Goliath of Gath was a famous Philistine warrior who killed many warriors like himself during his battle of champions before he was defeated by King David. This piece discusses Goliath’s height, military career, and death.

Goliath was a celebrated Philistine warrior from Gath. He challenged Israel to a battle of champions because he was a champion warrior who won many battles before he was eventually killed and decapitated by the young David. Goliath was about three meters tall, wore armor weighing about 60 kilograms, and carried a spear of 7 kilograms. His sword, kept at Nob, was later given to David. Goliath may have descended from the Anakim. In 2 Samuel 21:19 Goliath’s brother was killed by Elhanan, who in 1 Chronicles 20:5 is credited with killing Goliath’s brother.

HOW TALL WAS GOLIATH?

According to the Holy Scriptures, Goliath was 9 feet 9 inches tall (3 meters). However, liberal scholars and secular academics say they have found older versions of the Holy Bible that said goliath was only six feet nine inches tall (2.1 meters); therefore, which version of the truth should we believe?

EARLY BIBLICAL SOURCES

According to the Septuagint Greek Bible of 275 BCE, the Dead Sea Scrolls narratives of 200 BCE, and the writings of historian Flavious Josephus of 100 CE, the height of Goliath was “four cubits and a span, which makes the giant warrior about six feet nine inches tall assuming that all ancient cubits were only 18 inches in length and all spans were exactly nine inches long or a half a cubit in length. However, many of these ancient sources based their measurements upon the 24 inch cubit. Therefore, four 24 inch cubits would equal eight feet and one span would equal 12 inches, which makes Goliath about nine feet tall. Additionally, many modern English Bibles were translated from the Hebrew Masoretic Bible in tenth century CE. The Masoretic Bible used an 18 inch cubit for most of its measurements. Hence, six cubits would equal nine feet and one span would equal nine inches. Thus, the weight of biblical and historical evidence indicates that Goliath was somewhere between nine feet and nine feet nine inches in height. Therefore, the Masoretic Hebrew Bible concurs with earlier versions of the Holy Scriptures.

MEDICAL SCIENCE

According to some medical professionals, Goliath probably suffered from pituitary gigantism, where a pituitary tumor causes the production of human growth hormone. Many people who have this disease can reach heights around 7’6” and 8’6.” If people with pituitary gigantism are not treated with modern medicine, they can grow to a height above nine feet.

MODERN GIANTS

Many pituitary giants are healthy and strong in their 20s and 30s, but become very weak by their early 40s and usually die in their mid-40s or early 50s. Andre’ the Giant was 7 feet 4 inches (222 centimeters) tall, Leonid Staknyd is 7 feet 7 inches (230 centimeters) tall, and the towering Robert Wadlow was 8 feet 11 inches (270 centimeters) tall. These men are good examples of pituitary Giants. However, today many healthy people who are genetic giants grow to be taller than 7 feet such as Shakiel O’Neal (7 feet 1 inches/ 214 centimeters), Yao Ming (7 feet 5 inches/ 225 centimeters), Neil Fingleton (7 feet 7 inches/ 230 centimeters); therefore, it is possible that Goliath was a genetic giant and not a pituitary giant.

CUBIT’S ORIGINS

The biblical cubit was derived from a unit of linear measure used by many ancient and medieval peoples. The cubit originated in Egypt about 3000 BCE; it thereafter appeared everywhere throughout the ancient world. The cubit, generally was usually somewhere between 18 to 24 inches in length because it was based on the length of the arm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger and was considered the equivalent of 6 palms or 2 spans. The Egyptian cubit was usually larger and about 24 inches long.

GOLIATH’S LEGACY

Little is known about Goliath outside of the Holy Scriptures. Flavious Josephus describes him as warrior

who fought and killed many men in hand-to-hand combat before his fatal encounter with David. While Goliath was a successful against other warriors, he became famous for his height and not his one-on-one fights with other combatants. A few biblical eschatologists believe he descended from one of the hybrid warrior giant tribes known as the Anakim, Rafahim, or Zamzummim. Goliath’s battle with David demonstrates that physical size and strength are inferior weapons against cunning and cleverness. David showed that it is sometimes better to strike your adversary down with a calculating mind and from a great distant.

RELATED SOURCES: Halley’s Bible Handbook; Henry H. Halley; 1965. The Middle East Conflict; Mitchell G. Bard, Ph.D.; 2008. The Book of War; Dwight Jon Zimmerman; 2008. The Book of Weapons; Dwight Jon Zimmerman; 2009. The Book of Inventions; Thomas J. Craughwell; 2008. World History; Timothy C. Hall, M.A; 2008.