Goliath of Gath

By Mary Jane Chaignot

Categories: Men in the Old Testament

Gath was one of the five cities of Philistia.
Most scholars think it was located on the site known as Tell es-Safi.
It was in northern Philistia, by the Elah valley, near Ashdod and six miles south of Ekron.
It was along one of the main trade routes (the Via Maris) leading to the hill country in Judah.
It is located on a mound on a crescent-shaped hill.
The area is very fertile with an ample water supply.
It was continuously inhabited from 1300 BCE on.
It was one of the largest Philistine cities in its day.
Gath was destroyed in the 8-9th century BCE and never regained its stature.
It has been the site of extensive excavations by Israel’s Bar-Ilan University.
Many artifacts have been found there, dating back to the time of King David.
Scholars found a small ceramic shard at the site of Tell es-Safi.
On the shard are two names that are very much like the name Goliath.
The names are Alwt and Wlt. These are non-Semitic names etymologically linked to the name Goliath.
This doesn’t mean, of course, that it points to the person of Goliath, only that the name existed during the time of David.
Excavations are ongoing.
There are distinct differences between the Hebrew (Masoretic), the Septuagint (Greek), and the Dead Sea Scrolls regarding the height of Goliath.
The Hebrew texts say he was “six cubits and a span” or roughly 9 feet 6 inches tall.
Greek translations prior to the fourth century CE and the Dead Sea Scrolls claim he was “four cubits and a span” or roughly 6 feet 6 inches.
Josephus (a first-century historian) also claims he was “four cubits and a span.”
Later Greek translations agree with the Hebrew account.
A cubit is the length of the arm from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow, averaging 18-21 inches. It was also referred to as 6 palms or 2 spans.
Goliath is mentioned by name only twice. In other texts, he is simply referred to as “the Philistine.”
Later on, there is another story of Goliath the Gittite, who was killed by Elhanan, the son of a Benjaminite.
Some scholars think these men were brothers.
Others think Elhanan actually killed Goliath. The name was later applied to an incident involving David.
That would mean that David’s opponent was without a name.
According to the Davidic legend, the Israelites and the Philistines were facing each other in Judah in the valley of Elah.
Twice a day for forty days, Goliath came out between the lines to taunt the Israelites.
Because he stood halfway between the armies, he became known as “the man of the midst.”
Because ancient cultures believed their gods accompanied them into battle, it was believed that the nation with the strongest god would prevail. · Each day, then, Goliath would come out and taunt the Israelites and their God.
This would humiliate the Israelites to no end, but they were also fearful and no one dared to accept his challenge.
According to legend, he was covered with armor from his head to his toes.
The blade of his sword alone weighed more than twenty pounds.
He challenged them to send out one soldier to fight him, winner takes all. · After forty days of this taunting, Saul and his men were in deep despair.
Saul offered his daughter in marriage and a lifetime tax exemption for anyone who would volunteer to fight Goliath.
When David heard the taunts, he volunteered to fight Goliath without armor.
He gathered five smooth stones and approached his enemy.
Upon seeing the young boy, Goliath roared out, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?”
He swore by his gods and bellowed, “Come here and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air!”
He promised his gods to offer David as a sacrifice to them.
David slung one of his stones, hitting Goliath in the forehead.
Goliath fell on his face whereupon David beheaded him with Goliath’s own sword.
Needless to say, the Philistine army was stunned by this sudden turn of events.
When Saul’s troops came to life and began to cheer, the Philistines ran for their lives.
They knew their gods had been defeated by the Israelite God.
Saul’s army chased them for twenty-five miles, killing thirty thousand of them.
More than twice that many were counted among the wounded.
David took Goliath’s armor to his tent and carried the head to Jerusalem where he was hailed as a hero.
Some scholars think the description of Goliath’s armor resembles that worn by Greek warriors during the 6th century.
The story also resembles one told in the Iliad about a youth who fights and prevails over a giant.
In both instances, the enemy army flees after the battle.
In some Babylonian writings, Goliath was claimed to be the son of Orpah, the sister-in-law of Ruth.
Since David was a direct descendant of Ruth, they would have been cousins by marriage.
Jewish legend also has it that Goliath was responsible for killing the priests at Aphek and capturing the Ark of the Covenant.
He took the Ark and placed it before the Philistine god, Dagon.
The next morning Dagon was found face down.
The Philistines propped him back up only to find him face down the second day – with his head and his hands detached.
The Ark was then sent to various towns, but in each city all the people came down with physical problems.
Eventually, the Philistines sent the ark back to Israel.
The Philistines had several gods, including Dagon, Baal, and Beelzebub.
Jewish legend also concluded that Goliath chose to taunt the Israelites morning and evening because that would be most disruptive, interfering with their times for prayer.
When he died, Goliath’s sword was passed on to David and it was found to have marvelous powers.
Rumor has it that his heart bore the image of Dagon upon it, so his death was also a defeat for Dagon.
In one of the intertestamental books (Pseudo-Philo), David supposedly wrote the name of his fathers and the name of God on the stones.
According to this legend, Goliath was killed by an angel.
Immediately, David’s appearance was so radically changed that even Saul had to inquire who he was.
The David-Goliath story has captured imaginations through the eons.
It has become as a metaphor for those who are weak, but righteous, inspiring them to triumph over seemingly unbeatable opponents.

Bibliography

deSilva, David. Introducing the Apocrypha. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic. 2002.

Harrington, Daniel. Invitation to the Apocrypha. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm B Eerdmans. 1999.

Meeks, Wayne, ed. The Harper Collins Study Bible. San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins Publishers. 1993.

Metzer, Bruce, Ed. The Oxford Annotated Apocrypha. New York: Oxford University Press. 1965.

Mills, Watson and Richard Wilson, eds. Mercer Commentary on the Bible. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press. 2002.

Bible Characters