Category: Fun

How Tall Was Goliath?

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Recently, Baker Books came out with a beautiful full color illustrated Bible handbook. I’ve enjoyed paging through this gem of a resource and am planning to post my review of it next week. When I came across the article it contained on Goliath’s height, I knew I’d have to share it with my blog audience. You’ll probably be as fascinated and intrigued by this article as I was.

The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook is chuck full of other nuggets of interesting information, as well as countless Bible study aids. You can find this article on pg. 177, but be sure to pick up your own copy of this book (at Amazon, Christianbook.com, Barnes & Noble, or direct from Baker).

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How Tall Was Goliath?

In the Hebrew text that most of our English Bibles are based on, the height of Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:4 is “six cubits and a span.” In the ancient world, a cubit was about eighteen inches, and a span was about nine inches. Thus Goliath would have been about nine feet, nine inches tall. This is the way he has usually been portrayed in Christian tradition.

Surprisingly, in a scroll of Samuel found with the Dead Sea Scrolls, the height of Goliath is given as “four cubits and a span,” or only about six feet, nine inches. Likewise, the Septuagint, the early translation of the Old Testament into Greek and the Bible of the early church, also lists the height of Goliath as “four cubits and a span.”

The oldest Hebrew manuscript that has “six cubits and a span” dates to AD 935. No Hebrew manuscripts earlier than this list Goliath’s height at “six cubits and a span.” The Samuel scroll from the Dead Sea Scrolls, however (reading “four cubits and a span”), dates to about 50 BC, nearly one thousand years earlier. Likewise, we have Greek manuscripts of the Septuagint reading “four cubits and a span” that date to the fourth and fifth centuries AD.

Scholars are not quite sure what to make of this. In recent years, more and more scholars are acknowledging that the earlier manuscripts might contain a reading that is more likely to be original; thus perhaps Goliath was only six feet, nine inches.

Nothing else in the text requires Goliath to be nine feet, nine inches. He is never actually called a giant in the Bible. His armor (described in 17:5-7) is not something that a big, strong, six-foot-nine man could not carry, and besides being taller does not imply being stronger.

This discussion is not a challenge to the accuracy or inerrancy of the Bible. It is just an attempt to get at what the original reading was.

How would the shorter height of Goliath affect our understanding of the story? It is important to note that in the ancient world, people in general were quite a bit shorter than they are now. At this time in Palestine (about 1000 BC) the average height of men was only about five feet, two inches. So Goliath at six feet, nine inches was still an unusually large man. But remember that King Saul was a head taller than anyone in Israel (9:2). So Saul is probably six-foot-five or so, not much shorter than Goliath. Saul also has armor. So Saul is the likely candidate who should go forward and fight against Goliath. Note when Saul counsels David in 17:33, Saul does not seem concerned with Goliath’s size, but rather with Goliath’s years of training and experience.

Of course this is just a possibility. Scholars remain divided over what to do with the two heights of Goliath in the ancient manuscripts. Most English Bible translations still follow the traditional reading and list Goliath as nine feet, nine inches or as “six cubits and a span,” but this might change in the future.

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Disclaimer: This book was provided by Baker Books for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

Book Briefs: “Jungle Doctor’s Fables” by Paul White

~ Bob Hayton

Paul White was an Australian missionary to Africa who was only able to serve a few short years, due to his wife’s health problems. During his tie in Africa, he learned how to tell African fables to teach spiritual truths. The “Jungle Doctor” books came from this basic idea: clothing spiritual truth with a fascinating tale of life in Africa.

In The Jungle Doctor’s Fables series, illustrator Graham Wade provides detailed comic-like depictions of the stories in black and white. And the stories of animal’s escapades are told by Daudi, the missionary doctor’s friend and assistant. Daudi tells his tales to young Africans as he goes about his duties on the mission compound.

The stories are of mischievous monkeys, ferocious crocodiles, wise giraffes and a smattering of other animals as well. The animals learn lessons the hard way and the spiritual applications are made for the young readers who will pick up these books.

Written for kids age 5-11, I found that even my 3 year old was engaged with the tale. The books include Scripture verses and the moral of the story, and kids 7 and up should be able to read these books independently.

First written in the 1950s, this set of six books includes around 60 fables and has provided entertainment and instruction for Christian families the world over. These new reprints from Christian Focus for Kids, bring these classics in an attractive format for today’s families.

Pick up a copy of book #1 of The Jungle Doctor’s Fables from any of the following retailers: ChristianBook.com, Amazon.com, or direct from the publisher.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Christian Focus Publications. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

About Book Briefs: With limited time available to give every book sent my way a full review, I’ll be offering short-form book reviews called Book Briefs. Book Briefs are book notes, or my impression and informed evaluation of a book, but they stop short of being a full book review.

Luther’s Seal: A Trademark of Luther’s Theology

~ Bob Hayton

I’ve been paging through a new book from Concordia Publishing House, Lutheranism 101. It’s a light-hearted yet informative look at all the ins and outs of Lutheranism. I came across a description of “the most recognized symbol for Luthernaism” — Luther’s seal. I guess this is proof positive that I don’t know much about Lutheranism since I never even knew Martin Luther had a seal.

Anyways, the explanation that Luther gives for his seal is interesting and I thought my readers would find it intriguing as well. So here is an excerpt from Lutheranism 101 about Luther’s Seal. The seal is pictured on the cover of this book in the image above.

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Martin Luther’s seal is easily the most recognized symbol for Lutheranism, and for good reason. In Luther’s day it was common practice for prominent members of the community to have a personal seal or coat of arms. The symbolism on the seal would tell others something about the person, what they did or believed. Through his bold preaching and teaching about the Word of God, Martin Luther had become well-known. So it was that while Luther was at Coburg Castle in 1530, Duke John Frederick, the Electoral Prince of Saxony, made an order for the creation of a seal that was meant to express Luther’s theology. Luther’s seal is rich with symbols and color. In a letter to a friend, Luther explained the symbolism of his seal.

“Grace and peace in Christ! Honorable, kind, gentleman and friend,

Since you are keen to know whether or not your example of my seal hit the mark, let me share with you in a friendly way some of my preliminary thoughts regarding the elements of my seal that I want to fashion as a kind of trademark for my theology.

The first element should be a cross, black within the heart. That is the color that it should naturally have, by which I can remind myself that faith in the Crucified One makes us into saved people. One becomes justified according to what one believes in the heart.

Now, about why it is a black cross, it should put the flesh to death; it should hurt. But leave the heart in its proper color [red]. This is because through the cross, the human nature does not decay. The cross does not kill off the human nature altogether; rather, it preserves the human nature in new life. The just person shall live by faith, but only by faith in the Crucified One.

But this heart should be located in the middle of a white rose to show that faith gives joy, comfort, and peace. It immediately sets [the believer] into the midst of a white, joyful rose, not like the peace and joy that the world offers. That is why the rose should be white, not red. White is the color of the spirits and all angels.

This rose is set within a sky-colored field, because this joy that is comprehended in spirit and faith, this joy that is now grasped in hope but not yet openly revealed, is the beginning of the heavenly joy to come.

And around this field is a golden ring, because salvation in heaven endures forever; it has no end. It is more precious than all other kinds of joy and wealth, just as gold is the most noble, most precious of all ores.

May Christ our dear Lord be with your spirit, even unto that heavenly life to come. Amen! [See Luther’s Works. American Edition volume 49:356-359]

–from Lutheranism 101, (Concordia Publishing House), pg. 20-21

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Pick up a copy of Lutheranism 101 from the following online retailers: Christianbook.com, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, or direct from Concordia.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Concordia Publishing House for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

Reformation Day Deals and Discounts

~ Bob Hayton

This Monday marks Reformation Day, the anniversary of the date in 1517 when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the church door in Wittenburg, Germany.

Often there are several blogs promoting special discounts or freebies in honor of the day, and so I wanted to round up some of the best deals and discounts here for my readers.

After taking advantage of these special offers, don’t forget to spend some time reading up on the significance of the day. Credo Magazine’s blog has a special article devoted to remembering Reformation Day, and Justin Taylor rounds up several excellent resources for us too.