– (Tom Belly/Strange World)
READ THE REPORT “THE STORIES THAT THE BIBLE DIDN’T TELL”
– Ark of Noah
– Exodus
– Samson
– David
– Fall of Jerusalem
– Crucifixion
THE GIANT ENEMY
With a simple sling, David defeated the Philistine Goliath and became king of the people of Israel
super soldier
The Philistines and the Israelites were at war when the soldier Goliath entered the scene. A Bible describes him as a 3.30 m giant who wore a spear, helmet, leggings and shield. He challenged the Hebrews by saying that if any of them defeated him, the Philistines would become his slaves.
famous underdog
Young shepherd David, the youngest of eight brothers, learned of the threat and decided to face Goliath. He asked permission from King Saul, who dressed him in his clothes and a helmet. David, unused to all that, dispensed with protection, taking only a staff, five stones in his saddlebag and his hand weapon: a sling.
deadly weapon
Made from vegetable fiber and a leather strap to accommodate the stone, the sling was a simple weapon. If the target is closer than 50 m, a blow to the head can be fatal. That’s what, says the Bible, happened to Goliath. After the feat, David, already king, united the kingdoms of Israel and Judah and made Jerusalem the capital
- The impact of the stone thrown by the sling can be equivalent to that of a .22 caliber bullet.
what science says
The researchers believe that the duel is a myth. But David probably existed, according to fragments of a tablet written in Aramaic and found in 1993. The text, from the 9th century BC, commemorates the victory of a Syrian king against the Hebrews and mentions a “House of David”. Most historians also believe that Solomon, his son and successor, is a real person – and would even have built a temple.
SOURCES Bible Archeology, Biblical Archeology, British Museum, Jewish Virtual Library, Journal of Archaeological Science, Slinging; books A Bible: A Biographyby Karen Armstrong BibleGod, A Biographyby Jack Miles, Excavating Jesusby John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed, The Mystic Pastby Thomas L. Thompson, and Jesus, Collection To Know Moreby Rodrigo Cavalcante and André Chevitarese