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King David Goliath. The story of David and Goliath in the Bible

Old Testament

Victory of David over Goliath

Once, during the reign of Saul, the Jews had a war with the Philistines. When the troops turned against each other, a giant named Goliath emerged from the Philistine camp. He shouted to the Jews: “Why should we all fight? Let one of you come out against me, and if he kills me, the Philistines will be your slaves; but if I defeat him and kill him, then you will be our slaves.” For forty days, morning and evening, this giant stood out and laughed at the Jews, insulting the army of the living God. King Saul promised a great reward to the one who defeated Goliath, but none of the Jews dared to oppose the giant.

At this time, David came to the Jewish camp to visit his older brothers and brought them food from his father. Hearing the words of Goliath, David volunteered to fight this giant, and asked the king to allow him.

But Saul said to him: “You are still young, but he is strong and has been accustomed to war since childhood.”

David answered: “When I was tending my father’s sheep, it happened that a lion or a bear would come and carry the sheep away from the herd; I would catch up with him and tear the sheep out of his mouth, and if he rushed at me, then I would kill him. If the Lord first saved me from the lion and the bear, he will save me now from this Philistine.”

Saul agreed and said: “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”

David put five smooth stones in his shepherd's bag, took a sling, that is, a stick adapted for throwing stones, and went against Goliath. Goliath looked at David with contempt, because he was very young, and said with mockery: “Am I a dog, that you are coming at me with stones and a stick?”

David answered: “You come against me with sword, spear and shield, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which you have defied. The Lord will help me, and all the earth will know that The Lord does not save with sword and spear".

And so, when Goliath began to approach, David hurried to meet him, put a stone in his sling and threw it at the giant. The stone hit him right on the forehead. Goliath fell unconscious to the ground. David ran up to Goliath, pulled out his sword and cut off his head with his own weapon. Seeing this, the Philistines, overcome with horror, fled, and the Israelites drove them to their very cities and killed many.

Saul made David a military leader. Then he married his daughter to him.

When Saul and David returned from victory, the Jewish women came out to meet them singing and dancing and exclaiming: “Saul defeated thousands, and David defeated tens of thousands!” This was unpleasant for King Saul; he became jealous of David’s glory and planned to kill him. David withdrew into the desert and hid from Saul until his death.

NOTE: See the Bible, "1st Book of Samuel": ch. 16-31 and "2nd Book of Samuel", ch. 1 .

Novak Evgeniya

David and Goliath

Summary of the myth

Michelangelo
Statue of David. 1501-1504
Academy of Fine Arts
Florence

David is one of the greatest figures in Jewish history. The Bible talks about him in more detail than about any other historical figure, with the exception of Moses. David united the scattered Israelite tribes into a single people and turned the kingdom of Israel into a powerful state.

David was the second king of Israel. He was the youngest son of Jesse, a Bethlehemite from the tribe of Judah. David reigned for 40 years (c. 1005 - 965 BC): for seven years and six months he was king of Judah, then for 33 years he was king of the united kingdom of Israel and Judah.

One of the most famous episodes of the Old Testament is the story of David and Goliath. The Bible tells us that David and his family lived in the city of Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem. He was the youngest of eight sons. His three older brothers fought in King Saul's army, and David tended his father's sheep in the fields of Bethlehem. He was a diligent shepherd and did everything to protect his flock.

At that time, the people of Israel were waging war against the Philistines. Among the Philistine warriors there were many giants. The most powerful and powerful of them was the three-meter Goliath, who struck fear into the hearts of all the soldiers of King Saul. And then there was a custom: when two armies met for battle, one soldier came out from each of them and they arranged a fair duel. In such fights, Goliath had already defeated many of Saul's best warriors.

His father told David to carry food and water to his brothers every day, and then return home and tell them what was happening on the battlefield.

One day David entered King Saul's camp and heard the cries of Goliath. He asked the brothers who was screaming so loudly, and they told him about the giant.

David knew that the Lord was protecting him. So he went to King Saul and declared that he could slay the giant.

King Saul laughed and replied:

You can't beat this man, David. You are very young and have never fought, but Goliath studied to be a warrior for many years.

David replied:

I tended my father's sheep, and when a bear or a lion wanted to carry off a lamb, I would give chase and kill them. The Lord has kept me from the wild beasts, and He will keep me from the hand of this Philistine.

The young man's courage impressed Saul and he said:

Fine, but let me give you a weapon so you have at least a chance to escape.

The king dressed David in heavy metal chain mail and a helmet, gave him a strong shield and a huge sword. But David was not used to military armor and felt uncomfortable in it. He thanked Saul for his help and said:

If I am to defeat Goliath, then I must do it my way. The Lord kept me from the lion and the bear, and He will keep me now. I believe in Him, and I don’t need anything else.

He took off his chain mail and helmet and laid his shield and sword on the ground. Then he took his wooden staff and sling, picked up five smooth round stones from the ground and carefully placed them in his shepherd's bag.

Seeing David, the giant Goliath burst out laughing:

You insulted me! Am I a dog for you to come at me with stones and a stick!

David replied:

You may seek help from sword and spear, but I have faith - and its power is invincible.

With these words, David pulled out a smooth round stone from his bag, put it in the sling, pulled back his hand and released the stone. The stone struck Goliath in the forehead, and the giant fell backward with a terrible roar. David quickly ran up to the defeated enemy, pulled out his sword and cut off his head.

Seeing what happened to their hero, the Philistines fled, but King Saul's soldiers, inspired by David's courage, gave chase and defeated the enemy army.

Images and symbols of myth

Caravaggio. David with Goliath's head
1606-1607. Galleria Borghese, Rome

David- this is one of the most striking images in the entire Old Testament. He embodies the image of a brave and self-confident warrior. David is the image of an ideal ruler. According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah will come from the line of David. Over time, the image of David acquires the features of an immortal king-savior. It seems eternal and "City of David"(Jerusalem) as the place of future deliverance of the people. In the spirit of theological interpretation of the Old Testament characters, David turns out to be a “type”, “type”, i.e., the previous incarnation of Jesus Christ, and the episodes of David’s life are interpreted as the saving acts of Jesus.

Of course, the image of David is accompanied by symbols, including - sling And stones. They symbolize faith in the Lord God, thanks to which David defeated the giant. Also a symbol in this biblical story is severed head of Goliath, which embodies the victory of good over evil.

Communicative means of creating images and symbols

Titian. David and Goliath. 1542-1544
Cathedral of Santa Maria della Salute, Venice

Many works of art from different eras and generations are dedicated to David. The most popular image is of David as the conqueror of Goliath. His image was used in the plastics of early Christian sarcophagi, paintings in Roman catacombs, and sculpture of the cathedral in Reims (13th century). The image of David was used by the greatest masters of sculpture (Donatello, Bernini, Michelangelo), as well as great painters (Titian, A. Pollaiuolo, Caravaggio, G. Reni, Guercino, N. Poussin, Rembrant, etc.). In fiction, the plot of the duel David A number of works are dedicated to Goliath. Including a poem by A.S. Pushkin:

The singer-David was small in stature,

But he knocked down Goliath,

Who was also a general

And, I promise, no lower than a count.

Among the works of the 20th century is the drama of A. Paul " David and Goliath" and the novel by the French writer Gerald Messadier "King David".

Among composers who turned to history David in the 15th-17th centuries, - Josquin des Pres, G. Schutz. Among the works of the 18-19 centuries. - operas by M. A. Charpentier " David and Jonathan", A. Caldara "The Penitent David", N. Porpora " David and Bathsheba", P. A. Guglielmi "Triumph David", oratorios by K. A. Vadia, Mozart, N. Zingarelli, cantata by J. Wiese " David". The most significant of the works of the 20th century is the symphonic poem by J. Wagenar "Saul and David", oratorio by A. Honegger" David", symphony by M. Avidom" David", operas by L. Cortese" David, Shepherd King" and D. Milhaud" David". In the 19-20 centuries, music based on the texts of psalms was created by F. Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, F. Schubert, J. Brahms, F. Liszt, A. Bruckner, M. Reger, I. F. Stravinsky ("Symphony of Psalms") , A. Schoenberg and other composers.

Social significance of the myth

Bernini. David. 1623
Galleria Borghese, Rome

Many people knew the story of David and Goliath. This is one of the oldest stories that is repeated most often in the Bible. This story was often told to show an example of how a weak but brave warrior defeated a strong enemy.

The victory over the giant Goliath turned David into a typological prototype of Jesus, who defeated the devil. The duel with the formidable giant was considered as a duel between Christ and the Antichrist. Belief in the “son of David” Jesus has become the central point of Christianity.

According to Jewish tradition, it was believed that the Messiah should come from the line of David, who would transform the world of violence and selfishness into a world where there would be no wars, and the whole earth would be filled with love for God and people.

Ancient tales often acquired a purely modern meaning not associated with religious symbolism. This was the case in Renaissance Florence. For the Florentines, David became a national hero. In the young winner of Goliath, they saw a symbol of their city, which defended independence in the fight against powerful neighbors.

And, undoubtedly, today for all of us this story is an example of courage and enormous self-confidence in all difficult periods of life.

Name: Goliath

A country: Philistia

Creator: Old Testament

Activity: warrior, giant

Family status: not married

Goliath: Character Story

The hero of which country is not familiar with the chronicles of great battles? For a true warrior, even religious literature can easily become a useful textbook on battle tactics and psychological pressure. For example, the battle of Goliath is a clear example that faith in one’s own strength can destroy the enemy. With such motivation, one stone is enough to win. It’s a pity that for Goliath such a lesson was the last in his life.

History of appearance

The formidable man is first mentioned in the Bible. The First Book of Samuel contains a detailed description of both the hero and the battle that glorified Goliath's opponent, David. Is it worth reminding that the giant himself is presented in the Old Testament not as a valiant warrior, but as a reckless fool who does not believe in the power of God.

Despite the mythical nature of the legend, perhaps the story of Goliath is not fictional at all. The prototype of the giant warrior is mentioned in the records of the Roman military leader Josephus:

“And then one day a gigantic man named Goliath, from the city of Gitta, came out of the Philistine camp. He was four and a half arshins tall, and his weapons were fully consistent with his gigantic size.”

The second confirmation of the existence of Goliath was the discovery of archaeologists. At excavations in the city of Tel Es-Shafi (it is assumed that the city of Gath used to stand here), a part of a ceramic bowl was found, on which the name of the giant was engraved. This is the first reliable evidence that Goliath actually existed.

Today, the name of the fearsome warrior has become a household name. In the Marvel comic book universe, there are several characters named Goliath, including Bill Foster. No less famous is the namesake of Goliath from the cartoon “Gargoyles”, which, unlike the biblical character, is presented as a positive hero.

Image and character

Goliath was born in the city of Gath, located in the territory of Philistia. The character's mother, a woman named Orpha, led a free lifestyle, so the hero's father is unknown.

Goliath grew up to be a big and strong man; the hero’s height was 2.89 m. The hero’s older brothers also had outstanding appearance. The Bible states that a relative of Goliath was the warrior Lahmi, who was killed by the famous fighter Elhanan ben Yair.

From early childhood, the Philistine was trained in military affairs. The giant towered over his comrades, so from his youth he was used by commanders as a terrifying weapon. The man had many victories, but most often Goliath boasted of capturing the greatest shrine of the Jewish people - the Ark of Revelation.

Despite his fearsome appearance and extensive experience in battle, the giant did not build a career. The man remained a simple soldier; Goliath was not trusted to command an army of thousands. This allows us to conclude that physical strength is the only achievement of a man. Intelligence and military ingenuity were not included in the list of the hero’s virtues.

The most famous myth about Goliath is associated with another battle. During the war between the Jews and the Philistines, Goliath challenged any warrior of King Saul to a fair fight. For 40 days, the man called on brave men to go to battle. The only condition is that if the hero wins, then the representatives of the Jewish people will forever become slaves of the inhabitants of Gath.

A formidable man, dressed in armor and armed with a heavy sword, awed the enemy army. Imagine Goliath’s surprise when the young shepherd David answered the man’s call. The young man went out to fight, dressed in casual clothes and with a bag at the ready. To the ridicule of his opponent, David replied that God, at whom Goliath had so imprudently made fun, would lead the young man to victory.

It's amazing how the giant was defeated. David's weapons were a sling and five smooth stones. The young man, quickly swinging a long rope with a loop at the end, drove a pebble into the giant's forehead. Goliath, who did not expect such an attack, did not cover his face. The man fell to the ground from the impact. The shepherd approached the defeated man and realized that the giant had lost consciousness. David cut off the head of the Philistine warrior with Goliath's personal sword.

Goliath in religion

In Christianity, the colorful characters mentioned in the Old Testament carry an unambiguous meaning. In the person of David, the ancient scriptures demonstrate to believers a typological prototype who triumphs over the Supreme Evil, or the devil.

Researchers argue that the comparison of Goliath to Satan is supported by textual evidence. For example, the giant’s height (six cubits and a span) significantly exceeds that of a human, but does not reach the divine figure 7. The myth also mentions the scaly armor of Goliath, referring the reader to the Serpent, which was often called Satan. However, most of the arguments regarding the hidden meaning of the legend are indirect.

The Koran also contains a story telling about the victory of the Islamic prophet over the unfaithful king of the Amalekites. The names of the main characters have been changed (Goliath is called Jalut, and David is called Talut) and minor details. And the death of the giant fully corresponds to the version voiced in the Bible. The parable of Jalut and Talut demonstrates to people the strength and power of God to help them achieve victory. You just need to believe.

The Jewish Holy Scripture (Tanakh) also mentions the legendary battle. David's opponent is still a giant, but the name of the enemy is Golyath from the Plishtim tribe. Another difference from the Old Testament is that the man is equipped with a large number of weapons. In addition to a spear and sword, Golyat is equipped with a bow and arrows. As in other sources, only blind faith in a higher power contributes to David’s victory over the enemy.

Film adaptations

The biblical motif was first shown on television in 1960. The film "David and Goliath" tells the story of a spectacular battle described in religious scriptures. The role of the giant warrior was played by Italian actor Aldo Pedinotti.

In 1985, Paramount released the film King David. The film failed at the box office. New York Times critics wrote negative reviews, pointing out flaws in the script and direction. The image of Goliath in the failed film was embodied by actor George Eastman.

In 2015, Timothy Chey made another film about the famous battle. This time, the role of the fierce warrior went to the novice actor Jerry Sokoloski. The artist’s height is 2.33 m, so the tallest Canadian fits perfectly into the image.

The Wallace brothers showed their own view of the biblical motif in 2016. The film "David and Goliath" again touches on the theme of the battle between the Jews and the Philistines. The role of Goliath was played by Michael Foster, familiar to viewers from the TV series “Conan” and “Beverly Hills 90210: The Next Generation.”

The name Goliath is derived from the verb “to open.” The full translation is “standing barefaced before God.”
The victims of Goliath before meeting David were Hofni ben Eli and Pinchas ben Eli, the sons of the judge-high priest.
The total weight of Goliath's armor reached 60 tons (in another source - 120 tons).
The Bible contains references to two Goliaths. If the first soldier died at the hands of David, then Elchanan became the killer of the second soldier. For a long time it was believed that the same giant was mentioned in the parables. But the battles took place in different time periods and on different territories.

David and Goliath Internet

The Philistines again began to stir near the eastern borders of Israel. They came to approximately the same place where they were once defeated. They stood on a mountain in front of the valley, waiting for King Saul and his army to descend into it from the opposite mountainous hill.

The battle was to take place in the valley. However, the Philistine and Israeli troops were afraid to go down into it first, so as not to be at a disadvantage. Both troops stood for a long time on opposite mountains, without taking any action.

The situation seemed hopeless. The military leaders understood well that the first one to descend into the valley with an army would be immediately crushed by the enemy who was waiting for him, as if by a huge stone thrown from a mountain.

And so, in inactive confrontation, hours and days passed. Finally a happy thought came - to solve the matter by single combat between two heroes from both camps. Goliath was represented as a hero by the Philistines. “And a single combatant named Goliath, from Gath, went out from the camp of the Philistines; he is six cubits and a span tall” (Kings 17:4). (A cubit is the length of the arm from the elbow joint to the end of the middle finger; a span is the width of three palms.)

On his head was a heavy copper helmet, on his body was scaly armor made of copper, on his legs were copper knee pads, and in his hands was a spear of frightening length. Goliath had been boldly walking around the valley for several days, loudly shouting various insults and obscenities at the Israelis.

The Israeli King Saul and the commander Abner could not find a worthy opponent for him. Shame choked the Israelis, burning with shame and humiliation. So the impudent Philistine giant walked in front of the Israelites for forty days!

David was not in the army at that time. He, as the youngest in the family, stayed at home. Peacefully herding sheep. They, listening to the sounds of his harp, peacefully nibbled the grass. David's three brothers served in Saul's army.

Jesse, David's father, was already very old. Having sent his three sons - Eliab, Abinadab and Sammah - he was naturally worried about their fate. Since Saul’s army, where his sons were, was not so far from Bethlehem, Jesse, recalling David from the field, instructed him to take dried dates and ten loaves of bread to the brothers, and cheese to their commander. “And at the same time,” Jesse said to David, “check on the health of the brothers and find out about their needs.”

David left the house early in the morning. By noon I approached the army convoy. Screams, noise and some movement could be clearly heard from here. The guards explained to him that the army, tired of standing inactive and ashamed of shame, intended to enter the battle. But this is a very dangerous matter, since it will be necessary to descend into the valley.

David ran to his brothers, quickly found them, began asking about their health and talking about their household chores. Suddenly he saw a giant standing in the valley. It was Goliath. He called out his opponent. Insulting and vilifying Jews.
And then David exclaimed: “Who dares to insult the people of God in this way, and what will be the reward for the one who defeats Goliath?” And they told him: “Whoever kills the giant, the king will reward him with wealth, give his daughter for him, and free his father’s house from taxes.”

David was not so much seduced by this reward as he wanted to punish the daring Goliath for his mockery of his people, and asked to inform the king that he wanted to fight the Philistine... However, the elder brother Eliab, angry, threatened to send him immediately home to the waiting sheep and abandoned harp.

After all, David was only fifteen years old at the time. He was handsome with a gentle, half-childish beauty. The experienced warriors only smiled, observing his amusing fervor. David seemed all the more ridiculous to them against the backdrop of the mighty figure clad in the armor of Goliath.

And yet, David’s desire was told, albeit with laughter, to King Saul. He, as the Bible says, called his squire and guslar to him. Probably, the king also wanted to have a little fun with the brave boy. But what did he hear?

“And David said to Saul, Let no one lose heart because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine” (Kings 17:32).

And then Saul, seriously, without mocking, calmly explained to David how incommensurate his strength was with the power of Goliath, who was not only strong, but also incredibly experienced in numerous battles.

“Then David answered Saul: “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and carried away a sheep from the flock, I chased after him and attacked him and took him out of his mouth; and if he rushed at me, then I took him by the hair, and struck him and killed him.
Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear, and the same thing will happen to this uncircumcised Philistine as to them...” (Kings 17: 34-36).

Strange as it may seem, but perhaps completely relying on a higher power, Saul suddenly believed in David. He dressed him in his own clothes, put a copper helmet on his head, put armor on him and girded him with a sword.

As the Bible says, David first walked back and forth in his heavy and uncomfortable outfit in order to get used to it. However, I'm not used to it. The royal clothes from someone else were too loose and heavy for him.

And then he took a sling, selected five smooth stones from the stream, and put them in the shepherd's bag. He never parted with her. And then quickly, descending into the valley, he headed towards the Philistine.

He walked with long steps along the path he had trodden, from end to end of the valley. For forty days, under the weight of the giant’s body and his weapons, the path deepened noticeably. Goliath was already tired of the many days of empty waiting, he stopped shouting his curses, his voice was hoarse, and his movements became sluggish.

He had almost completely lost faith that any of these cowardly Jews would ever come out to meet him. When David ran away from the mountain, Goliath was just moving away from him in the opposite direction. He looked gloomily at his feet and muttered the usual curses under his breath.

The giant didn’t even notice David at first. But then the Israelite and Philistine warriors, who had hitherto been quietly sitting and lying on the stone terraces or hiding behind the ledges of rocks and basalt fragments, suddenly rose, shouted and began to point with their long spears at something in the valley.

That's when Goliath turned his attention to David. He turned around and saw a young man, or rather a teenager, quickly walking along the path after him. The boy held a staff and a shepherd's bag.

Goliath laughed loudly. So who, it turns out, decided to fight him! He had never felt so funny before. The echo rolled for a long time, like thunder, repeating the peals of the Philistine’s laughter. But suddenly Goliath abruptly stopped his laughter. He suddenly realized that he had been severely insulted. And the giant warrior felt bitter resentment.

The vile and cowardly Israelis, he thought, threw him a foolish boy in mockery in order to humiliate and disgrace the invincible hero and famous warrior. His exploits are known from the Dead Sea to southern Moab.

And then he began to angrily ridicule David. He mocked his red hair and fragile body. He was especially outraged by the staff. “Why are you coming at me with a stick!” - he yelled. “Am I a dog?” But David, approaching a convenient distance, calmly replied: “The Almighty has already measured out your hour of death and you must immediately begin to prepare for death.”

Now Goliath was truly furious. David, however, did not argue with him. He quickly took a smooth stone with a pointed end from his bag and threaded it into the sling. A tense silence reigned on the slopes of both mountains.

The giant straightened up to his full enormous height. Raising his sword high and rushing towards David in rage. He didn't even look at him. He did not follow the movements of his fragile opponent. Incredible anger and hatred blinded him. He was even speechless. Only a long line of saliva hung from his lips.

And then an incredible miracle happened. David, swinging his sling, released his stone, and it precisely hit right in the middle of the giant’s forehead. Goliath instantly fell to the ground.

Then David ran up to him. He took the sword from his weakened hands and cut off Goliath’s head with one blow. Movement began again on the mountains, shouts of welcome were heard, interspersed with screams of horror. The Philistines, considering themselves defeated by agreement, hastily fled, and the Israelites, descending into the valley, greeted their hero-savior.

The glory of young David after his victory over Goliath went around all lands. King Saul appointed him commander of his troops. There has never been such a young leader in the entire history of Israel. After all, David was only sixteen years old at that time.

David, unlike all the previous heroes of the Bible, who, as we know, lived for nine hundred, six hundred, three hundred or four hundred years, lived a normal human life - only seventy years.

However, fate, perhaps wanting to reward him for such a short period of time, filled David’s days and years with such a variety of events that a story about them could take up a whole book with a fascinating, sometimes implausibly adventurous plot.

David was a wise king, a famous hero and at the same time a gloomy tyrant. He was a free shepherd and a talented poet, an experienced commander and devoted squire, a tireless lover and statesman.

In the Jewish tradition, it is believed that the Messiah should come from the line of David, who will transform the world of violence and selfishness into a world where there will be no wars, and the whole earth will be filled with love for God and people.

Many works of art from different eras and generations are dedicated to the Jewish king David. The most popular image is of David as the conqueror of Goliath. His image was used in the plastics of early Christian sarcophagi, paintings in Roman catacombs, and sculpture of the cathedral in Reims.

The image of David was used by the greatest masters of modern civilization: sculptures by Donatello, Bernini, Michelangelo, as well as great painters Titian, A. Pollaiuolo, Caravaggio, G. Reni, Guercino, N. Poussin, Rembrant and many others. In fiction, a number of works are devoted to the plot of the duel between David and Goliath. Including a poem by A.S. Pushkin:

The singer-David was small in stature,
But he knocked down Goliath,
Who was also a general
And, I promise, no lower than a count.

I’ll end this legend with a historical fact. Israeli archaeologists excavating Tel Tzafit recently discovered the ruins of an ancient city. In their opinion, this is Gath (in the Russian translation of the Bible - Gath). In the Bible, this city is mentioned as the birthplace of the Philistine giant Galiath, who was killed by David during single combat.

Jerusalem University professor Aren Mayer, who led the excavations, told Arutz Sheva news service that the latest finds at Tel Tzafit are the most valuable. He said: "... settlements dating back to the Canaanite era can be traced at the excavation site. In general, there are remains from many historical periods here. We are now working on the Philistine layer. Among the finds, an inscription was discovered containing a number of Philistine names. Including very similar to Goliath.

Reviews

Dear AUTHOR! Heartfelt THANK YOU! The story is presented in a very accessible, good style, read easily and quickly and with unflagging interest, ALTHOUGH I am familiar with this and other STORIES of ancient times. I have many good friends in CHELYABINSK - these are my passengers, and I am often invited to the PASSover and HANUKAH holidays at the Jewish Cultural CENTER of our city, there are wonderful people and talented children - they organize art exhibitions for children and adults and even in the foyer of the NAUMA ORLOV DRAMA Theater there was an exhibition... And dear Inna Aharonovna always treats me to tea and delicious pastries, buns and cookies, there is a wonderful library in the CENTER and I go to read something if I’m free, and Aurora Nikolaevna holds musical evenings with showing video films and poems are read and songs are sung in Ukrainian, Jewish, Russian, Tatar and in English, you can hear good songs and often perform WAR VETERANS on the holidays of VICTORY on MAY 9th, and also my passenger FRIDA MARKOVNA VISHNIVETSKAYA - the mother of our famous composer GRIGORY VISHNIVETSKY - he passed away young, but his friends, the musicians of the ensemble "OKTOIKH" often perform in memory of GRIGORY and give concerts... In general, I can tell YOU for a long time, dear AUTHOR, about my passengers, Chelyabinsk residents, friends... COME TO OUR CITY and yourself you'll see everything. P-R-I-E-Z-J-A-Y-T-E.

David and Goliath

Caravaggio, David and Goliath

Titian David and Goliath 1545

Goliath is a huge Philistine warrior in the Old Testament. Young David, the future king of Judah and Israel, defeats Goliath in a duel with a sling and then cuts off his head. The victory of David over Goliath began the offensive of the Israeli and Judah troops, who expelled the Philistines from their land.
According to another version, Goliath was killed by Elkhanan, the son of Jagare-Orgim of Bethlehem.

A sling is a throwing bladed weapon, which is a rope or belt, one end of which is folded into a loop into which the slinger’s hand is threaded.

Sling

Goliath was an unusually strong warrior of enormous stature, a native of the city of Gath. Goliath was 6 cubits and a span tall, or 2 meters 89 centimeters (1 cubit = 42.5 cm, 1 five = 22.2 cm). The Philistine giant was dressed in scale armor weighing approximately 57 kilograms (5000 shekels of copper, 1 shekel = 11.4 g) and copper knee pads, a copper helmet on his head, and a copper shield in his hands. Goliath carried a heavy spear, the tip of which alone weighed 600 shekels of iron (6.84 kg), and a large sword...

Matteo Rosselli, Triunfo de David, Palazzo Pitti.1620

David had no armor at all, and his only weapon was a sling. The Philistine giant considered it an insult that a young man, just a boy, came out to fight him. Goliath and David were chosen by their fellow tribesmen for single combat, which was supposed to decide the outcome of the battle: the winner in the duel won victory for his side. It seemed to everyone who watched what was happening that the result of the fight was predetermined, but physical strength does not always determine the outcome of the battle. Details of the duel between Goliath and David, which took place in the oak valley between Succoth and Azekah in the southwest of Jerusalem, are described in the Bible, in the 17th chapter of the 1st book of Samuel.

Fugel David gegen Goliath

Andrea del Castagno.1450

The sword of Goliath, preserved by David, was first kept in Nob, and then transferred by him to Jerusalem.

Victory of David over Goliath

David with the Head of Goliath, oil on canvas painting by Bernardo Strozzi, c. 1636, Cincinnati Art Museum

But Saul said to him: “You are still young, but he is strong and has been accustomed to war since childhood.”

David the Shepherd Boy

Gardner-The Shepherd David

From life of David, Psalter of Basil II, later 10th c., Constantinople

Saul agreed and said: “Go, and may the Lord be with you.”

David vs Goliath

David answered: “You come against me with sword, spear and shield, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which you have defied. The Lord will help me, and the whole earth will know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear.” .

Gustave Dore. David and Goliath.

Tanzio da Varallo, Davide e Golia, ca. 1625 (Museo civico, Varallo)