Goliath’s Height Grew In Texts

Goliath’s height was originally described in some early textual witnesses as “four cubits and a span,” or about 6 feet 9 inches. Later versions of the biblical text increased his height to “six cubits and a span,” or about 9 feet 9 inches. The shorter measurement appears in sources such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Septuagint, and the writings of Josephus, while the taller version became the better-known reading in later Hebrew tradition.

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