wallace brothers showed their own view of the biblical motif in 2016. The film "David and Goliath" again touches on the theme of the battle between the Jews and the Philistines. The role of Goliath was played by Michael Foster, familiar to viewers from the TV series “Conan” and “Beverly Hills 90210: The Next Generation.”
Among the Philistine army there was one undaunted strongman, the giant Goliath. He wore scale mail on his body, a copper helmet on his head, a copper shield over his shoulders, and held a heavy spear in his hands. A squire was next to him. And when the Philistines met with the army of Israel to resolve many years of hostility, they sent Goliath forward.
He was very formidable, he was not afraid of anyone or anything, he walked along his army, shouted loudly, boasted of his strength, and rattled his weapons. He was so powerful that it seemed that there was no person on earth who could defeat him. Even angrier and stronger, he shouted towards the Israelites, urging them to fight him: “If your warrior kills me, then the Philistines will become slaves of the Israelites, if I kill him, then the Israelites will become slaves of the Philistines. Everything will be fair."
The Israelis heard his cries, but did not know what to do. They did not have such a strongman in their army. For forty days and forty nights Goliath boasted of his strength, reviled the Israelites in every possible way and threatened to destroy everyone.
Young David, the future king of Israel, who brought food to his brothers, heard the boast of the giant Goliath. He was very young, but he had strong muscles and was not afraid of anything. And he also heard from the Israeli soldiers that whoever kills Goliath, the Israeli king will endow him with great wealth and marry his daughter to him.
David asked his brothers if he should fight Goliath. The brothers immediately became angry with him and told him that he should tend sheep and not fight. But other soldiers heard David’s words and reported him to the leader Saul. He called David to him. The young man told Saul that since childhood he had been tending sheep and had often fought with wild animals, tearing apart a lion and a bear with his bare hands. Saul had no other choice, he had to answer the challenge of Goliath, he gave the young man his chain mail and helmet. David tried on the equipment, but then abandoned it. He took his staff, sling, and shepherd's bag, put stones in it and went out in front of the Israeli army.
Goliath looked with contempt at the young man in shepherd's clothing. He shouted: “Why are you coming against me with a stick, am I a dog?” David answered him: “You come against me with a sword and a spear and a shield, but I come against you in the name of the Lord... and I will kill you, and take off your head.”
Goliath became very angry when he heard such offensive words and quickened his pace. They were getting closer, preparing for a fierce fight. Goliath was confident in his victory, he was not afraid of anything and only smiled fearfully, but the young man was not frightened by his brutal appearance.
When the distance between them was reduced to the flight of an arrow, David lowered his hand into his bag, took a heavier stone from there and inserted it into the sling. He took aim and fired. The stone hit the giant directly on the forehead. He couldn't stay on his feet and fell to the ground. Neither the Philistines nor the Israelites expected this.
David ran up to Goliath, he did not move, he was dead. David took his sword and cut off his head. The Philistines watching this scene were horrified and ran. Israeli troops began to pursue them. With victorious cries they entered the enemy camp and plundered it. And David, together with the severed head of Goliath, entered Jerusalem triumphantly.
The biblical story of David and Goliath is popular not only among Christians, it is also known to people who are not related to religion. What made it popular was its almost fantastic plot: a young shepherd boy fights to death the Philistine Goliath with a sling and an ordinary river stone. Bible scholars emphasize the intervention of the Almighty, but is this really so?
To understand biblical history, it is worth mentioning the essence of the conflict between the Israelites and the Philistines.
After the Jews freed by Moses from Egyptian captivity entered the promised land, Canaan, they began to be overcome by local warring tribes, including the Philistines. An interesting fact is that the Philistines were not the original people of Canaan: according to the Bible, these are tribes that came to the promised land from the island of Crete. Crop failures and hunger forced them to leave their homes. At first, the Philistines began to advance towards Egypt, but were defeated by the army of Ramses III. The Egyptians enslaved part of the people, and the other part was given the land of Canaan to settle: the region in the Jordan Valley. Now this territory belongs to Palestine. The Philistines created five independent cities, each ruled by its own prince. At the same time, the people were united in waging wars.
The Jewish people, who settled in the promised land, were constantly attacked by the Philistines. The Israeli kings Samuel, Saul, and David waged fierce wars with them. The trail of the Philistines is found in another famous biblical story about the strong man Samson. Delilah, a Philistine, cut off the hair of the powerful Jew - the secret of the power that helped Samson defeat her people. It is thanks to the Philistines that the establishment of the kingdom of Israel takes place: after all, it was necessary to repel the attacks of a warlike tribe.
Why did the Philistines triumph over God's people? The answer lies in their art of forging iron. But according to the Bible, the Israelites did not have a single blacksmith. Only King David was able to defeat the Philistine army. Having captured the city of Edom, he took possession of the fossils of the Sinai Peninsula and learned the secret of making weapons from iron. The people of Israel began to live in relative peace, however, occasional raids by the Philistines were observed. The godly Israeli king Hezekiah finally put an end to them.
David was the second king of the Israelites. But before ascending the throne, he suffered many victories and hardships. Growing up in the family of a wealthy landowner, David was drawn to nature from childhood, admired God’s creation, and learned to be compassionate and generous. It is these qualities that will later make him one of the most powerful and fair kings. To this day, David is revered by Jews; not only people close to the Christian faith know about him, but also those far from it. A descendant of the tribe of Judah, David, is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
The future king began by herding sheep - this was his responsibility as the youngest in the family. It is as a young shepherd that we first meet him in the Bible. But already here his beauty, stateliness and courage are emphasized. The story of David as the conqueror of the Philistines begins with his duel with the mighty warrior Goliath. This episode turned the life of the young shepherd upside down, making him a popular favorite, and later the great king of Israel.
The time of his reign is rightfully considered the golden age of the Jewish state. David carries out economic and political reforms, rids the country of frequent raids by the Philistines.
David was an excellent musician and singer: his songs still live in the biblical book of Psalms.
Fame and popular love were brought to David by his duel with the mighty Philistine warrior Goliath.
The confrontation between the Israeli army under the leadership of King Saul and the Philistines continued for forty days. The latter, feeling their superiority, in every possible way humiliated and insulted not only the soldiers of Israel, but also God. The most powerful and fearsome warrior named Goliath was especially active. He stepped forward, gleaming with heavy armor, armor, shield and sword. None of Saul's troops dared to fight with him. This was the ancient tradition: first, the two strongest warriors from each side fight.
Unsuspecting David at this time was doing his usual thing: tending sheep. His older brothers fought for the Israeli army. Since the confrontation between the two sides dragged on, the father asked David to take some food to the brothers. Finding himself in the camp of Saul and his soldiers, David was indignant, why does no one fight back Goliath, who so insults the Israeli people? Finding no answer, the young man decided to defend the honor of his people. So, Goliath and David met for the first and last time.
King Saul is amazed at the young man's bold decision. He offers David good armor in order to protect him at least a little from the mighty Goliath. The young man refuses, because the armor hinders his movements and is unusual for him. All the young man does is go down to the stream and collect river stones for his sling - the one David used to hit Goliath later.
David is not afraid of death: the main thing for him is to protect the honor of his people and not allow God to be “blasphemed.” Seeing a fragile young man going out to fight the giant Goliath without armor or a sword, with a few stones and a sling, the Philistines begin to ridicule the Jews even more. “I come against you in the name of the God of Israel,” David says, and Goliath falls silent. The giant sees a stone flying at his head from the young man's sling. David hits the giant right in the head, and he falls dead. Taking Goliath's sword, the young man cuts off his head, and this is how David, with Goliath's head, sends the startled Philistines fleeing. The Israeli army catches up with them and defeats them. David arrives in the capital as a winner.
There is still debate between biblical scholars and atheists about the veracity of this biblical story. Even Goliath and David themselves are questioned. Atheists motivate their point of view by the fact that there is no real evidence, artifacts or written evidence of the existence of one and the other biblical hero.
On the other hand, Josephus Flavius, a Roman historian, wrote that such a duel took place in history. In addition, in 1996, archaeological evidence was found that Goliath and David existed.
In the valley of the Judean Mountains, a skeleton almost three meters long was discovered with a severed head in which a stone was stuck. After conducting a series of studies, archaeologists found that the time period to which this skeleton belongs is approximately 3000 BC. Thus, it was proven that the story is most likely not a myth, but a reality.
The story of the confrontation between an unarmed shepherd and a mighty warrior has attracted artists for many centuries. People still wonder how David defeated Goliath. Sculptors, artists, and filmmakers turn to this topic again and again. Titian, Caravazdo, Guido Reni are just a few artists whose paintings depict the history of the fight.
Sculptors Donatello, Michelangelo, Lorenzo Berini immortalized the heroes in stone. Goliath and David appear on frescoes and objects of Christian worship. Feature films have been made on this topic more than once. For example, the film by Ferdinando Baldi (1960), an animated film released in the USA in 2003, and a BBC documentary of the same name.
As you can see, the story of David and Goliath is alive, it still worries humanity. It gives Christians a powerful charge of faith, and secular people a reason to think about courage, honor and dignity.
