By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
The story of David and Goliath is one of the most iconic and celebrated tales from the Old Testament. Virtually everyone vaguely acquainted with Bible stories knows that David, as a young boy, slew the giant Goliath. The story is an inspiring example of how the plucky underdog could defeat someone much bigger than him, against the odds.
Except, there are two problems with this story, a story that virtually everyone ‘knows’. First, was it actually David who slew Goliath? And second, and perhaps even more intriguingly: was David really the underdog in that fight?