Yes, I agree that people in Scripture have more than one name. Given that the common height of an ancient Israelite was somewhere between 5 feet and 5 feet 3 inches, this could make the common cubit somewhere between 16-17 inches. Israelites, Edomites, Moabites, Ammonites, all shared a common ancestry, as the Bible makes clear. 1Sam. Check out the work of David Rohl. nef'-i-lim (nephilim): This word, translated "giants" in the King James Version, but retained in the Revised Version (British and American), is found in two passages of We seek out actual proof, the traces and clues that are out there in the world, and not just the faith-based claims. Keeping in mind we do not know which cubit was being used, it seems to me that the evidence favors 4 cubits. David was a boy when he killed goliath he was taller than the average israelite but was a boy between 12 and 14 (i am guessing). The Bible does record some apparently healthy giants, but these are not the long-lived pre-Flood people. The most well-known giant is Goliath, whose height is described as "six cubits and a span". (1 Samuel 17:4) This would make him well over nine feet tall . Goliath was known as Goliath of Gath, and the people Gath seem to be a clan of giants. Hofniel Hofniel is a really enigmatic angel. Problem solved, Goliath grows from 66 to approximately 99. My point here is that the Bible indicates these people were large, but we have no specific measurements. by manipulating the text to falsely state that Elhanan did not kill Goliath but his brother Lahmi. Thank you for not hammering those less equipped in the English language (me included) We should allow the same for ancient peoples and their languages. . So that is a tall guy. My point in this article is not to come up with the most logical explanation in the sense that I doubt what the Bible teaches. Although many people think that the Nephilim were all killed by Archangel Gabriel, due to Gods command, there might be some left alive. 17:5 He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. Billington disagrees with Hays on the height of Goliath, believing instead that Goliath is in the 8 foot range. Others, however, raised on the traditional story of David defeating the giant Goliath, would almost consider it a sacrilege to suggest that Goliath might be in the 6 foot range, as opposed to the 9 foot range. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. Goliath had 3 relatives later killed not sure their height was recorded. The Smithsonian Museum would appear to have been the most notorious thief and misappropriated loser of relics and national archives in the history of the world. Different times and different cultures often result in a different way of assessing things. Ps. The first point that I would make is that my article is about examining the textual evidence for the best reading of the story. By the time David was born, there were no more giants, descendants of giants who were less than 10 feet tall, as well as tall men were around however. As I have emphasized in other responses to this post, this has nothing to do with my belief in the inspiration of the Bible. Therefore, it is not disingenuous to speak about people of the Ancient Near East and include Israel in that category. Studies have shown conclusively that the average American, when challenged to do so, was unable to successfully locate their own backside with the use of both hands, a map, a guide dog, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer to assist, and a GPS locator. This chart is more of percentile sizes between characters than actual set heights. Humans and dinosaurs never lived at the same time. And what about the enormous grape bunches they carried out. Since the Israelites didnt refer to their appx. The bones would have later been interred in a huge serpentine structure of loose stones adjacent to stone rings. Giants are not folklore. Males averaged about 1m 75 cm; females 1m 60 cm, Neanderthals were considerably stronger and tougher. 17:4 And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. Why do I bring this up? Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. So, Goliath was a giant. Its also important that what we may consider a giant and what an ancient person may have considered a giant could be different. Your encouragement and comments are deeply appreciated. Thanks for your comments. I appreciate your logic, refrences to reliable resources, plain language, and openness to discussion. Hi David, Also, I dont read anywhere in the Bible where king Saul (6+ feet tall) was referred to as a giant so I dont see why the Israelites would call Goliath a giant if he was only 6 in a half feet tall or thereabouts. Thanks for writing. Although I have always been inclined toward the reading of the MT, as noted above, I must admit that Hays presents some strong arguments. Thanks again for reading and for your comments. I was content to leave you with the final word, but since you insist I will share some further thoughts. Lets start with Genesis 6:4 in one of the Modern versions, the NIV: Genesis 6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those daysand also afterwardwhen the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. Just a thought. Im not convinced, however, about his identification of Saul and Labaya. Especially in 1 Samuel 17. As for the Nephilim and their descendants, I am in agreement that they are the offspring of the sons of God and the daughters of men as recorded in Gen. 6:1-4. Moshe Garsiel in his recent commentary on 1&2 Samuel presents an interesting argument that Elhanan is another name for David. According to Travis Sanders, many Nephilim look just like us, and they often dont even know what they really are. It is not a question of orthodoxy. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. kranttu 2 yr. ago. 6 cubits and a span using an 18 inch system still puts Goliath between that 9 and 10 foot range. No different than if I said, Its raining cats and dogs. No one would take me literally. The Bible makes it crystal clear that Goliath is not a giant. In this article I am attempting to look at the evidence and decide which reading 4 or 6 cubits, seems to be correct. WebHow tall were the biblical giants? I dont buy into this. Clyde E. Billington, GOLIATH AND THE EXODUS GIANTS: HOW TALL WERE THEY?,, Descendants of the Nephilim in Genesis 14, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_the_Giant, https://www.biblestudywithrandy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/10-The-Savior_The-Lord-Almighty-Reigns.m4a. Whether this is a correct translation of the word and whether our idea of giants is the same as the ancient idea are points open for discussion. These giants where between 10 and 140 feet tall as noted in Amos and in Deuteronomy. . I am surprised by some of the comments on this post which leads me to believe that we have a poor understanding of literary devices, grasshoppers being one of them. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. The average height of people in the ANE, based on what Ive read, is based on the bones that have been uncovered. In other words, he argues that the text should read 4 cubits and a span (you can find one of his articles, a response to Billington, here). Look at Robert Wadlow (the one mentioned who was 8 feet, 11.1 inches tall at last measurement). I dont have an answer to your question (its a good one!) What Are Demons? Well, Not Fallen Angels! This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. In the "Book of Enoch," the Nephilim begat by the Watchers and human women aren't the heroic "men of renown" of Genesis, but "great giants whose height was three thousand ells," which is more than 3,000 meters (~9,840 feet) tall. In my article I do point out that 2 Sam. Now imagine if he is the top fighter with the best weapons and armour? Aswell as With the other points about how Saul wouldnt be much shorter than a 6foot 5 goliath. 4. Joshua 11:22 speaks about the conquest of the land, especially focusing on the Anakim (descendants of the Nephilim, see my other related posts here and here). But the size of these giants in no way compares with the Nephilim of Genesis 6 as described in non-canonical books, such as the Damascus Document As far as Ogs bed is concerned. 489-508). If the LXX was accepted by the early church (and it was! No matter which version of the text you choose (MT or LXX), Goliath, at most, would be in the 9-10 foot range. Maybe the later manuscripts had to update a change in cubit length? We bring the sources and encourage the viewer to ask questions, to continue to study and do their own research.. Second, there are some that take Elhanan to be the one who killed Goliath, but an equally valid, and in my view correct, assessment is that words were accidentally left out of the Samuel text. The word for cubit in verse 4 and hundredin verse 7 look very similar in Hebrew. I am always humbled and grateful for those who help us navigate the stark differences in our world and the world of the Old Covenant. Thank you for writing. But to date the evidence points to the normal height of individuals being what I stated in the article5-5.3ft. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. I wish you the best. In the Book of Enoch it speaks to 450 tall. The Samuel text is well-known for having suffered in transmission. Bible Places How were the Egyptian Pyramid stones and other monolith stones moved? 3:1-11). 6 Foot 9? I'd kinda like to see something akin to "cattle shows" where the most well bred wild nephilim win, maybe according to some hidden judging system where different judges (which change for each show) like certain traits and body types more, and the player has a few days ahead of time to know who the judges will be. 69 wouldnt be intimidating enough to even warriors who were 53. Simply that we are often too hasty in our judgment of what is going on in the text. when there is no obvious enemies noted for the periods? The first and most transparent explanation is that divine beings came to earth, assumed human flesh, cohabited with human women, and spawned unusual offspring known as Nephilim. Lahmis parents had actually visited an Olive Garden restaurant just across the border and Lahmis mother really loved the breadsticks. This is how folklore works. WebAsk everyone to send you their heights and compare them together on our crisp and clean chart! Your response is excellent. Such a clean cut scenario does not coincide with reality. Which makes them look like some kind of fairies. At 6 feet, 8 inches (202 centimeters) tall, the man would have been a giant in third-century A.D. Rome, where men averaged about 5 and a half feet (167 centimeters) tall. Therefore, there is a high chance that youve already met a nephilim in person. However, it is never my intention to enter into a prolonged debate. yeah I could easily say they looked like they were in the giant category. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. How an a soldier fight if they cant hardly walk? David was not looking at the height of Goliath, he was looking at the size of his God. Naturally, this view requires seeing the giant clans encountered in the conquest as physical descendants of the Nephilim ( Num. Its hard to see people constantly trying to view the Bible through the lens of disbelief; trying to explain legend with the limited grasp of a small-minded society. If a guy whos 8 feet cant hardly walk, theres no chance hes going to be holding a sword and fighting! Archaeologists generally At its center is a mound of loose stones over 65 feet in diameter and over 16 feet tall, covering a central chamber carved into solid rock. All the other Philistine giants had Philistine names. Mostly through Patterns of Evidence and a YouTube video I saw when he talked about the need to revise Egyptian chronology. and yes it is biblically based. Giant means giant. The Jerusalem Post Customer Service Center can be contacted with any questions or requests: Gilgal Refaim is an ancient megalithic monument in the Golan Heights (Credit: Hebrew Wikipedia user ., CC BY-SA 3.0), Sign up for The Jerusalem Post Premium Plus for just $5, Upgrade your reading experience with an ad-free environment and exclusive content, Copyright 2023 Jpost Inc. All rights reserved, Sign up for our Christian World newsletter >>. If we had time travel, somebody could go back in time and say excuse me Goliath I just want to take your measurements for future biblical prints so all will know the truth! I guess thats why David killed him so easily, he fell over without his cane! They sustain that these Nehpilim are, in fact, not Giants. And, if anything, for those who call the Bible a fairytale of scribal whims, it makes them think again. Im 62 and used to work for a man who was 67, I wouldnt like to get in a fight with him. Having said that, I will respond to your previous statements. God bless, Landas search for the truth also brought him to Gilgal Refaim (Wheel of the Giants), an enigmatic rock formation in the Golan. Hi Keith, Please see my response to Andre. It should be recalled that Goliath is from Gath. The bigger a person becomes, the harder it is on their organs. However, Billington agrees with Hays that the average Israelite was somewhere in the range of 5 feet to 53. First, as I know you are aware, there are as many explanations for these two passages as there are commentators and commentaries. If you are asking who the tallest man in the Bible is, its difficult to say because the Bible does not tell us. How do you expect a guy who cant hardly walk to be a soldier? The fact that his coat of chain mail was 125 pounds alone Now Im sure there are some of us that could put that on our shoulders, but do you think you can fight like that? Produced by The Inspiration Networks, a faith-based family entertainment network, Angels & Giants, The Watchers & Nephilim presents four one-hour segments that are a serious investigation into the theories behind the Biblical giants. the gauls were about a foot taller than the Romans and the Romans didnt run away from conquering Gaul. the worlds opinion is irrelevant. One such prehistoric serpentine mound is Serpent Mound in Ohio. Interesting reading, but just nope. This is an interesting observation frequently overlooked. Actually, if you look at Goliath and the Philistine background, they are not descendants of the Nephilim. Im seeking which may be the original reading.
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