Who is Goliath?

A work of mythical non-fiction, by Judd Maltin

Goliath was a man from biblical times. He was a Philistine. Archaeologists have recently found pot shards which bear names very similar to Goliath in excavations at Goliath’s Biblical hometown – Gath. It’s quite possible, from a scientific point of view, that Goliath actually existed. And that’s nice. Ben even carries one of Goliath’s teeth in his pocket. But Biblical people are important not only for their human life, but for what their life teaches us.

Goliath? (rendering by unknown artist)

Jewish tradition has Goliath born to Orpah, the Moabite daughter-in-law to Naomi and sister-in-law to Ruth. The three women were homesteading quite happily in the plains of Moab, when all their husbands died, leaving them all widowed, and all very dedicated to each other. But Naomi was getting old, and wanted to get back to Judea, where she was born. Ruth and Orpah pledged to return to Judea with Naomi, but as they left for Judea, Orpah turned back to Moab. The name “Orpah” in Hebrew means “back of the neck,” no slight hint at her turning her back on Naomi and Ruth. While Ruth went on to an illustrious career as grandmother of King David, Orpah is fabled to have birthed Goliath. That makes David and Goliath not too distant cousins. Orpah is said to have been raped by 100 Moabite warriors on her way back to her parents home. The result of which is the conception of her son Goliath by an interesting and very unscientific phenomena – polyspermy. Polyspermy, insemination of one ovum by multiple sperm, gave Goliath fantastical powers. Thus his great height and success amongst his Moabite and Philistine peers.

Goliath standing quite tall, very well educated, and a great warrior, was the best that Philistine civilization had to offer. He also wore armor understood to be of Greek or some kind of Western origin. It was certainly prized by David enough for David to keep it in his tent after he slew Goliath, and show it around on special holidays, like “Mumtaz-Arg” the ancient Near Eastern equivalent of “Talk Like a Pirate Day.”

In some important ways, Goliath was the interface between the Israelite world and the outside world of the Philistines, the Moabites and the Greeks. Goliath actually acted as a threshold. The story in the book of Samuel has Goliath standing at the battlefront, week after week, cajoling and intimidating the Israelites. He dared the Israelites to send their best man, He was handy with the slingshot and if he could defeat Goliath man to man, his whole Philistine army would surrender. Now, David was no hero. He was a little shepherd. to keep mountain lions from eating his sheep, but he was no leader, and no king. But he was called to task, and thanks to Goliath’s cajoling we have not only the beloved Psalms but the ideal king and father of the future messianic age.

Let there be a Goliath in your life, calling you out to become far more than you ever expected yourself to be. Let there be a Goliath, a denizen of that between space, reminding you that the things you fear might actually be easily overcome. Step into that in-between space with Goliath. Test yourself. You will surely come out greater for the experience.