4 Matching Annotations
- Jan 2023
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The story includes a detailed description of Goliath’s weaponry: acopper helmet, a coat of mail, a spear, a javelin, and leg guards. Goliath’sequipment has never been found in an archaeological context, and a largenumber of articles have attempted to establish the date of composition ofthe tradition based upon this weaponry. Some date it to Iron Age I (11th–10th centuries BCE), others to the 7th century BCE, and yet others to thePersian period (5th–4th century BCE).4
Comparing stories of Goliath's weaponry to the known archaeology of the time might help us better place the story and dating.
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It is thusclear that the biblical author had access to historical information originatingin the 10th and 9th centuries BCE.
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Goliath the Gittite(from the city of Gath)
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the city of Khirbet Qeiyafa, radiocarbon dated to the end ofthe 11th and the beginning of the 10th century BCE, existed during theperiod to which the biblical tradition attributes this battle. The question thenarises if and how the excavation at Khirbet Qeiyafa contributes to ourunderstanding of this tradition.
Since Khirbet Qeiyafa is radiocarbon dated to the end of the 11th and beginning of the 10th century BCE in a location where the biblical tradition situates the battle between David and Goliath, how might its excavation contribute to our knowledge of this time period and these events?
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