David v. Goliath. Ancient Propaganda?

The David v. Goliath metaphor has been thrown around to discuss Israel in relation to the Arab countries around it. Basically to paint the same picture it paints in the Bible. That the Jews were the underdogs and triumphed over brutish adversity through ingenuity.

I take a lot of issue with the modern version since Israel has not only been backed by the U.N., but they also have a huge military with some of the best equipment in the world. I mean who is the Goliath in this picture? The entire Western world or the Middle East?

The ancient version seems fishy to me as well. I have read in the New American bible about the actions of Jewish armies as they came to Canaan from the desert. Basically a brutal invasion in order to secure the land their God said was theirs.

The whole David v. Goliath just doesn't fit. The Phillistines as described in Jewish texts don't really match up with any civilization in the area at the time. There really is very little information regarding the Phillistines that doesn't originate from Biblical archaeologists, who don't work from a scientific perspective, but try to make things fit in with the Bible. I am sure a few people from the JIDF will post here talking about iron smelting and other shaky archaeological information that assumes the bible is true in the first place.

It seems to me just a way to make their people think that the people they are attacking are the ones in fact attacking them, which is what I see going on today in Modern Israel.

Originally posted by thedarklingthrush

The David v. Goliath metaphor has been thrown around to discuss Israel in relation to the Arab countries around it. Basically to paint the same picture it paints in the Bible. That the Jews were the underdogs and triumphed over brutish adversity through ingenuity.

I take a lot of issue with the modern version since Israel has not only been backed by the U.N., but they also have a huge military with some of the best equipment in the world. I mean who is the Goliath in this picture? The entire Western world or the Middle East?

The ancient version seems fishy to me as well. I have read in the New American bible about the actions of Jewish armies as they came to Canaan from the desert. Basically a brutal invasion in order to secure the land their God said was theirs.

The whole David v. Goliath just doesn't fit. The Phillistines as described in Jewish texts don't really match up with any civilization in the area at the time. There really is very little information regarding the Phillistines that doesn't originate from Biblical archaeologists, who don't work from a scientific perspective, but try to make things fit in with the Bible. I am sure a few people from the JIDF will post here talking about iron smelting and other shaky archaeological information that assumes the bible is true in the first place.

It seems to me just a way to make their people think that the people they are attacking are the ones in fact attacking them, which is what I see going on today in Modern Israel.

"Beware of those who say they are jews and are not."

Originally posted by assasinforfather


"Beware of those who say they are jews and are not."

I don't quite understand why you would post that particular comment here could you please explain further if possible?

Originally posted by assasinforfather

"Beware of those who say they are jews and are not."

First wise words in 100 threads about the current problems. The Palestinians are more Jewish then the white Europeans that created Israel. Fact. Thanks for posting this.

[edit on 8-6-2010 by cushycrux]

Originally posted by cushycrux

Originally posted by assasinforfather

"Beware of those who say they are jews and are not."

First wise words in 100 threads about the current problems. The Palestinians are more Jewish then the white Europeans that created Israel. Fact. Thanks for posting this.

[edit on 8-6-2010 by cushycrux]

I felt only a blessing when reading your reply. Thank you. I honestly cannot say which side are the real jews. I say" just, by all means, learn and love to get along," the rest comes easy. A jew is a jew by heart and that is what I listen to.

Originally posted by assasinforfather

Originally posted by cushycrux

Originally posted by assasinforfather

"Beware of those who say they are jews and are not."

First wise words in 100 threads about the current problems. The Palestinians are more Jewish then the white Europeans that created Israel. Fact. Thanks for posting this.

[edit on 8-6-2010 by cushycrux]

I felt only a blessing when reading your reply. Thank you. I honestly cannot say which side are the real jews. I say" just, by all means, learn and love to get along," the rest comes easy. A jew is a jew by heart and that is what I listen to.

I think that it would be obvious that the Ultra Orthodox are the "fake" Jews. They are absolutely unwilling to compromise on anything and they don't like tolerating people who aren't as Orthodox as they are.

Originally posted by thedarklingthrush

The whole David v. Goliath just doesn't fit. The Phillistines as described in Jewish texts don't really match up with any civilization in the area at the time. There really is very little information regarding the Phillistines that doesn't originate from Biblical archaeologists, who don't work from a scientific perspective, but try to make things fit in with the Bible. I am sure a few people from the JIDF will post here talking about iron smelting and other shaky archaeological information that assumes the bible is true in the first place.

You seem to be taking the approach that any evidence must be false which DOES fit in with the Bible, which is just as bad as the approach which you're criticising.

reply to post by thedarklingthrush


It's a nice story.. But that's all it is..


reply to post by cushycrux

Originally posted by cushycrux

First wise words in 100 threads about the current problems. The Palestinians are more Jewish then the white Europeans that created Israel. Fact. Thanks for posting this.

[edit on 8-6-2010 by cushycrux]

Heh, well actually the Palestinians are Muslims who came here during the times of the Caliphate, when Islam was taking all over the middle east..

And don't forget there are still a lot of Arab Jews..
I myself am half Syrian, half Turkish.

reply to post by thedarklingthrush

I think that it would be obvious that the Ultra Orthodox are the "fake" Jews. They are absolutely unwilling to compromise on anything and they don't like tolerating people who aren't as Orthodox as they are.

You don't even know the half of it.. They cause a lot of problems in Israel..

Originally posted by Eliad


It's a nice story.. But that's all it is..

Exactly. I was just speculating that it was used then as it is used now. To make the general Jewish population, who are just trying to live their lives, feel better about what their rulers are doing.



[edit on 17-6-2010 by thedarklingthrush]

Originally posted by thedarklingthrush

I take a lot of issue with the modern version since Israel has not only been backed by the U.N., but they also have a huge military with some of the best equipment in the world. I mean who is the Goliath in this picture? The entire Western world or the Middle East?

Israel' army doesn't come close to huge. Sure they have more troops then any 1 arab country (not including Iran, Syria, Iraq, Saudi, Afgh), and they only lead by a few thousand troops. In fact, the 2 only countries that I can think of that have less active troops then Israel would be Lebanon and Jordan.

And when it is Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Sudan and Tunisia versus Israel, they aren't necessary the 'top-dog'....


Not that I back the Israeli' but they have every bragging right in the world.

[edit on 17-6-2010 by BiGGz]

Did u know that Goliath's skull was kept at a place called "Golgotha" thats right, bet that name rings a bell .

Originally posted by cushycrux

Palestinians are more Jewish then the white Europeans that created Israel. Fact.

Originally posted by Eliad
Heh, well actually the Palestinians are Muslims

In reference to Palestinians, Greeks, Romans, Jews, . . .
It's a no brainer that
Palestinians are more semitic by genealogy
then any european convert jew in israel.

Originally posted by DISRAELI
You seem to be taking the approach that any evidence must be false which DOES fit in with the Bible, which is just as bad as the approach which you're criticising.

How archaeological information fits into a bigger picture of history is a determined by the analysis done be the archaeologists.

Its not scientific method if they are trying to find things to fit into the biblical story, and that I think that this is the viewpoint most biblical archaeologists take even if they claim otherwise.

The Bible is open to wide interpretation so using it as a historical source is pretty dubious and that is basically what a lot of biblical archaeologists do.