Who Really KILLED Goliath? (Feat. Paul Davidson)

This is the full-length discussion that formed the basis of our shorter David and Goliath video. In this video myself and Paul Davidson from the Inquisitive Bible Reader discuss how the David and Goliath Story was borrowed from a little known warrior named Elhanan. We cover contradictions in the Goliath Story, differences between the Greek and Hebrew as well as an interesting theory about Goliath's weapon: the spear like a weaver's beam.

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0:00 Intro
0:37 Elhanan and Goliath
2:50 Which story is older?
4:24 Contradictions
6:11 Greek influences
9:02 Goliath's height
10:40 Brother of Goliath?
13:49 Why keep both stories?
15:52 Fringe theories
18:03 Weaver's beam
22:54 Literary creativity
26:02 Outro

Weaving video used with permission from @TheIntuitiveArtificer :

Art in thumbnail, used with permission:

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This channel is now known as Tablets and Temples, unpacking ancient history and religion. Formerly known as Bible Unboxed.

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Sources:

In addition, we also discussed I & II Samuel (Old Testament Library Series) by Graeme Auld

On Goliath’s height, see the Anchor Bible Dictionary

The paper regarding the Weaver's Beam being Elhanan's weapon is: The Shaft of Whose Spear Was Like a Weaver's Beam? Another Suggestion, I Garfinkel (available through Google Scholar).

[rosdavis]

Its curious cause I read those books of the bible cover to cover a few times growing up and I have no memory of Elhanan. Which mean my brain must have edited it out from alll the repeated tellings of the David version

[Jason-fpvi]

The subtitles are very appreciated Lachlan

[wannabe_scholar]

A 27 minute bibleunboxed video!!! It's not even my birthday yet 🥹

[thedrewb]

Really interesting. Thanks for the video

[rosdavis]

You have meantioned the difference between our approach to history and the israelites approach a few times. Could you unbox that sometime?

[Jorgina]

Romans 3:4 Let God be true and every man a liar.

Proverbs 30:5-6 ESV
Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

Revelation 22:18 ESV
I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,

Galatians 1:6-9 ESV
I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Revelation 22:19 ESV
And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book

[irontaylor]

what version of the bibke in the kjv it says elhanon killed goliaths brother

[js]

Planning to do guest/interviews in the future?

[adventureswithlils]

Question there aren’t there two Elhanans… both mighty men/warriors of David ?

One the son of Jaír and the other the son of Dodo.

Interestingly Dodo is essentially the same name as David in Hebrew

dalet-vav-dalet vs Dalet-vav-Dalet-vav

Both Bethlehemites (Lahmi- Beth-LEHEMI)

[Emymagdalena]

You know, for once I disagree. I don’t think the Greek elements means it had to have been introduced into the culture during the Hellenic period. The Levant was the crossroads of trade, they had contact between Egypt, Mesopotamia and the Aegean islands. The coastal Philistines are theorized to have if not an origin, than a cultural influence from the Aegean. I think this Homeric style Epic could have been exchanged before the Bronze Age Collapse if not earlier.

[nickstrickland]

Goliath had four brothers, the reason it sounds Greek is because the Philistines were most likely descendants from the Greek Islands, because the Greeks employed giants probably from Canaan, so yes it’s going to have Greek cultural similarities where stories of the Greeks employing giants in battles where they would just have their champions fight instead of the two armies. Goliath was 6 cubits and a span but it depends which cubit they were speaking about there were cubits which would be from about 14 inches to 21 inches, the Israelites used the Egyptian Royal cubit in the building to Solomons Temple which was around 21 inches that would Goliath around 12 feet but he could have been at the shortest around 8 feet with the short measure of unit. Elhanan obviously fought one of Goliaths brothers and Goliath was possibly a general term used for these fighting champions, unfortunately the views expressed by you guys is actually bringing inconsistencies of the text when there is a reasonable answer.

[davrad]

The Hebrew text as it stands reads, “Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite.” Who killed Goliath the Gittite? According to 1 Sam 17:4-58 it was David who killed Goliath, but according to the MT of 2 Sam 21:19 it was Elhanan who killed him. Many scholars believe that the two passages are hopelessly at variance with one another. Others have proposed various solutions to the difficulty, such as identifying David with Elhanan or positing the existence of two Goliaths. But in all likelihood the problem is the result of difficulties in the textual transmission of the Samuel passage. The parallel passage in 1 Chr 20:5 reads, “Elhanan son of Jair killed Lahmi the brother of Goliath.” Both versions are textually suspect. The Chronicles text appears to have misread “Bethlehemite” (בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי, bet hallakhmi) as the accusative sign followed by a proper name אֶת לַחְמִי (ʾet lakhmi). (See the note at 1 Chr 20:5.) The Samuel text appears to have misread the word for “brother” (אַח, ʾakh) as the accusative sign (אֵת, ʾet), thereby giving the impression that Elhanan, not David, killed Goliath. Thus in all probability the original text read, “Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath.”

[michaelgodfrey]

2nd Samuel says "the brother of Goliath"....NKJV

[NuanceOverDogma]

These are people used to sow doubt as a deceptive tactic.