A pottery shard discovered in Israel probably does not refer to the biblical Goliath, but does lend credence to the story surrounding him, claims a Purdue University professor of library science

A pottery shard discovered in Israel probably does not refer to the biblical Goliath, but does lend credence to the story surrounding him, claims a Purdue University professor of library science. The shard dates to 950 B.C., making it the oldest Philistine inscription yet found. That roughly is 70 years after Goliath reportedly was killed by the Hebrew shepherd boy with a sling.

"This is evidence that non-Semitic names that are remarkably similar to Goliath were used within the time frame of this Philistine warrior in his reputed hometown of Gath," explains Lawrence Mykytiuk, author of Identifying Biblical Persons in Northwest Semitic Inscriptions of 1200-539 B.C. "It provides well-grounded cultural background that supports the biblical narrative."

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