Did Goliath of the Bible Suffer from Gigantism?

The story of David and Goliath found in the Bible is probably one of the most well-known and often-told stories from the Old Testament. It carries with it a wonderful lesson - that no problem is too big in the eyes of God. If we see everything in the same perspective as God, huge problems and situations that seem impossible can be seen more clearly. We can deal with them more effectively, especially with God on our side.

According to the Bible, Goliath was a member of the Philistine army that was waging war against the Israelites. He was over 9 feet tall and was clad in armor from head to foot. The Israelites were terrified of Goliath and none would fight him. Meanwhile he continued to mock Saul, the King of Israel, and his men, daring them to fight him.

A teenage boy name David put his fear aside and, armed only with a bag of stones and a sling, challenged Goliath by saying "I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty." As Goliath began to attack, David used his sling and a well-aimed stone to puncture a small opening in the forehead of Goliath's armor and immediately kill him.

Certain scientists have taken a keen interest in the events leading up to Goliath's death. Neurologists theorize that Goliath may have suffered from a disease that causes the pituitary gland to produce excessive amounts of growth hormones. The disorder is called acromegaly and is more commonly known as gigantism. This condition can cause people to grow to abnormal heights. So, according to this theory, Goliath was suffering a disease that would have, at some point, caused his premature death either way.

But why was David so easily able to sneak up on the giant in order to kill him? Scientists explain this by saying that a side effect of gigantism is partial blindness or tunnel vision. The secretion of excess growth hormones by the pituitary gland is normally caused by the formation of a tumor. This tumor could have compressed the giant's optic chiasm, the part of the brain where the optic nerves cross. With impaired sight and no peripheral vision, David could easily have gotten close enough to Goliath to get off the fatal shot.

Finally, many ask how did one small stone in the head drop such a fierce giant? This is also explained by the existence of the tumor. If the rock hit directly on that tumor, this may have caused the tumor to burst and bleed and in turn caused the death of the giant, Goliath.

If Goliath did indeed suffer from gigantism, this by no means detracts from the faith of the young David. No soldier at the time could have known the cause behind Goliath's size, let alone a teenage shepherd. The lesson speaks down through the ages that what appears to be impossible can be made possible with God at our side.