david and goliath, a story of place. the narrative-geographical shaping of 1 samuel 17

7/30/2019 David and Goliath, A Story of Place. the Narrative-geographical Shaping of 1 Samuel 17

1/11

WT768 (2006): 321-30

DAVID AND G OLIA TH, A STORY O F PLACE:TH E NARRATIVE-GEOGRAPHICAL SHAPING O F 1 SAMUEL 17JOH N A. BECK

The details tha tfill he story of David an d Goliath Jire vivid and mem orable.Even those less tha n familiar with the Bible as a whole ca n typically pic turethe lightly armed David runn ing towards the weapon-laden G oliath. Given thecoloiM detail within the narrative, the reader can almost hear the whirlingsling, the whistle of th e smooth stone as it sails through the air, and the thud thatmarks the collapsing frame of the gigantic opp onen t.

W hile the po pular recollection of the story focuses on such details, scholarlyinterest has been attracted to yet another set of detJiils in the story. These arema tters associated with the textual history of the story and app are nt inconsisten-cies that m ay trouble the readers of 1 Samuel. For example, there is the dra m a-tic difference in length between the Septuag int version (LXX*) of this story an dthe Hebrew account. Th e latter is 80 percent longer th an the former giving riseto a conversation ab out the compositional history of the narrative.' Th en thereis the matter of Saul's acquain tance w ith David. Th e introduction of David in1 Sam 16:21-22 as the armor bearer of Saul, whom Saul knew personally,stands in some tension with 1 Sam 17:55-58 which implies Saul did not knowDavid so well at all.^ And th en there is the question of how to h arm onize thestory in 1 Sam 17 which celebrates David's victory over Goliath and 2 Sam21:19 which apparently attributes this victory to Elhanan.^ M ost of the scholar-ly attention directed to this narrative is consumed by matters such as these.But all the scholarly energy expended on such topics has left ano ther dime n-sion of this story virtually unaddressed. T ha t is the tendency of the a utho r toreport on the geography of the event in great de tail. In th e fifty-four verses ofJohn A. Beck is a consultant wiih Bible World Seminars an d ajreelance writer in Germantown, Wis.

' In particular, see the essays in The Story of D avid and GoUatk Textual and literary Criticism (ed.Dominique Barthyemy et al.; OBO 73 ; Fribourg/GOttingen: EditionsUniversitaires A'anden hoeck&Ruprecht, 1986). See also Ralph W. Klein, 1 SamueltyfBC 10; Waco: Word, 1983), 173-74; StanleyIsser, TTu Sword of Goliath: David in H eroic Literature {ShlStBL6;Adan tii: Society of Biblical Literature,2003), 29-3 4; Simon J. de Vries, "David's Victory over the Philistine as Saga and as Legend ," J f i i92 (1973): 23-36; Emanuel Tov, "The David and Goliath Saga: How a Biblical Editor Combined


2/11

322 WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL JOURNALthis story,* the reader meets twenty specific geographical references (not in-cluding the geographical allusions found in the reference to "Philistine" and"Philistines" tha t occur thirty-five times in the story). Given th e frequency withwhich specific geographica l detail is deployed, the story of D avid a nd Go liath isclearly a story of place. While literary scholars such as Alter, Bar-Efrat, andMiscall have noted the "well-delineated setting" of the story, none has ven turedbeyond this observation to explain the literary function and interpretive impo r-tance of this geography.^Th is investigation will employ the narrative-geographical m ethod in a bid tofill that scholarly gap. Narrative-geographical inquiry is an interdisciplinaryapp roach tha t seeks to blend the insights offered by bo th na rrative criticism andthe study of geography It is related to the studies of physical, historical, andhu m an geography but distinct from them . Physical geography investigates theland through the lens of topography, geology, hydrology, climate, forestation,land use, urbanization, and transportation.^ Historical and human geographyexamine the role such physical geography plays in the shaping of history andculture.' By contrast to these more traditional forms of geography, narrativegeography analyzes the literary function of geographical references within astory It acknowledges that the au thor may strategically use, reuse, and nua ncegeography in order to impact the reading experience. Of course, the biblicalau tho r's choice of setting was powerfully influenced by the traditio nal setting ofthe reported event. Nevertheless, "these authors controlled the selectivity ofdetail in the description of settings, requ iring the rea der to pay close attention tothese textual signals. "^ T ha t is why Bar-Efrat concludes, "Places in the narrativeare not m erely geographical facts, but are to be reg arded as literary elements inwhich fundamental significance is embodied.' ' M y previous investigations havedem onstrated that biblical autho rs may employ geography as a tool to shape theplo t,'" develop the ch arac teriza tion ," offer ironic energy to a story, ' and pro -vide emphasis that enco uraged travel to an ancient w orship site.'^

T A. Boogaart rightly sees a natural break in the story unit occurring at v. 54 ("History andDrama in the Story of David and Goliath," RefR 38 [1985]: 204).^ Alter, Art of Biblical Mrrative, 151; Shimon Bar-Efrat, Narrative Art in Ihe Bible (JSOTSup 70;Sheffield: Alm ond, 1989), 35; Peter D. Miscall, 1 Samuel: A Literary Reading (Indiana Studies in Bib-lical Literature; Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1986), 115.

" Ba rry J. Beitzel, The Moody Bible Atlas of Bible Lands {Chicago: Moody, 1985), 25-69.' Ibid., XV." Trem per Longm an III, "Biblical Na rrative," in A Complete Literary Guide to the Bible (ed. Lelan

Ryken and Tremper L ongman EI; G rand Rapids: Zondeivan , 1993), 75.^ Bar-Efrat, Narrative Art in the Bible, 194. See also Joh n A. Beck, "The Storyteller and Narrative

Geography , " i n Translators as Storytellers: A Study in T ranslation Technique (Studies in Biblical Literature25; New York: Peter Lang, 2000), 165-96.' " J o h n A. Beck, "Geography and theNa rrative Shape of Num bers 13,"fi&i; 157 (2000): 271-80 .


3/11

DAVro AND GOLIATH, A STORY OF PLACE 3 23Following a brief overview of the literary context of the story, this investiga-

tion will survey th e three port ions of the narrat ive w here geog raphical data col-lects into units: in the exposition, in the b o d y of the story, and in the conclusion.In each case, w e will identify th e geographical place names used in the story,discuss their geographical significance, a n d explore their literary role a n d h o wit inform s the meaningfulness of the narrative. We will conclude that th e au t horis using geo graphy as a p rimary e leme n t in shaping the conflict of the plot that,in turn, shapes th e reader 's perception of Saul a n d Dav id .

I . The Literary Context of 1 Samuel 17

1. National SecurityAs the read er enters the first verses of ch. 17, he or she does so with a grow inguneasiness. Th e nascent Kingdom of Israel has two problem s that loom like fore-bod ing shadows over the verses of ch. 17. There is the problem with the Philis-tines, and there is the uncertainty about just who is running the country Theclose of the period of the Judges an d the rise of the m onarchy in Israel was closelyattended by the Philistine presence . T his is eviden t in the fact that 1 Samuel m en-tions the Philistines mo re tha n any other b ook in the Bible,'* casting the Philistinepresence over nearly every narrative as the Israelites wrestle with their identityand security. ' T he Ark N arratives in chs. 46 detail the Philistine victory thatbrou ght the Ark of the C oven ant into the hands of the Philistine Pentapolis fora time. And although the Ark was subsequently returned to Israel, the destruc-tion of the worship center at Shiloh, un m ention ed in 1 Sam 4, endures as a pain-ful m em ory to the time of Jere m iah (Jer 7:12). '^ An d despite sub sequent victoriesby Samuel and Saul (1 Sam 7 an d 14), the pow er of this rival on the c oastal plainrem ained the chief n ational security issue for the Israelites residing in the cen tralm o u n t a i n s . "2. Leadership

The Philistine threat to national security was compounded by questions sur-roun din g leadership in Israel. As sitting king, Saul was responsible for nationalsecurity W hen the people requ ested a king to lead the m , they were very specificabout w anting a king w ho would go out before th em an d fight their battles (1 Sam8:20). The threat of the Philistines was surely on their minds . But by the close ofch. 15 , the reader receives wo rd that Saul has been rejected by Go d. Th is noticeof rejection is followed by David's anointing in ch. 16, creating a tension thatcarries the reader into the very first verses of ch. 17 seeking an answer to one


4/11

324 WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL JOURNALThe Jinswer to that question is delivered throughout the rest of the book,'^ hutin partic ular is addressed for the rea de r in ch. 17. T hu s the Philistine threat joinswith the question surrounding the leadership of Israel to push the reader into1 Sam 17 looking for reso lution.3 . Geography

T h e exposition of the story begins with a barrage of place n am es:Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah.They pitched their camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. Saul andthe Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battleline to meet the Philistines. The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites theother, with the valley between them. A champion named Goliath, who was fix)mGath, came out of the Philistine camp. (1 Sam 17:1-4 NIV)

W ithin thefirstfour verses of this story, we m ee t seven specific geogra ph ical refer-ences and another six geographical allusions. We will begin by examining thephysical location a nd realities associated with this geog raph y juid the n discuss theliterary value of the ir use.

Cities. T hr ee cities are na m ed in the exposition of this story, an d we are confi-den t of the location of all three. Socoh has been identified with Kh irbet Ab adwithin th e E lah V alley'^ Just three miles horn this site lying 384 feet above theElah V alley is Aze kah, Tell Zakariya.^" A nd w hile the identification of G ath hasbee n linked to a variety of sites, today th ere is a firm con sensus tha t this Philistinecity is the current Tell es-Safi (Tel Zafit). T his site rises 328 feet above the w esternen d of the E lah Valley, jus t beyon d a Hdge tha t blocks direct access to the valley 2'By carefully d raw ing a m ap w itb words, tbe au tho r of tbe story places tbe Philis-tine army in Epbes Dammim, an S-sbaped valley tbat lies between Socob andAzekab.

The Elah Valley. All of the cities mentioned so far bave a direct link to tbeElab Valley (also called tbe Valley of tbe T erebintb).22 G at b is tbe Pb ilisdne citytbat g uards tb e western entra nce . Azekab lies in tbe interior of tbe valley, witbSoco b east of botb.*^ Given tbe precise location of tbe Pbilisdne cam p in E pbes

' W alter Brueggemaim,iMra/anrf5iK:(ui5ijmi/(IBC; Louisvi l le: W estminster Joh n Kn ox , 1990),119; Anto ny F. Cam pbel l , 1 Samuel (FOTU Gra nd Rapids: Eerdman s , 2003) , 167; V PhiUps Long,TTu Art of BibUcalHistory (Foundations of Con tem porar y Interpretat ion 5; Gra nd Rapids: Zond er-van, 1994), 169; Alter, Art of BiblitatJ^arraAe, 152-53; P. Kyle McCarter, Jr. , / Samuet{AB; G a r d e nCity , N.Y : Doubleday, 1980) , 296 .

" Joe D. Seger, "Azekah," OEANE 1:243.' Ibid. See also J. Sim ons, The Geograplucal and Topo pt^hical Texts of the Otd Testament (Studia


5/11

DAVIDAND GOLIATH, A STORYO F PLACE 3 2 5

Dam m im, this mea ns that Saul and his forces are packed into the eastern por-tion of the Elah Valley near Socoh. These details allow the reader to form avery precise picture, one that would send shivers down the spine of every Isra-elite living in the hill country, th at is, if the reade r fully co mprehends the criticalimportance of this terrain.

T he imp ortance of the Elah Valley is difficult to overestimate bo th in te rm s ofits natural resources an d m ilitary value. T he Elah Valley is pa rt of the Jud eanShephe lah tha t extends from th e Aijalon Valley south for thirty miles. Th e Sheph-elah is a transition zone (from six to ten m iles in width) between the relatively flatM edite rrane an coast and the central m ountains of Ju da h. It consists of foothillsrising from three hundred to twelve hund red feet (humble hills, as the H ebrewnam e Shephelah implies). These hills are arran ged in east-west ridges with wide,U-shaped valleys extending westward from the central m oun tains towards theMediterranean Sea. 2* Control of these ridges and valleys has both economic andsecurity implications that the reader of 1 Sam 17 cannot miss.

T he E lah Valley, like the o ther valleys of th e Shephelah, p rodu ced very valu-able forest a nd agricultural produ ct s." T he low ridges of the E lah Valley werecovered with trees in this period, particularly the sycamore and th e terebinth.Sycamores were so abu ndant that th e biblical writers mad e special me ntion ofthem (1 Kgs 10:27; 2 Chro n 1:15; 9:27), and K ing David actually appo inted anoverseer to m ake sure tha t this natural resource was protected (1 Chron 27:28).T he sycamore produ ced a fig, but because its quality an d taste were inferior tothe truefig, he fruit of the sycamore was not its claim to fame. ^ Th e grea t eco-nom ic value of this tree was its wood. Since the porous structure of the w oodkept the weight of the limb to a m inimxmi while at the same time providing thelimb with considerable strength, it was harvested for use as roof beams in theconstruction of homes and public buildings.^' In a land where construction-grade lumb er was rare , the sycamore was a prized possession.

The name of the valley, "Elah," recalls another tree that covered the lowridges of this region. That was the terebinth. While the sycamore had primevalue as a source of timber, the terebinth p roduced turpen tine. This brownish-yellow resin was collected and used for caxilking, shellacking wall pa intings, a ndin the mummification process.^^

" Ca rl G. Rasmussen, MV Atlas of the Bible (Grand R apids: Zond ervan, 1989), 47." Aharoni, Laid of the BibU, 25.^ Michael Zohary, Plants of the Bible {Cambridge: Cam bridge University Press, 1982), 68.^' Aharon Kempinski and Ronny Reich, The Architecture of Ancient Israel (Jerusalem: The IsraelExp loration Society, 1992), 7. T he persistence a nd reg enerative pow ers of this tree ma de it possible


6/11

326 WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL JOURNALTurning from the ridges to the wide floor of the Elah Valley, we give ouratten tion to field crops and livestock. Blessed with sufficient rainfall a nd soil richin nutrients, the Elah Valley yielded strong grain fields and well-fed livestock.29

The se large open valleys were particularly im portant to the Israelites who wereliving in the mountains of Judah where large tracts of land suitable for fieldcrops and for grazing were virtually non-existent.W hile the econom ic value of the Elah m ade its control highly desirable, itsvalue for the national security of those living in the mo unta ins m ade its controlan absolute necessity ^o Th e m ountains of Jud ah rising to over thirty-three hun -dred feet offered their residents security from the better-equipped and better-organ ized Philistines living on the coastal plain.^i But t h e east-west valleys of theJud ean Shephelah w ere the weak link in t h e Judeans' chain of defense, offering

invaders attack routes leading to the interior of the hill country. To feel fullysecure, the residents of the m oun tains need ed to control the Sh ephelah valleys.W hile the portion of the S hephelah called the Aijalon Valley w a s considered tobe th e m ost critical valley in this reg ard, the Elah Valley was a close second. zTh us the Elah b ecam e an essential buffer zone lying between the heeu tland ofJu da h an d the heartland of Philistia, gua rded in subsequent generations b y fortssuch as Ga th, S ocoh, and Azekah (2 Ch ron 11:5-10; Je r 34:7) which sough t topreserve natio nal interests, either of those living on th e coastal plain o r of thoseliving in the Jud ea n Highlands.^^ It is no wond er that the Elah frequently becam ea battleground not only during O T times but also during the Maccab ean warswith the Syrians as well as during the conflicts between Saladin and the Cru-saders.^*4 . Literary Implications of t h e Geography

Now that we have a sense of the geog raphical setting, we turn to the literaryuse of these geographical references. Perhaps it strikes the reader that theamount of geographical detail we find in the first four verses of this story farexceeds what would be necessary to establish the setting of the story ^^ Certainly

^ A m i h a i M a z a r , A r c h a e o l o g y o f t h e L a n d o f t h e B i b l e , J 0 , 0 0 0 - 5 8 6 B . C . E . ( N e w Y o r k : D o u b l e d a y ,1992), 4.'" Efraim Orni and Elisha Efrat, Geography of Israel { 3 d ed.; Jerusale m: T he Jewish P ublicationSociety of America, 1973), 65.' ' Aharoni, Land of t h e Bible, 273.^^ William M. Schniedewind, "The Geopolitical History of Philistine Gath," BASOR 30 9

(1998): 74. Aharoni, Land of t h e Bible, 25, calls it "a mo st valued pa rt of the k ingdom ."^' George A . Smith, TTie Historical Geography of the Holy Land (New York: A. G. Armstrong & Son

1907), 2 0 9 ; Anson F . Rainey, "T he Biblical Shephe lah of Ju da h, " BASOR 2 5 1 (1983): 3 ; Den is Baly,The Geography of t h e Bible (London: Lutterworth Press, 1957), 144. While some have dated the


7/11

DAVID AND GOLIATH, A STORY OF PLACE 327we would con cur tha t th is geographica l de ta il comm unica tes a sense of livelyrealism.3^ But, as we have noted above, geography ca n also play a key role incontr ibut ing to the structure a n d m e a n i n g of the s to ry^ ' All the geographica ldetails in the exposition slow th e reading process a n d draw th e informed readerto th e conclusion th at this batt le is over a n absolutely critical piece of land withoverwhelming economic a n d security implications. T hu s, control of this valleyis a key goal of b o th th e Israelites a n d t h e Philistines.^^

Since th e victory of Samue l a t Mizpah (1 S a m 7:14), th e reader has assumedth a t th e Elah Valley lay in th e hcinds of the Israeli tes. W hile S aul was eng agedin a skirmish with th e Philistines north of the El ah Valley (1 S a m 14), Israe litecontro l of the Shephe lah seemed to be intact (1 S a m 14:47). How ever, t he geo -graph ical details provided in the very first verses of this story ma ke it clear thatthings have changed . T h e Philist ine mili tary has pen etrat ed the E lah Valley a n dis encam ped in E p h e s Da m m im b e tw e e n S o co h a n d Azekah. This geographi-cal detail strategically informs th e reader tha t th e El ah V alley is n o t only threa t-ened b u t occupied by the e n e m y T h u s , th e econ om ic benefits of this valley a relost and the security of those in the hill cou ntry is in jeopardy . Th is beco m es th ekey crisis requ irin g resolution in the plo t of this narrative.

Bu t the crisis also casts its shadow over the charac terization in this story. If everthere w as a t ime to act , a dm e for valor an d faith to co m e forward, this is it. Surelythe king wh o cam e to pow er unde r the m and ate th a t he go before the people a n dfight their battles (1 S am 8:20), th e king w ho h a d a n obligation to m a n a g e th ePhilist ine problem, would make h is presence felt.^^ But conspicuous by the irabsence are the voice, th e valor, a n d t h e inspiration of the king. T h e battle lineshave been d raw n u p for forty day s (17:16). T h e insults of Golia th have s tung th eears of the Israelites for over a m o n t h . B ut Sau l's soldiers are zirrayed for a battlethey a re unw illing to join.*" A s Goliath blusters a n d impugns th e n a m e of thel iving G od , th e soldiers of Israel tremble w ith fear (1 S a m 17:11,24). " T h e spiritof G o d h a d dep ar ted f rom the ir leader a n d his followers s eem ed to share in thedepression which this consciousness brought."** T hu s the geo graph ical detail inthe exposition plays a critical role in developing th e conflict w ithin th e plot. A sjust outside Bethlehem. In the nineteenth century, Condor portrayed David selecting stones fix)mthe Kidron Valley in Jerusalem. John Wilkinson, Jerusalem Pilgrims Before the Crusades (Jerusalem:Ar ie l , 19 7 7 ) , 10 5 ; B . B a sgga t i , e d . , Visit to the Holy Places of Egypt, Sinai, Palestine, and Syria in 1384 bjiFrescobaldi, Gucci, and Sigoli (Studium Biblicum Franciscanum 6; Jerusalem : Franciscan Press, 1948),200; C. R. Condor , "T he City of Jerusalem ," in Palestme PUgrims' Text Society (London , 1897; repr. .N ew York: A M S Press, 1971), 2:39.' ^ Y a i r a h A m i t , Reading Biblical Narratives: Literary Criticism and the Hebrew BibU ( M i n n e a p o l i s :


8/11

328 WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL JOURNALreaders are led to appreciate th e grave natu re of this nationa l security crisis, theyare also persuaded to reflect negatively upon the chziracter of Saul as a leaderwho fails to address this crisis in a m eaningful way.

I I . T h e B o d y o f the Narrat iveThe rush of geographical da ta fed to the reader within the first verses of thestory looms as large as Goliath over all the words an d actions th at follow, allow-ing the formal use of geography to subside through the body of the narrative

itself. We will briefly visit three places where geog raphy app ears in the hea rt ofthis story and discuss their literary role.As David is introduced to the reader in w . 12-15, we learn that David is from

Bethlehem (v. 12) and that he was in the hab it of go ing and retu rning betweenthe Israelite camp and Bethlehem (v. 15). This small village where David wasbo rn lies in the Jud ea n hills tha t rise imm ediately above the E lah Valley. Twicein Dav id's brief introduction the eyes of the reade r are lifted from th e Ela h Valleyto Bethlehem in the hills, an d the rea der gasps. An enemy m oving up the ElahValley would be able to climb the H usa n ridge and arrive in B ethlehem in lessthan one day This double mention of Bethlehem b rackets David's introductionand places him personally within the geograph ical context of the crisis.

A second and th ird formal use of geography in the body of the story follow inw . 19 and 23. First, as Jesse gives David d irections for visiting his bro the rs, theauthor has Jesse remind the reader that Saul and all the men of Israel are "intiie Elah Valley fighting witii tiie Philistines" (v. 19). T hen , as D avid arrives atthe front an d gets hisfirstglimpse of Gtoliath, the narrator reintroduces Goliathas the Ph ilistine from Gath , recalling his earlier introdu ction in v. 4.

After th efirstfour verses of this story, the detailed use of geog raphy is set aside,presumab ly having don e its jo b of establishing the critical natu re of the conflict.Th e reader now is perm itted to focus more on the words and actions of Saul an dDavid against that bac kdrop . But while the auth or pulls back from the extensiveuse of geography in these verses, small remind ers are pla nted here a nd there inthe narrative. We further note that the direction of the geographical details in thebody of the narrative moves from east to west, from Bethlehem to the Elah Valleyto Gath. From the Israelite perspective, this sweep of the landscape says it all.T he Israelites in the hill coun try are looking down from the m oun tains on theElah Valley at an enemy in tha t valley who com es from the coastal plain.

I I I . T h e Conclusion o f t h e N a r r a t iv eT he next place that we find geographiccJ da ta clustering is in v. 52 . Afler the


9/11

DAVID AND GOLIA TH, A STORY O F PLACE 329

A g a in t h e r e is no d o u b t as to the l o cat i o n of the tv^^o cities mentioned withint h i s v erse. Ga t h is l o cat ed at the site of Tell es-Safi (Tel Zafit). Ekr on is loc ate d atTel Miqne.*2 The detaOs offered in the st o ry su g g est t h at man y of the Philistineso l d i ers were u n ab l e to flee effectively down the Elah Valley, resorting instead toa less dire ct ro ute u sing a valley east of A z e k a h c a ll e d t h e S h a a r a i m R o a d .* ^ B u tw h a t is absolutely crit ical to n o t e for what follows is t h a t b o t h G a t h and E k r o nli e outside the Elah Valley.

T h e l i t e r a r y i m p o r t a n c e of the g e o g r a p h y in t h i s v erse s t an d s in c o n c e r t w i t ht h e w a y the g e o g r a p h y w a s u s e d in the first four verses of t h i s n arrat i v e. Si n cet h e v ery fi rst v erses wh en the scen e of b a t t l e was i n t r o d u c e d , the r e a d e r hasb e e n a c u t e l y a w a r e t h a t the Ph i l i st i n es h av e i n v ad ed and eire holding a criticalvalley. So as to p r e v e n t the r e a d e r f r o m f o r g e t t i n g a b o u t t h i s e n e m y p r e s e n c e ,t h e w r i t e r has m e n t i o n e d , r e - m e n t i o n e d , and m e n t i o n e d a g a i n the Philistinep r e s e n c e . The w o r d " P h i l i s t i n e " or " P h i l i s t i n e s " has o c c u r r e d t h i r t y - t h r e etimes since the first verse of t h e st o ry . A n d w i t h i n t h e t wel v e v erses l ead i n g u p toV. 5 2 , the Ph i l i st i n e p resen ce is a l l u d e d to e i g h t e e n t i m e s in t w e lv e v er s e s . A g a i na n d a g a i n we h e a r a b o u t the Ph i l i st i n es, k n o wi n g all the wh i l e t h at fro m theIsrael i t e p ersp ect i v e t h ey are in the v w o n g p l a c e . The si t u at i o n ch an g es, how-e ve r, w h e n w e r e a c h v. 5 2 b e c a u s e n o w t h e r e p e t i t i o n of G a t h a n d E k r o n s i g n a l st o t h e read er t h at t h e Ph i l i s t i n es h av e b een remo v ed fro m the El a h Vall ey . Wh i l et h e r e may be d e a d b o d i e s l y i n g a l o n g the S h a a r a i m r o a d , t h e r e i r e no l ivingPhilistines in the t e r r i t o r y so h i g h l y p r i z e d by the Israelites.

Wh at n at u ral l y fo l l o ws i s p rai se for the o n e w h o has b r o u g h t a b o u t t h i s t u r nof events. The r e a d e r e n t e r e d the story feeling the t e n s i o n of k n o w i n g t h a twi t h i n Israel t wo l ead ers were fu n ct i o n i n g , a sitt ing king and an a n o i n t e d k i n g .T h e use of g e o g r a p h y in the st o ry h as est ab l i sh ed the conflict and d e t a i l e d thereso l u t i o n . But en r o u t e , the g e o g r a p h y has a l s o c o n t r i b u t e d to the positivec h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n of D a vi d. At t h e e n d of t h i s d ay it is d e a r t h a t " w h i l e S a u l w a sn o m i n al l y k i n g , D av i d w as al read y Israel 's lead er."* *

I V ConclusionWhile the geographical data has received meager attention from interpreters

of this famous story, it clearly has something to offer the geographicallyinformed reader who engages the text. The story of David and Goliath isclearly a story of place. By using an interdisciplinary approach called narrative-geographical analysis, we have been able to vmcover the deeper connotations ofthe geographical references used by the author and see how they function bothto raise the level of conflict foxmd in the plot and lead to resolution. And more


10/11

33 0 WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL JOURNAL

Saul. The economic and national security issues associated with an invasion ofthe Elah Valley by the Philistines opened the door to greatness, and it wasDavidrather than Saul who walked through that door.


11/11

david and goliath, a story of place. the narrative-geographical shaping of 1 samuel 17

Documents