Goliath. Goliath is described in the biblical Book of Samuel as a Philistine giant defeated by the young David in single combat. The story signified Saul's unfitness to rule, as Saul himself should have fought for Israel. Scholars today believe that the original listed killer of Goliath was Elhanan, son of Jair, and that the authors of the Deutoronomic history changed the original text to credit the victory to the more famous character, David. The phrase David and Goliath has taken on a more popular meaning, denoting an underdog situation, a contest where a smaller, weaker opponent faces a much bigger, stronger adversary. Saul and the Israelites are facing the Philistines in the Valley of Elah. Twice a day for 40 days, morning and evening, Goliath, the champion of the Philistines, comes out between the lines and challenges the Israelites to send out a champion of their own to decide the outcome in single combat, but Saul is afraid. David, bringing food for his elder brothers on the battlefield, hears that Goliath has defied the armies of God and of the reward from Saul to the one that defeats him, and accepts the challenge. Saul reluctantly agrees and offers his armor, which David declines, taking only his staff, sling and five stones from a brook. David and Goliath confront each other, Goliath with his armor and javelin, David with his staff and sling. The Philistine cursed David by his gods, but David replies: This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down; and I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that God saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is God's, and he will give you into our hand. David hurls a stone from his sling and hits Goliath in the center of his forehead, Goliath falls on his face to the ground, and David cuts off his head. The Philistines flee and are pursued by the Israelites as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron. David puts the armor of Goliath in his own tent and takes the head to Jerusalem, and Saul sends Abner to bring the boy to him. The king asks whose son he is, and David answers, I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite. The Books of Samuel, together with the books of Joshua, Judges and Kings, make up a unified history of Israel which biblical scholars call the Deuteronomistic history. The first edition of the history was probably written at the court of Judah's King Josiah and a revised second edition during the exile, with further revisions in the post-exilic period. Traces of this can be seen in the contradictions and illogicalities of the Goliath story-to take a few examples, David turns from Saul's adult shield-bearer into a child herding sheep for his father, Saul finds it necessary to send for him when as the king's shield-bearer he should already be beside his royal master, and then has to ask who David is, which sits strangely with David's status at his court. The Goliath story is made up of base-narrative with numerous additions made probably after the exile: Original story The Israelites and Philistines face each other; Goliath makes his challenge to single combat;. David volunteers to fight Goliath;. David selects five smooth stones from a creek-bed to be used in his sling;. David defeats Goliath, the Philistines flee the battlefield. Additions David is sent by his father to bring food to his brothers, hears the challenge, and expresses his desire to accept;. Details of the account of the battle;. Saul asks who David is, and he is introduced to the king through Abner. Goliath's stature as described in various ancient manuscripts varies: the oldest manuscripts, the Dead Sea Scrolls text of Samuel, the 1st-century historian Josephus, and the 4th-century Septuagint manuscripts, all give his height as four cubits and a span, whereas the Masoretic Text gives this as six cubits and a span. The most likely explanation is that the original reading was four cubits and an error arose when a scribe's eye was drawn to the number six in line 17:7. The underlying purpose of the story of Goliath is to show that Saul is not fit to be king. Saul was chosen to lead the Israelites against their enemies, but when faced with Goliath he refuses to do so; Saul is a very tall man, but Goliath is a giant. Saul's exact height is not given, but he was a head taller than anyone else in all Israel, which implies he was over 6 feet tall and the obvious challenger for Goliath, yet, David is the one who eventually defeated him.