“All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” (Numbers 13:32-33)
Step into Biblical history, where we discover stories about an extraordinary race of giants known as the Nephilim. But who exactly were they? The Nephilim were described as massive beings. Ancient records and skeletons found around the world suggest they reached heights of up to 20 feet. In 1692, a tomb was uncovered in France containing a giant who measured an incredible 17 feet tall. Then in 1833, soldiers in California unearthed a 12-foot giant with a double row of teeth.
But the Nephilim were more than just big; they were also known for their violence and wickedness. Some even had unusual physical traits, such as double rows of teeth and six fingers or toes on each hand or foot, as described in 2 Samuel 21:20.
On Mount Shoria in southern Siberia, researchers found a massive wall of granite stones stacked 40 meters high. Some of these stones are estimated to weigh more than 3,000 tons, and many of them had flat surfaces, right angles, and sharp corners. Jump ahead to around 1950, when archaeologists in southeast Turkey discovered tombs large enough to hold giants measuring between 14 and 16 feet tall.
Who was Goliath of Gath?
One of the most well-known giants in the Bible was Goliath, a towering Philistine warrior who stood over nine feet tall. His armor alone weighed about 150 pounds - quite a heavy load to carry into battle! Long before Goliath, the 12 Israelite spies sent by Moses into the land of Canaan reported seeing Nephilim there - giants that made them feel like grasshoppers in comparison. What do you think? Could the giants the spies saw be connected to Goliath?
Did you Know?
Og, the king of Bashan was a giant. His bed was over 13 feet long and six feet wide. (Deuteronomy 3:8-13)
Read Genesis 6, Numbers 13, and Deuteronomy 2. Can you answer the questions?
- Who were the Nephilim and where did they come from?
- How did the spies feel about their size compared to the Nephilim when they spied out the land of Canaan?
- What happened to the giant people called Zamzummim when the Ammonites met them?
