November 11, 2005

Purdue Bible scholar: Discovery offers support for Goliath story

The Purdue University Libraries professor who invented a system to determine whether ancient inscriptions apply to people in the Bible says the pottery shard found this week in Israel probably does not refer to the biblical Goliath but does lend credence to the story surrounding him.

"This is evidence that non-Semitic names that are remarkably similar to Goliath were used within the time frame of this Philistine warrior in his reputed hometown of Gath," says Lawrence Mykytiuk (MICK-ee-took), associate professor of library science. "It provides well-grounded cultural background that supports the biblical narrative."

In his book "Identifying Biblical Persons in Northwest Semitic Inscriptions of 1200—539 B.C.E.," Mykytiuk used his system to evaluate artifacts for potential identification of 79 biblical figures, including Goliath's nemesis David, future king of Israel. The system identifies key criteria for authenticity that address:

• Whether the data in the inscription is reliable;

• What the "nationality" and the time frame of the inscription are, compared to those of the biblical person; and

• How many identifying marks of the individual match the biblical person.

The shard found this week dates to 950 B.C., making it the oldest Philistine inscription yet found. That's roughly 70 years after Goliath was reportedly killed by the Hebrew shepherd boy with a sling. Mykytiuk says the find indicates an accurate cultural knowledge by the author of the biblical book of 1 Samuel. This knowledge runs counter to some scholarly criticism that holds the David vs. Goliath story is merely a legend written down many centuries later.

"Scholarship is supposed to be objective," Mykytiuk says. "People are free to choose whatever view of Scripture they want, but my question is: 'Where does an inscription support the Bible?' This one supports it, not with a direct identification of Goliath, but in its historical and linguistic background."

Writer: Jim Schenke, (765) 494-6262, jschenke@purdue.edu

Source: Lawrence Mykytiuk, (765) 494-3605, (765) 742-2102 (home), larrym@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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