Psalm 70 ~ Let God be exalted

Jewish Library, Citadel of David, Israel - Archaeologists digging at the biblical home of Goliath have unearthed a shard of pottery bearing the Philistine's name, lending credence to the Biblical tale of David's battle.

Two non-Semitic names appear on the shard (Alwt and Wlt), and after a careful examination, some archaeology experts “concluded that the two names which appear in the inscription are remarkably similar to the etymological parallels of Goliath,” which itself is a non-Semitic name. The letters are Semitic, but the names come from a language of Indo-European origin, the language family that encompasses ancient Greek and other related languages. Most scholars believe that the Philistines migrated from somewhere in the Aegean region near Greece to ancient Israel, bringing some of the Aegean culture with them. Over time, the Philistine culture became infused with the cultures of their neighbors, while still keep some aspects of their Aegean culture. This discovery, with Semitic letters and Indo-European names, may prove this theory to be true.

According to Professor Aren Maeir, Chairman of Bar-Ilan University's Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, “...this (inscription) appears to provide evidence that the biblical story of Goliath is, in fact, based on a clear cultural reality from, more or less, the time which is depicted in the biblical text, and recent attempts to claim that Goliath can only be understood in the context of later phases of the Iron Age are unwarranted.”

The shard dates to about 950BC, within 70 years of when biblical chronology says David squared off against Goliath, making it the oldest Philistine inscription found.

Psalm 70 ( Psalm of David)

1 Hasten, O God, to save me;
O LORD, come quickly to help me.

2 May those who seek my life
be put to shame and confusion;
may all who desire my ruin
be turned back in disgrace.

3 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!"
turn back because of their shame.

4 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say,
"Let God be exalted!"

5 Yet I am poor and needy;
come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not delay.

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