Goliath (died 1063 BC) was a giant Philistine warrior who served as Philistia's champion at the Battle of the Valley of Elah in 1063 BC. He was slain by the much smaller and younger Israelite warrior David, who used a slingshot to fell Goliath before beheading him.
Biography[]
Goliath was born in Philistia, and he grew to a towering nine feet, nine inches tall, becoming a feared warrior and champion of the Philistine cause. In 1063 BC, Goliath accompanied the Philistine army to the Valley of Elah in Israel and, twice a day for forty days, he challenged the Israelites to send forth their champion to confront him. At the end of this long showdown, the shepherd boy David, who was serving as King Saul's armor-bearer, volunteered to confront Goliath, confident that God was with him. Goliath taunted David, cursing him by his gods, and he threw several javelins at David, including one that pinned David down by his tunic. Goliath's army cheered, thinking David dead, but David rose and fired a rock from his slingshot, embedding a rock in Goliath's forehead and killing him. David proceeded to behead Goliath's body and display his head to the Philistine army, causing the Philistines to rout as far as Gath and Ekron, being harried by the Israelites along the way. David's slaying of Goliath made him an Israelite hero, causing a jealous Saul to fear for his throne and plot David's death.
