GOLIATH

[Judaic] "Splendor". In the bible, Goliath is the giant of Gath, Philistine. As representative of the Philistines, he challenged the Israelites to send a champion against him so that the issue of the war between the two tribes might be settled by single combat. David, the youthful champion of the Israelites rose to the challenge and killed Goliath by a stone shot from his sling (1 Samuel 17:50). David later became their king. Elsewhere in the Old Testament, Goliath is killed by Elhanan, an Israelite warrior in the service of David, after the latter is made king; other versions of the story designate a brother of Goliath as the victim of Elhanan (see 2 Samuel 21:19).