How Tall was Goliath? (feat. Toasters)

The story of David and Goliath is one of the most iconic scenes in the Bible. Armed with nothing but a sling, the young shepherd boy takes down the fearsome Philistine giant.
Although it’s a beloved and popular tale, there’s one unusual problem with it: and that’s Goliath’s height: no one can quite agree on his size. In this video, let’s explore the height of the biblical giant Goliath. Delving into everything from ancient forms of measurement, growth conditions like gigantism, and even a few biblical typos for good measure. As we ask the question: How tall was Goliath?
I had lots of fun making this one, and put many hours into the animation. I hope you enjoy. I'm off for a nap! Oh, and thank you all for 387k subscribers.
H.
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Thank you Toasters for helping me out with this video. Go check out his channel:
/ @toasterschannel
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Music:
Intro - Epic of Gilgamesh in Sumerian by Peter Pringle
www.youtube.co....
Laid Back Guitars Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
creativecommons....
Elf Meditation Preview by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.fi....
The Ulgonsah Witches: Will it End - CO.AG
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Peaceful Ambient Music - CO.AG
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License: creativecommons....
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Sources & Further Reading:
Goliath - Wiki
en.wikipedia.o...
Reconsidering the Height of Goliath - J. Daniel Hays
www.etsjets.or...
Gigantism - Wiki
en.wikipedia.o...
Hereditary Gigantism-the biblical giant Goliath and his brothers - Deirdre Donnelly and Patrick Morrison
www.ncbi.nlm.n...
Goliath and the Exodus giants: how tall were they? - Clyde E. Billington
www.etsjets.or...
Goliath’s Armour and Israelite Collective Memory - Azzan Yadin
berlinarchaeol...
History of Height
ourworldindata...
4QSama - Wiki
en.wikipedia.o...
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Find me on Social Media:
Twitter:
/ hochelaga_yt
Instagram:
/ hochelaga_yt
Discord:
/ discord
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Email me:
[e-mail]
#Goliath #Bible

[@hochelaga]

Thank you Toasters for helping me with this video. Go check out his channel! kzbin.info/door/0rL-D5o11bO1ap6TyLHOXA

[@red2432]

I have a question, aren’t giants in the Bible hybrids not humans? And there fore it would be silly to use human anatomy for an unknown specimen, right?

[@fnamelname9077]

Video about all the other giants please! Giant comparison!

[@toastboii]

you're one of the KZbinrs that make my day when they post. thank you for that :)

[@ThisIsThePlanet]

Did he pay you for the collab?

[@ЛукаГ.Лукић]

You should consider doing a video on Lilith in judeo-semith tradition

[@laurelsilberman5705]

As someone who knows someone who is a quarter inch shy of 7 feet tall (no genetic issues; his whole family is about 6 and a half feet tall including his mother) may I just point out that 7 feet tall is PLENTY tall to freak out even modern day humans, let alone how terrifying large it would have been to humans a few thousand years ago. Even being friends with him I’ve never quite gotten over the shock of when he goes from sitting to standing up. It’s alarming.

[@roborat]

I'm sad I'll never hit 7 feet

[@laurelsilberman5705]

@@roborat Don’t be. It’s an inconvenience to him in almost every way except for very few. It’s too tall to have a normal relationship with a regular size person, you have to duck under every doorway, you can never find clothes in your size, and your joints hurt from carrying around all that extra weight all the time. And he’s at higher risk for cardiovascular things in the future because of how hard his heart has the pump to get to the rest of his body. The cartilage in his knees is already really suffering, oh, and custom ordering shoes in his size is hella expensive, plus his feet still hang off the end of a king bed. It’s not as fun as it sounds. It’s impossible to share a normal smooch with anybody who isn’t 6’ and some change. Which is fine if he was gay, but he’s not.

[@mrslick58]

Maybe to you but 7 feet is just very tall for a taller person. Also Saul and David would have probably been tall themselves

[@laurelsilberman5705]

@@mrslick58 Just wanted to clarify how I was relating this to the Goliath myth, I think you misunderstood the point I was attempting (poorly) to illustrate. I got carried away with my friends inconveniences and got away from the topic of the video. So, while Goliath’s height of 6.5-7 feet is not unheard of today in 1st world countries; due to the constant availability of sustenance and overall far more nutritional options to help us grow tall with healthy, sturdy bones. (Fun fact: The invention of pasteurizing milk is correlated with increases in height all over the world particularly the west.) Goliath likely just had some form of gigantism which led him to the THEN terrifying height of nearly 7 feet tall, although he was a formidable warrior, and in excellent battle condition (not needing crutches to help support his weight when upright which is a huge clue to Goliath’s age), so he was likely hardly affected by the side effects since his great physical shape slowed down the process. My friend was a world-class rower. James Letten. But even switching to a sitting sport from volleyball to rowing for college, his knees give him trouble during the workouts. Now to speculate Goliath’s age. He could have easily grown that massive by only 14-16, a full grown man by all means at the time, which means if he did indeed have a genetic disorder, he would never have stopped growing and that peak physical condition and impressive ability to intimidate wouldnt last him long, waning completely over the next decade until he was bedridden and died of heart failure. He wouldn’t have made it past 30. My point about 6-7 ft being a giant for the time is based on your (unfortunately) inaccurate musing that others in the story could have been very tall as well. The 9 foot estimate was likely a later change to maintain the believability of the danger David was in, and keep his proportional massive body still as intimidating as it would have been with back in the day. In reality, the much smaller stature of the VAST majority of the population came from intermittent abundance and periods of extreme scarcity due to the globe’s temp swings at the time. Most people were quite small due to the poor diet, and also requiring fewer calories to survive. Ooh!--Maybe google pics of modern people next to museum armor and you’ll see what I’m referring to immediately. People have just simply gotten bigger each generation due to improvements in agriculture and attempts to eradicate extreme poverty around the world (except for here in America, SMH😔). Lastly, my great grandfather was 6’3 and he was considered a freak of nature for his generation. He was the tallest man in the nearest three towns. Now a girl won’t even swipe right unless it says 6’’. Oh, how times have changed. 🙄

[@mrslick58]

@@laurelsilberman5705 there were other tall people and giants in those days as the bible states yet goliath for some reason was the most famous and one of, if not the most feared for a reason. I believe he was between 8 to 10 feet tall but I guess no one will truly ever know.

[@darkbluemars]

Everyone's asking how tall is Goliath. No ones asking how small is David.

[@chazikstan]

Wasn’t David himself tall? Something about him being a head taller than most

[@AdamBror]

@@chazikstan That was Saul

[@harveywabbit9541]

@@chazikstan David is the summer sun and Saul is the winter sun.

[@EvonneLindiwe]

🤣

[@elishadeal1027]

5 feet

[@JoJoZaka]

i still like the idea that because people were smaller back then, that Goliath is just regular guy sized and everyone else was 5'3

[@mrwubbs7265]

My brothers and I are all between 6'2 and 6'5 and sometimes I think about if we travelled back in time people would just think we're giants instead of kinda tall

[@plebisMaximus]

@@mrwubbs7265 You could even have biblical tales based around you.

[@D0NU75]

also having a sling-fired stone at you is like having a revolver fired point blank at you, David was basically packed and cheating

[@kungfubrandon6886]

They were bigger back then

[@lotsaspaghetticodejr.6488]

It's almost like the "Napoleon Complex", but in reverse. Napoleon was actually tall for a French man at that time, around 5'7" or 5'9", but he was short compared to men of other nations. He also looked short in his portraits on horseback because the horses were enlarged. The mockery of his height, despite being taller than a good number of his own men, pissed him off so much that the insults continued.

[@andrewd4723]

Also, I'd like to point out that David was a shepard.... who would've regularly had to defend his flock from lions and bears... with his sling. Not only that, i remember watching a documentary about professional sling shoters, the good ones can hit a target with the same energy as a .45 ACP (just over a larger area). In top of this all, there's a possible interpretation of the Bible that suggests Goliath was near sighted, referencing that fact that Goliath couldn't see David very well. Tl;dr, a professional sharp shooter with experience against savage animals killed a visually disabled man.

[@icarofilho6524]

I saw a movie where God makes the sun appears among the clouds and so Goliath has a hard time seeing because of the light difference

[@themelanatednomad6989]

I know not everyone is born with 20/20 vision but is it necessary to call them visually disabled?

[@andrewd4723]

@@themelanatednomad6989 you're right. Maybe he wouldn't be in today's society with glasses and whatnot. But if you can't see well enough to stay not dead, id call that a bit of a disability

[@Kaz999998]

@@andrewd4723 I think visually impaired is the term you meant to use, but you got your point across 👍🏽

[@xanmiddents6207]

However the total energy isn't necessarily indicative of damage. A breeze blowing across a prarie has similar energy to an atomic bomb but rather lessened effects.

[@ToastersChannel]

Loved how the video turned out! It was great working with you!

[@lowgradetriplea1620]

Sup

[@lowgradetriplea1620]

I like your videos

[@01k]

You did a good job

[@myself2873]

@@lowgradetriplea1620 €

[@linksapprentice726]

I here about a lot people taking baths with you

[@thegreatestpepe]

Small Asparagus: "I WILL FIGHT GOLIATH" Large, Royal Asparagus: (Spits out water violently)

[@fnamelname9077]

XD I see you are a man of culture!

[@sdastoryteller3381]

Giant Pickle has entered the Chat.

[@justafallperson2108]

Right in the childhood!

[@dreamwithinadreamfilms]

Where is my hairbrush?

[@Re.Alllll]

This brings back good memories

[@9VK7]

I reckon Goliath would have done well on Tinder

[@scylla8247]

The beard, the height, and the muscle physique. I can back this one chief.

[@Manudyne]

I dunno. A man from thousands of years ago must've been extremely based.

[@amy_kunoichi]

Because height is everything. hahahahahaha.

[@bepeplia5086]

Based

[@innomaiden5009]

bruh imagine the size of his..

[@SachoManMandyRavage]

I find it odd how people underplay the power of a sling, they’re deadly

[@5peciesunkn0wn]

Because most people either think of slingshots (the little Y shaped thing cartoon kids traditionally use to cause trouble, of which aren't super deadly or dangerous beyond small bruises or eye removal if you're unlucky. Or unless you're an avid fan of the Slingshot Channel and using surgical tubing), or they think slings are just super difficult to use and inaccurate so they clearly would just be a lot of near misses or lucky shots.

[@Chad.Commenter]

@@5peciesunkn0wn slings are pretty powerful, but also innaccurate. That's why the story of David and Goliath is special enough to be noted by people. It wouldn't be special if it was known that slings are accurate things. Even when used by armies, they were used en masse as a volley against an army, so that the lead projectiles would be bound to hit at least someone. There's only a certain level of accuracy you can gain from non standardized ammo, no matter how tuned your muscle memory is.

[@5peciesunkn0wn]

@@Chad.Commenter Inaccurate if you aren't in good practice. Just like almost anything, you spend enough time with it practicing accuracy, you can hit surprisingly small targets with an 'inaccurate' weapon.

[@ionicafardefrica]

against an armored opponent, they hurt - bruise, maybe pull some teeth or an eye, at the most. And you would expect the champion of an entire army to have the best armor they had. That makes the story so special, he managed not only to slip a stone through the armor, but also kill the opponent using a stone (and not a lead or bronze projectile).

[@5peciesunkn0wn]

@@ionicafardefrica At this point in time, they didn't have chainmail or anything and faceplates weren't very common. Plenty of comparatively large gaps.

[@zek62482]

So many strongmen are huge and very athletic, it's hard to imagine that there couldn't be a great warrior giant.

[@neftaliperez644]

Agreed…. Especially if the Bible was inspected by the Holy Spirit….

[@mypenisisunbelievablysmall5650]

did you watch the video?

[@theman3274]

Yea but they aren't 9ft 9 tall

[@wayfaringstranger8430]

@@neftaliperez644 It wasn't though? What religion believes this?

[@kauswekazilimani3736]

How tall are strong men?

[@alchemest]

If the average height was 5'5" to 5'9", then someone who was around 7' tall would be considered a giant. I have a friend who is 6'9" and know about physical problems someone that tall has, so I don't believe Goliath would be much taller than that, and still be able to be a warrior.

[@stanrogers5613]

While 9'9" is out of the question, _hugely_ tall and warrior aren't necessarily mutually exclusive. Angus MacAskill was around 7'9" or 7'10" and, um, could handle himself quite well.

[@alchemest]

@@stanrogers5613 The problem I see is that of heart and joint problems as well as a host of other related ones that would impact being a warrior with that stature.

[@isaka6361]

Goliath could be over 9'9,he could be an abnormal or something since I remember reading that his brother had over 6 fingers

[@JH-qy7zw]

@@isaka6361 American Indians reported fighting giants in North America hundreds of years ago... they also reported these giants had 6 fingers.

[@DANtheMANofSIPA]

@@alchemest Considering he was probably a very young man maybe the health problems related hadn't fully hit him yet

[@E.C.GoMusicandMore]

The sling was almost equivalent to the musket, don’t be fooled…

[@rdarealspeedy4679]

The sling just needed good aim and luck

[@Culture45]

@@rdarealspeedy4679 and skill/practice

[@ezra5788]

The Sling didn't kill him, it simply cracked his skull and knocked him out unconscious, then David used his sword to behead him.

[@yungjuice88]

David had a gun

[@SnailHatan]

@@Culture45 yeah, that’s how you get good aim, obviously.

[@archiemisc]

One thing to consider: If the average height of an adult man was 5 feet, then his measurement of a cubit would likely be much shorter than the standardized 18 inches. It may well have been 12-14 inches long. (I actually measured my own cubit length which is 18 inches, and I'm 6"1')

[@SnailHatan]

Might be a good point if the average man was a mere 5 feet, but it wasn’t. That’s absolutely tiny, even by 11th century BCE standards. About half a foot off.

[@photonicpizza1466]

@@SnailHatan Not half a foot, only about 2-4 inches. There's good archeological evidence for that kind of average male height in the Eastern Mediterranean at around that time.

[@kenianavarro1652]

@@SnailHatan ah

[@arpiedra5100]

I was going to say the same! (But in broken english jaja) Great comment👌🏻

[@ANONM60D]

@@photonicpizza1466 wrong. If we're talking averages here (which we are) then the height on average was closer to 5ft 3- 5ft 6 . . . So about half a foot. Smh

[@TheUkiko]

I really appreciate your channel, I'm a scientist and a Christian, and it can be a little frustrating when people cover topics like this from a place of bias. I know you may not believe in a lot of Christian stuff, but I do appreciate you respectfully talking about it. Edit: check your spelling kids 😅 I wish I did

[@dingovory]

I was raised in a Pentecostal home, and Pentecostals tend to take the Bible literally. I grew up frequently hearing that you should take the Bible as it is or don't take it at all. Despite my knowledge of the Bible, and understanding the doctrines held by various denominations, I decided not to take it at all. I was studying to be a biologist, and I tend to err on the side of skepticism, and proof via evidence and testing. How do you reconcile being both a Christian and scientist? I understand that one does not necessarily discredit the other, but I'm genuinely curious about the viewpoints of people like you.

[@leenbeenmeanbean2708]

@@chemicalfrankie1030 The bible does change. Maybe not as often, but it does. Some parts of the bible may be removed because standards change throughout history.

[@quadratichorizon]

@@leenbeenmeanbean2708 If you've watched the video, it explains how the bible indeed does change, albeit at a slower pace now than historically. New information like the dead sea scrolls is being found occasionally that challenge older translations of scripture. The process of translation itself subtly alters the meaning of the text. Science on the other hand is about knowledge obtained using the best available evidence that most closely matches the real world. As new evidence comes to light, old theories are adapted or replaced. So of course it has to change.

[@Katiethewizard]

@@chemicalfrankie1030 The reason that science is so trustworthy is that there is room for change to happen when new information presents itself. The bible changes very rarely when presented with new context or information, making it a less trustworthy source. If you thought the moon was made of cheese and new evidence showed that it wasn't, if you continued telling people the moon was made of cheese then you wouldn't be very trustworthy

[@Katiethewizard]

@@chemicalfrankie1030 That's true. But also jordon peterson is really a terrible man I wouldn't listen to anything he says

[@Rizimar]

The nephilim: the heroes of old, warriors of renown, and sufferers of bad eyesight, headaches, and short lifespans, apparently

[@KenAmmi-Shalom]

"apparently" as per what?

[@Apinetree123]

Quite the opposite. They live long, extreme strength and intelligence

[@summitgoons2744]

@@Apinetree123 you said it best my friend! The Nephilim were absolute war machines that could drink blood as water and actually preferred it. Depending on where your beliefs stand (I won't argue) there are several notions of the Nephilim being completely undefeatable by regular human beings to which God had to destroy most of them.

[@Rizimar]

@@KenAmmi-Shalom As per this video, obviously

[@bongosmcdongos4190]

@@Rizimar nephilim are half angels, he isn't one.

[@OrsvikEnnin]

The Dead Sea Scrolls written in Hebrew from 100 BC also say four cubits and a span, agreeing with the Septuagint.

[@tombombadilofficial]

It was the later Masoretic texts that says Goliath was 6 cubits. LXX and DSS records Goliath was 4 cubits.

[@KenAmmi-Shalom]

Add Flavius Josephus to the list. So, we have at least three sources earlier (at least in term of putting things into writing) that have him at the shorter range vs. one latter one that put him at the taller one.

[@OrsvikEnnin]

@@KenAmmi-Shalom Yes, and Josephus said his sources were ancient Hebrew manuscripts of the Biblical text.

[@thisistheway3658]

Evangelion reference?POGGERS.

[@FoolishPrince]

That's if the Dead Seas Scrolls are even legit. Josephus is most likely not(according to many people, but that's never stopped me from entertaining ideas) "Harry Hubbard" talks about this in great detail actually: you can find his video on "Dead sea scrolls" on KZbin.

[@purplehaze2358]

As a shepherd, David probably had to regularly deal with wild animals like wolves and bears. Animals far stronger than a man, even one who’s at most 10 feet tall.

[@romanpreuss3489]

Nah most wolves are weaker than most unarmed men and the bears in that region are/were quiet small. Goliath on the otherhand was an armed warrior.

[@purplehaze2358]

@@romanpreuss3489 A full pack of wolves, the most likely thing to encounter when hunting farm animals, is definitely stronger than a single person. And even a small bear is pound-for-pound way stronger than a person.

[@romanpreuss3489]

@@purplehaze2358 True but a wolfpack is to much for one person but a shepherds where mostly not alone either and had dogs. Often its easy possible to evict the wolves or Bears unless they are starving.

[@weshal5732]

@@romanpreuss3489 David is twelve tho

[@themelanatednomad6989]

@@romanpreuss3489 The bible says he used to kill lions and bears (probably with his sling). He was quite skilled. I don’t think wolves existed in that region at the time, but lions did.

[@LSD_1938]

I knew that 9 foot 9 would've came with some serious healh risks, also could you please make a video on some popular biblical parablepsis? Because that kind of stuff needs it's own video.

[@Dampzombieslayer]

He kinda did with his Wicked Bible video

[@LSD_1938]

@@Dampzombieslayer yea ig but still

[@LSD_1938]

@Sugarhill Nas i didnt say he had a growth disorder tho im saying that being that tall should come with health risks

[@mindesanchez9740]

@@LSD_1938 why?

[@LSD_1938]

@@mindesanchez9740 there's a limit on how much a healthy person can grow and not have it being too much strain on the bones

[@jpbart1390]

i remember in my pre-teens reading that goliath was about 6'10", which is still fucking tall by today's standards.

[@KenAmmi-Shalom]

Please mind your manners.

[@madaxe]

@@KenAmmi-ShalomLeave

[@KenAmmi-Shalom]

@@madaxe S'what?

[@animarblemarblerace9232]

@@madaxe What's wrong with you bro? Ken Ammi said something understandable

[@jpbart1390]

@@madaxe i think ken ammi got butthurt from my profaned ways. boo hoo! 😂

[@bradleyfitzik2447]

I always wondered about how big Goliath's size was. I'm quite sure Shaquille O'NEIL is bigger. That dude is a legit giant if you stand next to him.

[@jomargumboc1511]

Orlando Shaquille would translate well as a Philistine warrior but Lakers and Miami Shaq may be a bit too slow Phoenix, Cleveland and Boston Shaq wont have a place in the battlefield

[@zolazar6928]

Shack is a whopping 7'1

[@drogerflav6350]

@@zolazar6928 yet the “small” charles bearkly (6’9) took him down

[@zolazar6928]

@@drogerflav6350 XD "small"

[@theman3274]

@@drogerflav6350 Charles Barkley is 6'4 barefoot same as Michael Jordan 6'6 in shoes Shaq was 6'11 and a half barefoot and 7'1 in shoes

[@H1ydra]

"never bring a gun to a sword fight" then david out here only with a *ROC* and *SLING*

[@Graveyardbaby6]

Dude you don’t understand how much I adore your channel. You are my all time favorite youtube channel

[@gktte2574]

Goliath has eye sight complication tho, he sees the sling and stones as sticks

[@LincolnDWard]

David was also carrying a staff, so that may be what Goliath was referring to

[@thomaswin5535]

Considering we've got guys like Shaq and Yao Ming, I would imagine Goliath would be around that range (i.e., 7' - 7' 4").

[@jdnowell6077]

Based on what facts ?

[@mason6300]

6:17 the idea of them just dragging this deformed giant man onto a field and him shouting "FIGHT ME" from the ground just made me spit my coffee 😂

[@gojira4036]

If he couldthrow a spear good lying down then maybe he could have gotten a few kills

[@BigTony-bf5jr]

See, it’s things like the 4 cubits to 6 cubits mistranslation that make stories like this more plausible

[@sidskrabanja4578]

I have a friend who is 2,07m (about 6 foot 9 in imperial measurements, the same size as Goliath) and we both practice historical swordfighting (HEMA). I can tell you from personal experience that as a "normal" sized person it is no fun fighting against him, his reach is absolutely enormous. You'd approach him for an attack and he'd just hit you across the head with his sword before you can even reach him. This would also probably have played a big role in Goliath's reputation as a warrior, especially with weapons that really extend your reach like a spear. He would probably have been able to hit his opponents far before they would have been able to reach him. I'm 1,78m, I can't imagine how it would have been for an ancient Israelite warrior who was only 1,50-1,60m tall. It's interesting to see how my personal experiences fit into the explanation of a bible story.

[@alexkillinger3593]

Great video. I’m always waiting for new ones from you. Every video has a new and intriguing topic and I love them!

[@niccolopaganini1782]

These videos are so damn good, I would love some more mythology one, appreciate your work man!

[@niccolopaganini1782]

@Mythology Unveiled nice channel too, subbed. Some criticisms I can give are that you have improved your narrations from your first video, It isn't that captivating as hochelaga, I bit more confidence. But it is all fine for a small nice channel, I would also suggest you to study the algorithm for getting bigger. It is an overall good channel👍

[@curtisdaniel9294]

Good that 1) you mentioned the Septuagint and 2) the Wandering Eye problem. As someone old enough to remember taking notes from books for research papers by hand w/o laptops/tablets etc., I know of that problem first hand! As always, A Great Video! From You and your collaborator Toasters. Thanks!

[@CeltKnight]

I had a student in my jujutsu class who was 6'09" or so. That is an intimidating height even today. Back then, especially in armor, waiving around a flag-pole sized spear, I can understand Saul's army being cowed. That's much more realistic and would be a giant to the smaller folks in those days (especially add in a little legend building chatter from the soldiers wanting to explain why they didn't want to fight and also to make David's feat even greater).

[@thevenator3955]

The story of David and Goliath always kind of amused me, because even if you discount the height part, and the strange battle scenario, and the way that the Philistines were defeated; David legit just cheated. Imagine you challenge people to sword fight you, and one guy steps forward and just shoots you in the head with a pistol from 10 meters away. Yeah you can say the guy had really good aim, but that doesn’t change the fact that he didn’t actually win the duel in any meaningful way lol. Edit: Just to clear up some misunderstandings of my comment, it's a bit less funny to explain the joke I guess, but I don't want people to have the wrong idea: I'm not saying that David shouldn't have used a sling. War definitely isn't about "fighting fair", and I wasn't complaining about the fact that David didn't. My point was that, it wasn't "war" at that moment. It was a "duel". You can do whatever you want in a duel, but if you "cheat", you didn't win. You just didn't die. And in the heat of battle, that's really all that matters. But the whole point of the story, as I understand it, is it's meant to have a moral; "Don't be overconfident", or "just because someone looks weak doesn't mean they are", and even if you were trying to take a religious lesson, it would be "God will help the good guys win" or something. What I was pointing out is that none of those morals are really applicable. Goliath was overconfident to be fair, but he was expecting (and was obviously asking for) a melee fight, so that's what he was confident about. David looked weak, and he still won, but not because he was strong, it was because he used a tool that had a massive advantage in that specific situation. And the last one makes the least sense, because it doesn't seem to imply anything about God helping David. I guess you could say that God magically made it so David didn't miss, but a sling is a pretty amazing ranged weapon, so if David knew how to use it, he would have had a good chance of hitting Goliath anyway. If David had beat Goliath in a fight that they were both prepared for (even if they both had slings instead of swords), that would make more sense, whether David was just a badass that didn't look it, or God helped him, or whatever. But again, the point is he didn't win through a competition of skill. At the very best, you could argue that he won because he thought outside the box or something. And completely regardless of the morals, the "historical" event doesn't make any sense either, because if you saw your best guy fight the enemy's best guy before the battle, and this scenario happened, the reaction wouldn't be "oh no God is clearly on their side, everyone run away", it would be "wtf that kid just killed our friend by cheating and giving himself a huge mechanical advantage in a duel, I'm even more pissed now." That was what I was trying to point out with my original comment; I was amused by the fact that the story doesn't really make sense, and more importantly, neither does the morals. Hopefully I beat the funny out of the joke enough at this point lol.

[@betabeta6335]

Yup, it kind of makes the “david vs goliath” metaphor ring hollow.

[@masbucket3083]

Lol

[@lucimicle5657]

David Indiana-Jonested Goliath.

[@EpicBrony300]

To be fair Goliath still thought it wasn't gonna do anything lol

[@1TheVelociraptor]

it was chance seizing and overconfidence being the man that he was, he should've known that underestimating an opponent would eventualy mean defeat bringing a rock to a sword fight was what gave david the upper hand, low expectations gave him the victory

[@zdvpy]

04:10 in the background is polish translation of a bible :)

[@MelquiadesMuerto]

in christian bibles genesis is the first book and speaks of giants in one chapter "There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown." and then nothing else about them for quite some time

[@ok-dy9sw]

The Nephilim right??

[@JH-qy7zw]

The flood eradicated the nephilim, it’s one of the reasons for the flood. Being half human & half angelic, their bodies were destroyed by the flood but were still eternal (angelic “DNA”), they became evil spirits roaming the earth (according to book of Enoch). Giants after the flood (if related to nephilim) are still questioned of how they still continued after the nephilim were killed off in flood. Noah was “pure” (possibly blood line free of any fallen angel DNA), but quite possibly a spouse of his children were not.

[@KenAmmi-Shalom]

In Jewish and Christian Bibles Genesis is the first book and speaks of Nephilim (not "giants" if that is supposed to imply something about unusual height) thus, "There were Nephilim in the earth in those days; and also after that..." and then the flood brought an end to them, and then nothing else about them for quite some time when some unreliable people present an "evil report" wherein they just make up stuff such as that Nephilim were still around, were very tall, etc. but such was not the case.

[@rhino202]

Wiped out by the flood, more than likely. Hard to tell how big they were

[@rhino202]

@@JH-qy7zw he was (obviously) pure to save mankind and preserve the lineage of David and Christ

[@lore.keeper]

As usual, an extremely well made video

[@robotatomico83]

KZbin viewers are sleeping on this channel, always great stuff Hochelaga!

[@Mikeyc2k6]

In the land of 4ft 8s, a man 7ft tall is a legitimate giant.

[@idonhaveanyideawhattocallm1472]

Even in our day 7ft is considered a giant

[@Burning_Dwarf]

@@idonhaveanyideawhattocallm1472 depends where you are in the world In the nothern europe it is just tall In south east asia it is giant

[@tdsetffr7350]

@@Burning_Dwarfwhat??? There’s only a few 7footers in the world, most of them are in the nba

[@Burning_Dwarf]

@@tdsetffr7350 what is a nba? Also the relationships ive had were both with men above goliaths 6'9 height. Odds of that happening are impossible according to you. (Fyi tallest people without gigantism are 7'9-7'10, a hell of a lot taller) Edit; To be fair my best friend (f) and me are already at a big height difference at 5'4 vs 5'10.

[@tdsetffr7350]

@@idonhaveanyideawhattocallm1472 forsure, it is extremely intimidating up close

[@jasonlowery1369]

If I remember correctly, King Saul was a head taller than everyone else. He also had the best armour and the best weapons and was a warrior and general. The height of Goliath and the list of his equipment puts him as a match with Saul, with the latter not accepting the challenge although apparently being the only warrior to match up to the "Giant".

[@meg6339]

King Saul was 6 feet(1.83m) against a 6-9(2.06m) dude is a lot of difference that's why he was scared event though he was taller than everyone else around

[@geekinthegarden3927]

@@meg6339 The dead Sea scrolls and the Septuagint give Goliaths height as four cubits and a span i.e. 6 foot 9 inches King Saul is described as being a head taller than anyone else in all Israel which make it likely that 6 foot is the minimum but necessarily the exact height. If we give Goliath a 6 inch height advantage that's still comparable. A lot more comparable than a 3 foot difference. These passages are the ones that set up David's authority and right to take the throne so that the current king and best matched opponent to Goliath fails and the new hero, unarmoured and possessing only a lethal ranged weapon is able to succeed and therefore has God's blessing

[@Caerulis]

I instantly click on a new Hochelaga video. Awesome job, the video is informative and the editing is nice.

[@starisoupbreadfish]

As a Catholic, this channel makes learning biblical stories much more fun.

[@deltonmcclary7341]

Good sir, your videos are amazing, and love how they open up a whole new world for us!

[@Rinfiner]

These Videos deserve way more attention, they are well made and intresting. Love to watch them while eating ^^

[@WallyBDO]

Slingers were the elite ranged skirmishers of antiquity; they were prized and irreplaceable since you couldn't levy some shmuck and train him to use the sling; it has to be a shepherd boy (such as David) who would have used his sling every day of his life to have a hope of hitting anything at all. But when they did the sling did horrendous damage.

[@LobsterPuncher]

I like to measure things by animal parts. For example circumference is measured in "about as big as a cat's belly". And height is "dang near a dog's knee high". I really wish the rest of the world was educated enough to follow suit.

[@takeagalbythehand]

I would like to volunteer my own cat as a unit of measurement and officially name the unit "chonker".

[@cyclingmikeyisalizard9499]

"Almost the size of a full grown pizza"

[@mandolorion8456]

I do the same but its with cigarettes as how tall am i well 3packs and my finger is king size while my foot is 3 smokes so on and so on so Goliath would be a carton my by my guess

[@Melaramaa]

I always get excited for a new upload from you, you've become one of my favorite channels these past few weeks. Keep up the good work !!

[@llemmeedititrealquicklilshi]

[@grimrott891]

Whoever is responsible for adding the wasted thing from GTA *chef's kiss*

[@friedchickenUSA]

this was so cool. i love learning about human error being preserved in a religious text thats still in use today. feels grounding.

[@orla2274]

Given the nephilim are angels, their offspring would have different bodies than humans with gigantism

[@jordy2299]

He was 6’1. Because I’m 6’1 and no one is taller than me of course

[@RED40HOURS]

_problem solved_

[@zydg7787]

Not true he was 6'5 because im 6'5 and no one is taller than me of course

[@Airwr3ck]

Let me grab some smooth rocks real quick

[@kayvan671]

But...but... I'm 6'5....

[@LangstonDev]

@@kayvan671 Everybody can be 6'5" on the internet 😁😉

[@Samura1313]

For those wondering, the tallest healthy and proportional man we have records of is Angus MacAskill, at 7ft 9in, or 2.36 m tall.

[@samanthascott7617]

Love how David and Goliath is just biblical Big Iron

[@TrueTempleDog]

A follow up on the weight of his weapons and armor would be kewl...

[@ernestoalvarez7370]

I like how in 4:15 you talk about old English and the background is old Polish.

[@iohan2801]

Your videos are great! I love how you balance accurate information with a dose of humor. I'm Brazilian and my English isn't very good, but I'll keep watching your videos and learning more.

[@jpbart1390]

accurate? by whose standards?

[@wargriffin5]

Goliath: (Is 9'9 tall) Giant of Castelnau: *"PATHETIC!"*

[@robertbench4664]

Really enjoyed this.Considering that ancient scribes had to write in poorly lit places with either flickering candles,flaming torches or oil lamps its no wonder they got their text scrambled.

[@daniellassander]

There is another way of looking at this which i am more in favor of, back then our language was not as evolved as it is today, meaning we had less specific words. So we borrowed words that had different meanings to say the same thing. Instead of writing "the most accomplished fighter" he would become a "great fighter" or a "big fighter" because they just didnt have the right words to describe it to us. Now great and big means something else as well, he was big or great or of a substantial size. While that may never have been the intent of the first person who wrote it. Another guy got the text and interpreted it as how big he was, and now that was important to write down, and its very likely they took the biggest human they could think of. We can see how this could change the meaning of the text and how it also made it a more impressive story. Instead of being the most accomplished fighter against a shepherd, now its also a fight about a big guy against a small guy. So the story became more impressive as well. I think a lot of this has happened to the bible over the years, today when we read "afterlife" it means life after death, but what if that was never the intent of the writer who just lacked the vocabulary to write, life after today because they didnt have those distinctions. Another example, lets take the firmament this time. God separated the waters from the waters, well what does that actually mean? In some sense it must mean there are two types of water, what about salt water and fresh water. Water you can drink and water you cant drink. Fresh water is in lakes and salt water is in the oceans, and they are separated by land, which is firm as in firmament. Now someone writes that down and someone thinks it means something else and that was what they ran with and all of a sudden its a firmament above our heads and there is water above that too, which also makes sense from a pre science society, water is blue the sky is also blue, water below and water above.

[@KenAmmi-Shalom]

The main issue I had was the misuse of the vague, generic, subjective, and multi-usage English word "giants."

[@Rjj5150]

I love the borderlands references. It's one of my favorite games, and the thumbnail is what drew me in

[@Szylepiel]

When you talk about Old English Imperial System you got a book with words in Polish in the background. Got me confused for a second lol

[@lucaswright7236]

The editing on this video is superb 2:52

[@maxhill7065]

It also illustrated how effective ranged infantry were too, I remember reading somewhere that a stone from a sling could rival an English longbow for initial and impact velocities depending on the range and slinger

[@dixonhill1108]

I'm pretty sure most people die from getting slammed in the head with a rock. This isn't like a thing one has to spend much time thinking about.

[@porkins93]

David had so much faith that the lord would lead him to victory against Goliath that he brought 5 stones instead of just 1.

[@LuisGarcia-pf3wt]

just in case Goliath brings his family

[@porkins93]

@@LuisGarcia-pf3wt it's a lesson about having faith, but also keepin that muhfuckin thang on you.

[@leemarshall348]

Because he wasn’t overconfident and overprideful, which is the point of the story.

[@magosexploratoradeon6409]

@@porkins93 We may require faith, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't prepare.

[@KenAmmi-Shalom]

@@porkins93 Please mind your manners. Goliath had four sons so plus Goliath makes five thus, five stones.

[@Vibakari]

Goliath: “hey anyone wanna do a honorable 1v1?” David: PLONK*

[@Eikorunu]

This channel is probably the only reason that anyone should try in GCSE RS

[@40jwthomas]

This is great. I feel like this is a similar situation to the story of Sampson. While it is possibly one of my favorite stories, the likelihood of him killing 10,000 people with the jawbone of a donkey seems unrealistic. Thank you for all you do

[@firewall5189]

samson killed 10000 people with the jawbone of a donkey...and then it exploded

[@embrioimp4321]

I don't get what seems unrealistic?

[@FoolishPrince]

@@embrioimp4321 gis physical strength: the endurance that would be needed is a great feat of strength itself!

[@archravenineteenseventeen]

The story taught me on how not to be a simp

[@Kaz999998]

@@archravenineteenseventeen Never cut your hair for a girl

[@quintustheophilus9550]

"Imagine for a moment copying out the Bible yourself." That should be the next worldwide challenge! P.S: Excellent video!

[@brad885]

Literary flair is all over the bible. I always assumed he was around the size of andre the giant. 7', 320-400 lbs. Also, the size of the cubit depends on who was doing the measuring.

[@KenAmmi-Shalom]

But we Jews somehow managed to build things based on our standard measurements for many millennia before someone decided to tell us "depends on who was doing the measuring." To what does "flair" refer?

[@johncenaplayingstarcraft9580]

@@KenAmmi-Shalom Hell, even Roman Pagans and Medieval Muslims build near perfect geometric and beautiful buildings and architecture without even calculus, only algebra, Indo-Arabic numerals and geometry for the Muslims, and only Roman Numerals and basic math for the Romans and Hell, I'm impressed with old Jewish architecture, and Jews did that with near no math and archaic measurements like in our modern metric system with calculus, physics, algebra, geometry, etc.. its so easy for any smart guy to build an entire Temple Complex with proper planning and enough money but for Jews, Romans, and Muslims, who wouldn't've used papyrus blueprint planning, its all just so impressive to me

[@brad885]

@@KenAmmi-Shalom meaning the scribes embellished in parts.

[@cahallo5964]

@@KenAmmi-Shalom Because the man in charge was the standard for measurements, say, in each construction site there was its own standard, which was basically an standarisation with a certain range for error.

[@KenAmmi-Shalom]

@@cahallo5964 Curious, what makes you think that "the man in charge was the standard for measurements"? I'd imagine that a size would be standardized and carried about on such jobs.

[@MVenk]

Was not expecting the "wasted" 😂 Great Channel btw! I subscribed just a few weeks ago and keep watching your videos every time I get a chance.

[@zunigairving]

He forgot the fact that the giants that came from fallen angels don't have the same body rules as regular humans even noting that they had 6 fingers instead of 5

[@LincolnDWard]

Be careful being too confident with that. Most of what's popularly "known" about nephilim comes from books that aren't considered canonical by most Christians.

[@radium_habit6869]

Gosh, I love your videos so much. I get so excited when you post something new. :) really wish some of them were longer haha

[@WakeUpUniverse66]

@6:15 thats why he got wrecked by a sligshot. They probly used him as an actor to scare people knowing nobody would call the bluff.

[@firewall5189]

a well-placed slingshot hit would down anyone dude. those things were used by professional armies for a reason.

[@embrioimp4321]

A sling shot was the gun of that time.

[@TheEnigmaProductions]

You’re voice is so buttery smooth

[@Lifegotmid]

Grunbeld: "Finnaly a worthy opponent our battle will be legendary"

[@_ee75]

Btw it's great that you include the metric system in the video

[@lesteryaytrippy7282]

My Goliath x Lady Dimitrescu fanfic has been dashed

[@rohandcosta4019]

The wasted sounds got me lol 😂

[@MagicalGirlContractor]

I love mythology and I consider myself a fan of the mystical despite also loving sciences, along with seeing myself as a religious person that's why as opposed to a lot of people who try to fit a fantastical or mythical story into a more plausible reality. While I do agree with so many of the points you've made towards Goliath being 6'9, I also like to believe the original height of a "giant". Mostly because well genetics and what is considered normal for a human has changed a lot throughout the years, such as life expectancy. Also this might be a stretch but, in ancient prehistoric times, creatures often tended to grow to gargantuan sizes since ancient times had more oxygen than carbon dioxide which allowed for bigger growth. So I have this theory that certain species or races of humans far before David's time (around the "first human" mythos, specifically the Nephilim), might have actually grown to larger sizes such as 9 ft. given that the environment then could probably have supported their existence? In my mind it would also explain their sudden disappearance and extinction as the Earth grew older, despite their seemingly overwhelming physical advantages over the human race. What do you think?

[@seraphielprime5092]

It's nobody seriously taking into account the fact that he used A GTA Is death sequence for Goliath? That is too hilarious

[@hyacinth_16]

Older ppl: video games cause violence, it was never like this back in the days... Back in the days: 2:35

[@cubehipster7160]

Videogames don't cause violence, they cause extreme laziness.

[@conormccann2850]

Great video! Do you have any plans to do any more obscure mythology videos?

[@Atlasbr001]

i'm the only one that thought he would measure goliath using toasters for scale?

[@vladv5126]

I think he's British, not American.

[@LangstonDev]

@@vladv5126 I need to know how tall he is in football fields or I'm out

[@vladv5126]

@@LangstonDev 0.3 and 3 toothpicks.

[@jeremyodesanya4514]

Me sleeping well at night knowing that I'm not as short as I think.

[@barretthoven]

So what I’ve learnt is. IM A GOLIATH I AM QUITE LITERALLY THE EXACT HEIGHT AS GOLIATH

[@mr.niceguy8845]

This why im here :) Btw i like/love your vids.

[@datadalakishvili21]

Hello Hochelaga can you record video about language before tower of babel? Ly btw

[@SarcasticSloth69]

also during that time, the "marksmen" of the army didn't use bows and arrows. They used slingshots and little solid balls that could do considerable damage, basically tiny cannons. And with proper military training, soldiers could hit targets from long distances with surprisingly deadly precision and they definitely could kill. There's an amazing Ted-Talk about it on KZbin

[@brianboru2762]

Something else I remember hearing is that Saul was well known for being a big man. I think 6'3" . He was literally the biggest man in the Israelite army and while Goliath might have had half a foot on him. Saul as King and a big man in his own right, should have been the one to face Goliath as was the custom among the many kingdoms of the Levant at the time. The fact that he cowered instead and a little shepherd boy had to do his job was another mark against him being the right man to be king.

[@coldmateuscold]

i just loved this "borderland boss introduction" reference lol

[@masterstealth11]

As a Christian, this is incredibly informative. I’d always wondered this

[@RetroJack]

Who came to this video expecting to find toasters being used as a unit of measurement?

[@eagleclaw006]

How hard and fast would David have to sling that rock to kill Goliath with a headshot?

[@federicoallegretti3798]

Slings can deliver a powerful strike

[@vincentandre8500]

Funnily enough, a sling fired from someone with even just a slight idea of what they’re doing is equivalent in deadlines to the first gunpowder muskets or some modern hand guns. David didn’t really win the duel so much as he just shot Goliath point blank in the head… which is kinda cheating considering it was a sword duel.

[@leemarshall348]

@@vincentandre8500 it wasn’t ever decided to be a sword duel, just a duel.

[@fnamelname9077]

@@vincentandre8500 If it was a sword duel, then Goliath cheated by bringing a spear!

[@Dumb-Comment]

Not that fast and hard at all

[@slyaspie4934]

Those sneaky medieval monks adding a couple of cubits, it's what you do with it that counts 😉

[@danawright777]

Men in those days were in the range of 5 - 5.5 feet tall. Someone 6.5 - 7 feet tall would have been considered a giant.

[@superrodder2002]

My brother and I practiced with slings when we were young. We got pretty good with them and I can see how deadly they would be when someone focused on perfecting the art.

[@noahwattel4226]

Well compared to the rest of the people there with quite a short average height of like 1.50 or something anything over 2 meters is hella tall. Or david himself who was even shorter, Saul was actually really tall for an Israelite so probably like 1.60-1.70 (which is partly why david couldn't wear his Saul's heavy armor)

[@harveywabbit9541]

To get an idea of how big Goliath is you will have to measure the five constellatins of Sagittarius thru Pisces.

[@Morin0]

9:42 "People were smaller back then." Me, who is a 5 foot adult: 💧🙂 (That's 'sposed to be the crying smiley emoji)

[@thebrodie5835]

One thing to consider: The average height of a man at the time the bible was written around 5 feet tall - 5´4" tall(152.4 cm- 162.56 cm), and so the "6 cubits and a span" must have been of the average man back then. Meaning (according to my calculations) Goliath was between 8´8.63" - 9´4.7" (268.3 cm - 286.2 cm).

[@onjah56]

but the text saying "4 cubits and a span" is older, that would mean that cubits and spans were previously LARGER and people actually shrunk as time went on... which doesn't add up

[@USRM1810]

The guy above me is right

[@ajpas32]

The first ever historical record of a critical hit.

[@jbdds.9727]

8:50 blew my mind. I’ve never heard versions of the Bible explained like that

[@Steph-sk3xb]

The bible had to be translated into many languages and dialects. Like it has through it European history since Christianity became the most popular religion.

[@angeldite30]

Love the videos and I’m only part way through but personally I picture him being around the size of Andre the giant, who was 7ft + but able to move pretty well for the majority of his life. Keep up the good work :)

[@theman3274]

Andre was probably 6'9 because he was in a picture next to wilt chamberlain who was 7'1 barefoot and wilt was taller

[@CMan-x7k]

@@theman3274 He probably was shorter due to back problems.

[@theman3274]

@@CMan-x7k 7'4 to 6'9??? 7 Whole inches in like less than 4 years nah man at best he was probably 6'11 no more

[@CMan-x7k]

@@theman3274 I mean it's possible. Bad postures can affect ones hieght.