Or, Dawood and Jalut in Islam.
Today as I read through The Quran, I come across verses that told the event of the battle between David and Goliath. Actually, it’s only one verse that told us the event 2:251.
فَهَزَمُوهُم بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ وَقَتَلَ دَاوُۥدُ جَالُوتَ وَءَاتَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُلْكَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَعَلَّمَهُۥ مِمَّا يَشَآءُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلنَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍۢ لَّفَسَدَتِ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
So they defeated them by Allah’s Will, and David killed Goliath. And Allah blessed David with kingship and wisdom and taught him what He willed. Had Allah not repelled a group of people by ˹the might of˺ another, corruption would have dominated the earth, but Allah is Gracious to all.
the quran 2:251
If we trace a few verses before, the event actually a part of the battle between the armies (or people) of Saul and Goliath. But it’s just that, The Quran doesn’t tell anymore other than the main point of David just killed Goliath (in the battle).
While this may seem disappointing from the storytelling perspective, but I think that’s enough. Because sometimes over detailing something will lead the reader into the unnecessary interpretation. And this excess interpretation will lead to even more dispute about the words, especially in this modern time. Talking about it will need a whole book to cover the argument.
Although King David’s and Saul’s history has been able to be traced back to some rather authentic historical texts. The aforementioned Goliath is none to be found outside religious texts. As assumption from many historians claimed this and that figures to be Goliath, so far it still just assumptions and not confirmed documentation.
I’m really interested in reading historical texts and I hope we can find a historical context regarding Goliath, or the battle that leads to King David’s coronation. It may be already found but missed, buried, and forgotten somewhere in some museum archive. Who knows.