David and goliath

edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
Ok, the story of David and Goliath is quite a common one, but is often questioned by many (non-believers). Christians believe in the infinite possibilities that can occur in Christ’s hands where as some search for archaeological evidence to prove such a stories legibility. 
Anyways, ive been exploring the history of this story and found it quite intriguing. THUS I have a couple of questions/raise points of discussion
1)Was Joseph the carpenter a descendant of David?
2)When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. Then the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not abide in man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years." The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown Genesis 6:1-4, These giants were known as Nephlims. Goliath himself was a member of the Anakim also known as Nephlim (I think), a race of giant people who inhabited the Philistine cities in the neighborhood of Hebron. The Anakim appear to have been an aggressive, war-mongering people who terrified the Israelites.
"The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them." (Numbers 13:32-33)
does anyone know about this? Is it ok to be discussed?

Comments

  • Kristina,

    Regarding your first question, read chapter 1 of the Gospel of Saint Matthew.  It details the decendants and the geniology of Christ. Joseph is the decendant of David.

    Hope this helps.
  • [coptic]+ Pi`<rictoc aftonf>[/coptic]

    Kerestina,

    Your second question about the Nephilim is an interesting one, and causes me to raise my own question on top of yours.  If the Nephilim existed at the time of Noah, how could they have continued to exist several centuries later at the time of Moses?  Now, you may wonder, 'Why is that a problem?'  Well, the problem, as I see it, is that the Nephilim were wiped off the face of the earth as a result of the Flood (back in the days of Noah).  How could they possibly have existed at the time of Moses (and then later on in David's age) if they were annihilated to begin with?  Just thinking out loud, but maybe the word 'nephilim' just means giants, and so these people were genetically pre-disposed to be tall.  I mean, let's face it, there are modern day giants in this day and age, so maybe Goliath just had really good genes and was really tall.
  • [quote author=Κηφᾶς link=topic=5248.msg70426#msg70426 date=1177602854]
    [coptic]+ Pi`<rictoc aftonf>[/coptic]

    Kerestina,

    Your second question about the Nephilim is an interesting one, and causes me to raise my own question on top of yours.  If the Nephilim existed at the time of Noah, how could they have continued to exist several centuries later at the time of Moses?  Now, you may wonder, 'Why is that a problem?'  Well, the problem, as I see it, is that the Nephilim were wiped off the face of the earth as a result of the Flood (back in the days of Noah).  How could they possibly have existed at the time of Moses (and then later on in David's age) if they were annihilated to begin with?  Just thinking out loud, but maybe the word 'nephilim' just means giants, and so these people were genetically pre-disposed to be tall.  I mean, let's face it, there are modern day giants in this day and age, so maybe Goliath was just had really good genes and was really tall.


    maybe there is a connection between this and the third cursed son of Noah, Ham!!!!!
  • I heard an interesting theory on Goliath when we were studying endocrinology at uni. According to that theory Goliath was suffering from a pituitary tumor, which causes an increase in the release of Growth hormone. This hormone is responsible for growing (duh :P), especially during late childhood.
    When there's an excessive amount of GH during childhood, this can cause "pituitary gigantism". Up to this day there's people who are around 2,5 meters due to this illness.

    Now, when such a tumor grows big enough it can cause pressure on the optic nerves, which causes impair vision. That would be the reason that he couldnt see the stone that David threw at his head. I always found it hard to believe that Goliath couldnt simply bounce the stone with his huge shield?
  • Even though that may sound like an intriguing story to believe, and it MAY be true.. it also may not be true.. so perhaps we're just supposed to accept that it was the Hands of the Lord working.. ?
  • Definitions of nephilim on the Web:

    (Gen. 6:4; Num. 13:33, RV), giants, the Hebrew word left untranslated by the Revisers, the name of one of the Canaanitish tribes. The Revisers have, however, translated the Hebrew gibborim, in Gen. 6:4, “mighty men.”
    www.ccel.org/ccel/easton/ebd2.n.html

    In the Hebrew Bible and several non-canonical Jewish and early Christian writings, nephilim (in Hebrew הנּפלים means The Fallen [ones]) are a people created by the cross-breeding of the "sons of God" (beney ha'elohim, בני האלהים) and the "daughters of men". (See Genesis 6:1.) The word nephilim is loosely translated as giants or titans in some Bibles, and is left untranslated in others. ...
    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephilim

  • [quote author=Hizz_chiilld link=topic=5248.msg70439#msg70439 date=1177634561]
    Even though that may sound like an intriguing story to believe, and it MAY be true.. it also may not be true.. so perhaps we're just supposed to accept that it was the Hands of the Lord working.. ?

    EVERYTHING is in God's hands but i think we should be equipped with knowledge about our bible's history b4 we are confronted as i was, we will have some understanding and not look dumbfounded lol (sorry bad choice of word, but u get my gist)
  • [quote author=Κηφᾶς link=topic=5248.msg70426#msg70426 date=1177602854]
    [coptic]+ Pi`<rictoc aftonf>[/coptic]

    Kerestina,

    Your second question about the Nephilim is an interesting one, and causes me to raise my own question on top of yours.  If the Nephilim existed at the time of Noah, how could they have continued to exist several centuries later at the time of Moses?  Now, you may wonder, 'Why is that a problem?'  Well, the problem, as I see it, is that the Nephilim were wiped off the face of the earth as a result of the Flood (back in the days of Noah).  How could they possibly have existed at the time of Moses (and then later on in David's age) if they were annihilated to begin with?  Just thinking out loud, but maybe the word 'nephilim' just means giants, and so these people were genetically pre-disposed to be tall.  I mean, let's face it, there are modern day giants in this day and age, so maybe Goliath just had really good genes and was really tall.


    i was thinking quite similarly, how can these nephilims exits b4 and after noah?? and minagir sed it cudve been thru ham? maybe?
    how these nephilims were created is outlined in Genesis 6:1-4, but who were the sons of God?? as these sons of god werent human and they came to earth made love with these beautiful woman and than formed this nephilim creation,

    [quote author=Hos Erof link=topic=5248.msg70429#msg70429 date=1177605574]
    I heard an interesting theory on Goliath when we were studying endocrinology at uni. According to that theory Goliath was suffering from a pituitary tumor, which causes an increase in the release of Growth hormone. This hormone is responsible for growing (duh :P), especially during late childhood.
    When there's an excessive amount of GH during childhood, this can cause "pituitary gigantism". Up to this day there's people who are around 2,5 meters due to this illness.

    Now, when such a tumor grows big enough it can cause pressure on the optic nerves, which causes impair vision. That would be the reason that he couldnt see the stone that David threw at his head. I always found it hard to believe that Goliath couldnt simply bounce the stone with his huge shield?

    thats really quite interesting.....do u have any sources or references?
  • thats really quite interesting.....do u have any sources or references?

    If you need information on gigantism, you can open up any medicine textbook, then look for a chapter about endocrinology (maybe u can even check wikipedia).
    The link with Goliath is something the professor assumed or read somewhere, honestly I never asked him. Scientists have tried to unlock biblical mysteries for years, and I guess this was one of them! I for one find it a very acceptable medical explanation for the "Goliath mystery" lol.
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