Aegean Mercenaries in Light of the Bible : Clash of Cultures in the Story of David and Goliath.

Intro -- Copyright page -- Dedication -- Contents -- List of Figures -- Introduction -- 1. Aegean mercenaries and their role in the Near East and in Egypt since the 8th century BCE -- 2. Aegean mercenaries in the Bible -- A. Research approaches to the story of the duel between David and Goliath and the figure of Goliath -- A.1. The story of the duel has no historical basis -- A.2. The story was created and edited after David's period (8th century BCE till the Second Temple period) -- A.3. The story was written around the time of David -- B. Who were the opponents in the duel and when did the event take place? -- C. The defensive armament of Goliath and conclusions about his identity and name -- C.1. The ethos of military arms and shields in Greece and Israel -- C.2. The development of hoplite armor -- C.3. Comparison between the armor of Goliath and the hoplite armor -- C.3.1. The armor of Goliath and its heavy weight -- C.3.2. The shield bearer of Goliath -- C.3.3. The helmet of Goliath -- C.4 Diversionary tactics -- C.5. How did 'γυαλαθώραξ' turn into 'Goliath' -- D. The name is the message: four proofs -- D.1. Parallel instances of a military equipment item turning into a personal name or epithet -- D.2. The Philistine warrior was nameless -- D.3. There are multiple 'Goliaths' -- D.4. Names of additional biblical foreign warriors which derive from military terms -- E. Who was the enemy represented by Goliath? The Saites and their Aegean mercenaries -- F. Saite-Aegean myths in a distorted mirror -- F.1. The armor and helmet that saved the nation and its king -- F.2. Deliverance of the army by a hero in a duel with an armed giant -- G. The story of the duel in light of the biblical attitude to the Babylonian exiles and the Egyptian diaspora -- Conclusion -- Bibliography -- A.Literary sources and commentaries -- B. Modern studies.

Abbreviations.

This study employs a textual analysis (literary and philological) of the story of the duel of David and Goliath and, together with its comparison to Greek, Egyptian and Mesopotamian literary sources, historical analysis alongside comparative analysis with archaeological findings.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.