Fun fact: almost everybody are dead wrong about David vs Goliath.
David was a seasoned soldier armed with the bronze age equivalent of a 9mm pistol, while Goliath was a huge dude with a club.
The only way Goliath could have had any chance would be if David started the fight in the Goldilocks zone of “within melee range but not so close that the relative size of Goliath and his weapon becomes a disadvantage”
To the extent he is an historical figure, it wasn’t even David who killed him, as I understand it. Rather it was an appropriation of a the valor of one of David’s own soldiers by David’s biographer/Propagandist/Deuteronomist since seemingly their own sources say that Elhanan killed him:
IN ANOTHER BATTLE WITH THE PHILISTINES AT GOB, ELHANAN SON OF JAIR THE BETHLEHEMITE KILLED GOLIATH THE GITTITE, WHO HAD A SPEAR WITH A SHAFT LIKE A WEAVER’S ROD
2 Samuel 21:19
It seems unlikely that any scribe in a Davidic regime would get away with the reverse; attributing one of King David’s most heralded victories to a lowly son of Jair.
I always imagine goliath just being a huge dude. But not like hafthor, but more like a disabled guy that has gigantism and everything hurts. But hey, tall guy
Fun fact: almost everybody are dead wrong about David vs Goliath.
David was a seasoned soldier armed with the bronze age equivalent of a 9mm pistol, while Goliath was a huge dude with a club.
The only way Goliath could have had any chance would be if David started the fight in the Goldilocks zone of “within melee range but not so close that the relative size of Goliath and his weapon becomes a disadvantage”
To the extent he is an historical figure, it wasn’t even David who killed him, as I understand it. Rather it was an appropriation of a the valor of one of David’s own soldiers by David’s biographer/Propagandist/Deuteronomist since seemingly their own sources say that Elhanan killed him:
IN ANOTHER BATTLE WITH THE PHILISTINES AT GOB, ELHANAN SON OF JAIR THE BETHLEHEMITE KILLED GOLIATH THE GITTITE, WHO HAD A SPEAR WITH A SHAFT LIKE A WEAVER’S ROD
2 Samuel 21:19
It seems unlikely that any scribe in a Davidic regime would get away with the reverse; attributing one of King David’s most heralded victories to a lowly son of Jair.
I always imagine goliath just being a huge dude. But not like hafthor, but more like a disabled guy that has gigantism and everything hurts. But hey, tall guy
I hadn’t realised that a sling was so lethal.
That’s what makes the story so sensational - kid with a stick takes on a navy seal.
Yeah, it was a proper military weapon.
In reality* it was more like “navy seal takes on badly armed primitive dude who happens to be large” 🤷🏻
*insofar as you can regard anything from a religious text as “reality”
so like fezzik vs the man in black
Sling stones (although you’d normally use specially cast lead shot) would absolutely break bones. A hit to the head could definitely be lethal.
Obligatory Lindybeige - introduction to ancient slings, and comparison to archery.