RT by @mikenov: The story of David and Goliath is a classic biblical account from 1 Samuel 17, where a young shepherd defeats a giant Philistine warrior in single combat… A fragment from the Dead Sea Scrolls (4QSama), along with the ancient Greek Septuagint and the historian Josephus, describe Goliath’s height as four cubits and a span (approximately 6 feet 9 inches / 2.06 meters). The story of David and Goliath appears in the Book of 1 Samuel and the traditional Hebrew Masoretic Text, which forms the basis of most modern Bible translations (such as the KJV, NIV, and ESV)—lists his height as six cubits and a span (approximately 9 feet 9 inches / 2.97 meters). The difference between the two

The story of David and Goliath is a classic biblical account from 1 Samuel 17, where a young shepherd defeats a giant Philistine warrior in single combat…

A fragment from the Dead Sea Scrolls (4QSama), along with the ancient Greek Septuagint and the historian Josephus, describe Goliath’s height as four cubits and a span (approximately 6 feet 9 inches / 2.06 meters).

The story of David and Goliath appears in the Book of 1 Samuel and the traditional Hebrew Masoretic Text, which forms the basis of most modern Bible translations (such as the KJV, NIV, and ESV)—lists his height as six cubits and a span (approximately 9 feet 9 inches / 2.97 meters).

The difference between the two traditions is roughly 3 feet, leading scholars to debate whether the larger figure developed through a scribal copying error or an intentional textual amplification over time.

The Dead Sea Scrolls is about a thousand years older than the oldest complete Masoretic manuscripts. It says “four cubits and a span” instead. It isn’t the only source with the smaller number. The Septuagint, an early Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, gives the same height. So does the first-century Jewish historian Josephus.

A cubit was roughly the length of a man’s forearm, about 18 inches, and a span was about half that. Because those measurements varied, every modern conversion is an estimate.

Scholars still debate which height came first. Some believe the number grew as the story was copied and retold. Others argue the larger figure is original.

Either way, Goliath would have towered over most men of his time, many of whom stood around 5 feet 3 inches.

According to 1 Samuel, Goliath’s bronze armor weighed 5,000 shekels, roughly 125 pounds, and the iron tip of his spear alone weighed about 15 pounds.

📷 : the 1888 painting David and Goliath by German artist Osmar Schindler.

#drthehistories

— @archeohistories Oct 16, 2026