Goliath's Spear: What is a Weaver's Beam?

Рет қаралды 3,283

Күн бұрын

The famous Giant from the Bible, Goliath, had a weapon: A spear whose shaft was like a weaver's beam. This description occurs both times warriors (David and Elhanan) fight Goliath, in 1 Samuel 17 and 2 Samuel 19. What on earth is a weaver's beam and why is Goliath's weapon described that way? In this video, we find out.
FOLLOW PAUL'S WORK:
KZbin: ‪@InquisitiveBible‬
Blog: isthatinthebible.wordpress.com/
FULL LENGTH DISCUSSION:
• Who Really KILLED Goli...
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @tabletsandtemples
Patreon: / tabletsandtemples
+ Help me make more videos!
Paypal: www.paypal.com/paypalme/Lachl...
BTC Wallet: 1MJYqAi5VMfPH3qcJeeCCmhcnJyKwWgPwN
+ Stay in the loop:
Instagram: / tabletsandtemples
FB: / bibleunbox
Twitter: / tablets_temples
Subscribe: kzbin.info...
This channel is now known as Tablets and Temples, unpacking ancient history and religion. Formerly known as Bible Unboxed.
Weaving video used with permission from @TheIntuitiveArtificer
• WEAVE WITH ME: Vertica...
Art used with permission. See artist: / erikdiziron
The paper regarding the Weaver's Beam being Elhanan's weapon is: The Shaft of Whose Spear Was Like a Weaver's Beam? Another Suggestion, I Garfinkel (available through Google Scholar).

Пікірлер: 22

@azmadazhell Жыл бұрын

I think it's used as a way to further explain Goliath's size, that he is so large his normal sized spear looks small like a weaver's beam in his hands.

@TabletsAndTemples Жыл бұрын

I like it, that's another good possibility! Although I wonder how much sense it makes in the Greek version where Goliath is just a tall guy.

@mzmaryd6452 Жыл бұрын

Your explanation makes more since. Best answer. Thank you.

@ellen4091 Жыл бұрын

The beams on a loom are the large poles at the front and back or top and bottom of the loom. They are large in diameter as they stay rigid and unbending as the warp passes over or around them. They have to keep an even tension across the the warp while weaving.

@TabletsAndTemples Жыл бұрын

It's possible that the weavers beam (manor origim in Hebrew) referred to the crossbeam, but a few scholars have identified Etymological links with the "manor" in Hebrew and the Heddle rod in cognate languages such as the Arabic "nir". See YIGAEL YADIN's article. Plus some of the Greek and Latin translators certainly thought it was the Heddle rod.

@noeramosny Жыл бұрын

So thank you. I’m glad that you had a answer to my question. As I was reading the Bible I came across this description for the spear. Not understanding it, I tried to look it up. Didn’t find anything until I came across your explanation. Now I know. Thanks

@thereishopeuk 11 ай бұрын

Couple of thoughts, it says 'like a weavers beam' so isn't this a comparison not a direct reference to being a literal weavers beam? Also the spear head is said to weigh 6.9kg alone. If the shaft was a small weavers beam (that which a woman or child would handle with ease) the spear head would weigh down the weapon immensely making it a very bad spear. The balance would be completely off. The average greek spear was two to three meters long, with the whole spear weighing in at 5-6kg. I'm not convinced that this conclusion of Goliaths spear being a small rod with a very head tip on makes sense..

@TabletsAndTemples 11 ай бұрын

Hi there, thanks for your thoughts. However, we did not suggest in the video that the weapon imagined in the story was a small rod. We suggested that the description refers to it being originally Elhanan's weapon, in which case it would have been a more appropriate size originally. Or that perhaps the reference to weaving meant it was looped with cord like a Greek javelin

@KingoftheJiangl 6 ай бұрын

@@TabletsAndTemplesI think he's saying we can eliminate the choice of Goliath using such weapon as the choices of him using a spear with a heavy tip cannot be either intended to be thrown nor short like a weavers beam. In my opinion is he's saying the fact that the tip of goliaths spear is said to be heavy is in support of your first theory that scribal mistake gave it to Goliath instead of al hanan

@TurtleFL 3 ай бұрын

Interesting take on it... I seem to get from it that it's about how the spear looked in Goliath's hand -- like a kid's toy.

@TurtleFL 3 ай бұрын

However, commenters are pointing out that there are other parts to a loom that are much larger, and that a 15 pound warhead on a spear would knock it off balance if it was only the size of a heddle rod.

@TurtleFL 3 ай бұрын

So, I think that's the point where the story makes me think of the "Galileo Seven" episode in Star Trek where Spock leads his mission against Goliath-sized, violent ape-men equipped with stone age spears that the humans could barely pick up, let alone throw.

@gmac6503 Жыл бұрын

Excellent!

@takislawrenson3898 2 ай бұрын

But it describes the spearhead as weighing 600 shekels, which is 15 pounds, and you can't support that with a small rod. Goliath also never fought Elhanan, Elhanan fought Goliaths brother and Goliath was brought up and described as a reference.

@maxamahnken7325 7 ай бұрын

God inspiring the writing of the Bible.

@Hornet_Legion 2 ай бұрын

maybe it was a harpoon (the phillistines were a maritime people ) or spear with a rope at one end which could be used to amplify the throwing distance. a heavy head on a spear would suggest the projectile is made to be thrown as a heavy head would stablize the spear in flight.