Goliath: Difference between revisions

Jalut [Goliath] is the name of a powerful Palestinian hero killed by Prophet David (a).  The name “Jalut” is mentioned in the noble Qur’an three times in the story of the battle between Palestinians and Israelites. It has been narrated with more details in the Old Testament, where Jalut is referred to as Goliath. The victory of Prophet David (a) reminds that at war, the victory belongs to the faithful and God helps them, even though they are small regarding number and provisions.

In lexical and Islamic Tafsir sources, the word “Jalut” is considered non-Arabic, and it is said that Muslim scholars agree on it. In their linguistic researches about the Qur’an, some orientalists studied the etymology of the word “Jalut”. According to Horowitz, this name is certainly related with the Hebrew word … or the Aramaic word … (meaning wandering and exile), which was common among the Jews of Medina. Jeffry too believes that the word “Jalut” has entered Arabic through the Qur’an, because there is no instance of its usage before Islam.

According to the Old Testament, when Palestinians and Israelites stood against each other in the valley of Elah, Goliath went forth from among Palestinians and began his war cry. He continued this action every morning and night for forty days, which frightened Israelites. Saul (Talut), the commander of Israelites’ army had promised that he would give the killer of Goliath a great amount of properties and make her daughter marry that person. When the young David (a) heard the war cries of Jalut, convinced Talut to fight with him and then went to the battlefield. When Jalut saw David (a) going to fight him without a sword and only holding a stick and stone, mocked him and threatened him. David (a) too threatened Jalut and said that he (a) would kill him, so that everyone would believe that there is God. Then, David (a) hit Jalut on the forehead with a stone sling and killed him. Then, he (a) went upon his body and severed his head. This victory led to the complete defeat of Palestinians and their escape. Head of Jalut was taken to Jerusalem and his sword remained in a temple in Nob until it was later returned to David (a).

Jalut was born in Gath (located in south east of Gaza) and is mentioned in the Torah as Goliath of Gath. However, this possibility has been mentioned that he was not originally from Palestine and served the army of Palestinians as a soldier.

Also, extraordinary physical characteristics have been reported for him, including that he had a height of three meters and had heavy weapons in the battle with Israelites. It is written in the Old Testament that Elhanan killed Jalut, not David (a), which seems to be a mistake of script-writers of the Torah; because, elsewhere, Elhanan is introduced as the killer of Jalut’s brother, not Jalut himself. The encounter of Jalut and David (a) has been the subject of many poems and artistic works especially sculpture and painting in the west.

== In the Qur’an ==

The story of the battle between Talut and Jalut is mentioned in the noble Qur’an in brief and without details as the following: the prophet of Israelites at that time is mentioned Samuel in the Torah who chose Talut as the king to fight Palestinians by the order of God. After Israelites made some objections to their prophet for his choice, finally accepted him as the king and under his command went to fight Jalut and his companions. On the way to the battlefield, after they passed a river which was a means of divine trial, most of the army of Talut expressed weakness against Jalut and his army and when the soldiers who remained loyal to Talut encountered Jalut and his army, asked God for resistance and victory and thus conquered him by the will of God and David killed Jalut.

In Islamic historical and tafsir sources, there are points mentioned about Jalut. Qummi considered him Coptic and Dinwari mentioned him among the descendants of Walid b. Rayyan and Mas’udi mentioned his lineage as follows: Jalut b. Malud b. Dabbal b. Hattan b. Faris. Tabari considered him among Amalik and mentioned Jalut, the king of Amalek. Mas’udi mentioned him from Barbar nations and Ibn Khaldun mentioned him from Canaanites. Ya’qubi mentioned him as Goliath which is his Hebrew name and mentioned his height five cubits. Tabari too described him a powerful warrior.

The story of the encounter between Israelites and Palestinians, especially the man to man fight between Jalut and David (a) is reported in details in Islamic sources. It seems that these reports are typically influenced by Jews’ reports of this story and entered historical and tafsir sources of Muslims with additions and omissions and sometimes differences, while some of these reports have many differences with the Jewish narration.

About the place of killing Jalut, there are different reports in Islamic sources. Mas’udi mentioned Baysan in Jordan as the place, the battle took place. Ibn ‘Asakir mentioned Qasr Umm Hakim near Marj al-Sufr the place where Jalut was killed. Dabbagh mentioned the place of that event, a village in south west of Bethlehem which is now called Khirbit al-Shawika. The name of a region between Ain Jalut which is a village between Beit She’an and Nablus in Palestine is considered related with the battle of David (a) and Jalut.

== David’s Triumph, a Symbol of the Victory of the Faithful ==

In Islamic sources, the Qur’an’s reference to the event as miraculous triumph of David over Jalut and thus a great victory of Israelites over Palestinians which reminds that at war, the victory belongs to the faithful whom God help; even though they are small in number and provisions. The same way, the companions of the noble Prophet (a) in the battle of Badr are likened to the number of the faithful in the battle between the army of Talut and Jalut and the number of Muslims in this battle is considered the same as the number of the soldiers of Talut.

Also, Jabir b. ‘Abd Allah Ansari, the companion of the Prophet (a) likened the killing of ‘Amr b. ‘Abdwadd by Imam Ali (a) in the battle of Ahzab to the story of Jalut and David (a). In Mathnawi Molavi too, the battle between David (a) and Jalut is mentioned in brief.