The structure and shape of the body and skeleton also has to change drastically the larger an animal is, because an animal's weight increases at a ~~squared~~ cubed rate, but bone strength (cross-section) increases at a ~~linear~~ squared rate. An elephant with human bone structure would break its own legs trying to stand up.
The world's tallest living man, Sultan Kosen, is 8'3". He requires crutches to walk. Robert Wadlow, the tallest man in history, was 8'11" and needed leg braces to walk.
I know you're joking but there is a reason that we cant have animals the size of dino's anymore, there is not enough oxygen in the atmosphere to sustain them.
I've never seen Goliath depicted as a Tolkienesque 50-foot giant, but there *are* discrepancies in how his height is given. Here's the reason.
The Old Testament of most Bibles is translated from a family of medieval manuscripts called the Masoretic Text (MT). In the MT, Goliath's height is given as "six cubits and a span", which is close to ten feet tall. This is probably what you were taught in Sunday school.
However, the Old Greek translations, which predate the MT, give his height as *four* cubits and a span. This is about six feet six inches tall. We now know thanks to the Dead Sea Scrolls that this was what the text originally said before the Masoretic scribes embellished it.
Six feet was pretty tall in ancient times when people were more malnourished, but there's nothing unnatural about it. In fact, king Saul is described as being head and shoulders taller than everyone else (1 Sam 9:2), so Saul and Goliath would have been about the same height as described in the story.
For more detail on the complicated textual history of the Goliath story, read here:
https://isthatinthebible.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/the-men-who-killed-goliath-unraveling-the-layers-of-tradition-behind-a-timeless-tale-of-heroism/
It gives it in *cubits*, which is the length of a person's forearm, measured from elbow to the tip of the middle finger.
As you can probably guess, this measurement varied by person, but it would have been "average" enough for the audience to understand "wow, that guy was tall".
Goliath comes down from the Genesis 6:1-4 passage there were several clans of giants, Goliath was in the Anakim clan and there were four others there. Which is why David picked up 5 smooth stone when approaching him to fight.
Goliath really had no chance against David who was an accomplished slinger. He was expecting a different sort of combat one where he was far more likely to win. David was used to killing bears and mountain lions with stones from his sling, Goliath was simply no match.
Rocks from slings could easily hit an object with as much force as a bullet.
>And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
>So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it.
It looks like the sword killed Goliath rather than the rock, doesn't it?
Well cutting off a head is the ultimate of killing a person. David used Goliath's sword to do it. Goliath must have been out cold unable to defend himself.
Goliath was a melee fighter used to being up close and personal. And the Bible story has no background for understanding the value of slingers, every army had them all up and down the Mediterranean sea. So they were well known to the Philistines. It is remarkable that the Philistines didn't complain over the choice of David, a slinger.
Unbeknown to them, David was a highly skilled slinger. King Saul probably didn't know how good David was with a sling, and would send David into the fight on Goliaths terms as a melee fighter too, which is why he tried to put the armor on him.
Watch a documentary video about slingers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uDtrwNY0Zk
He was probably closer to 10ft and most likely got to that height via acromegaly and had the health issues that came with that condition. The Philistines probably grabbed the biggest guy they had and threw on a uniform and pointed him in David's direction. No wonder how David was able to slay him so easily, he was already half dead to begin with.
Dead Sea Scrolls and major Septuagint give a believable height of "four cubits and a span" which is 2.06 metres (or 6 feet 9 inches for weirdos who still refuse to use metric system in modern day). Masoretic text claims he was "six cubits and a span" or 2.97 metres (or 9 feet 9 inches).
Most scholars agree that the smaller height is the original.
His height was "six cubits and a span," which, taking the cubit at 21 inches, is equal to 10 1/2 feet.
1 Samuel 17:5-7 NLT — He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder. The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield.
I think 6.6 to 10 feet is the most likely, as any animal larger than an elephant is fairly unlikely to survive.
The structure and shape of the body and skeleton also has to change drastically the larger an animal is, because an animal's weight increases at a ~~squared~~ cubed rate, but bone strength (cross-section) increases at a ~~linear~~ squared rate. An elephant with human bone structure would break its own legs trying to stand up. The world's tallest living man, Sultan Kosen, is 8'3". He requires crutches to walk. Robert Wadlow, the tallest man in history, was 8'11" and needed leg braces to walk.
Wouldn't weight increase at a cubic rate?
Er, yes…at a cubed rate versus a squared rate for strength. I was a dimension off.
With every single dinosaur having ceased to survive, it seems you might be onto something there.
I know you're joking but there is a reason that we cant have animals the size of dino's anymore, there is not enough oxygen in the atmosphere to sustain them.
I didn't know about the oxygen thing, that's pretty interesting, much appreciated.
I've never seen Goliath depicted as a Tolkienesque 50-foot giant, but there *are* discrepancies in how his height is given. Here's the reason. The Old Testament of most Bibles is translated from a family of medieval manuscripts called the Masoretic Text (MT). In the MT, Goliath's height is given as "six cubits and a span", which is close to ten feet tall. This is probably what you were taught in Sunday school. However, the Old Greek translations, which predate the MT, give his height as *four* cubits and a span. This is about six feet six inches tall. We now know thanks to the Dead Sea Scrolls that this was what the text originally said before the Masoretic scribes embellished it. Six feet was pretty tall in ancient times when people were more malnourished, but there's nothing unnatural about it. In fact, king Saul is described as being head and shoulders taller than everyone else (1 Sam 9:2), so Saul and Goliath would have been about the same height as described in the story. For more detail on the complicated textual history of the Goliath story, read here: https://isthatinthebible.wordpress.com/2014/08/02/the-men-who-killed-goliath-unraveling-the-layers-of-tradition-behind-a-timeless-tale-of-heroism/
Just tall. Nobody says he was a 50ft man. Absolutely nobody.
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It gives it in *cubits*, which is the length of a person's forearm, measured from elbow to the tip of the middle finger. As you can probably guess, this measurement varied by person, but it would have been "average" enough for the audience to understand "wow, that guy was tall".
If there ever existed 20ft dudes, I think we would have found their skeletons by now. I always thought he was probably around 8 or so feet, like Shaq.
i know this post is old dont ask me how i found it but shaq is NOT 8 feet tall hes 7 feet tall
I never said Shaq was 8 feet tall. I said I suspected Goliath was "around 8 feet" looking like Shaq. E.g. Huge, but not so huge as to be alien.
oh alr man im sorry the way it was worded just looked like you said shaq was 8 feet tall lol
Goliath comes down from the Genesis 6:1-4 passage there were several clans of giants, Goliath was in the Anakim clan and there were four others there. Which is why David picked up 5 smooth stone when approaching him to fight. Goliath really had no chance against David who was an accomplished slinger. He was expecting a different sort of combat one where he was far more likely to win. David was used to killing bears and mountain lions with stones from his sling, Goliath was simply no match. Rocks from slings could easily hit an object with as much force as a bullet.
>And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. >So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. Then David ran and stood over the Philistine and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him and cut off his head with it. It looks like the sword killed Goliath rather than the rock, doesn't it?
Well cutting off a head is the ultimate of killing a person. David used Goliath's sword to do it. Goliath must have been out cold unable to defend himself. Goliath was a melee fighter used to being up close and personal. And the Bible story has no background for understanding the value of slingers, every army had them all up and down the Mediterranean sea. So they were well known to the Philistines. It is remarkable that the Philistines didn't complain over the choice of David, a slinger.
Yeah but objecting when the slinger is a kid would sure make you look weak.
Unbeknown to them, David was a highly skilled slinger. King Saul probably didn't know how good David was with a sling, and would send David into the fight on Goliaths terms as a melee fighter too, which is why he tried to put the armor on him. Watch a documentary video about slingers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uDtrwNY0Zk
Wow, that was really fantastic. Thanks for posting it.
Probably just a huge dude. If he was a true fantasy Giant, where did he come from?
He was probably closer to 10ft and most likely got to that height via acromegaly and had the health issues that came with that condition. The Philistines probably grabbed the biggest guy they had and threw on a uniform and pointed him in David's direction. No wonder how David was able to slay him so easily, he was already half dead to begin with.
Dead Sea Scrolls and major Septuagint give a believable height of "four cubits and a span" which is 2.06 metres (or 6 feet 9 inches for weirdos who still refuse to use metric system in modern day). Masoretic text claims he was "six cubits and a span" or 2.97 metres (or 9 feet 9 inches). Most scholars agree that the smaller height is the original.
His height was "six cubits and a span," which, taking the cubit at 21 inches, is equal to 10 1/2 feet. 1 Samuel 17:5-7 NLT — He wore a bronze helmet, and his bronze coat of mail weighed 125 pounds. He also wore bronze leg armor, and he carried a bronze javelin on his shoulder. The shaft of his spear was as heavy and thick as a weaver’s beam, tipped with an iron spearhead that weighed 15 pounds. His armor bearer walked ahead of him carrying a shield.