Is there any evidence for the giants mentioned in the Bible?

Answer

Giants are mentioned in the Bible in several places (e.g., Genesis 6:4; Joshua 12:4). Og, the king of Bashan, is mentioned in Deuteronomy 3:11 as the only remaining giant, with a bedstead of iron in Rabbath of the children of Ammon, measuring nine cubits in length and four cubits in breadth. The intimidating people in Canaan, as reported by Moses’ spies, are mentioned in (Numbers 13:30-33). Goliath is referenced in 2 Samuel 21:19, where Elhanan slew Goliath’s brother, described with a spear staff like a weaver’s beam. The Anakites are mentioned in (Deuteronomy 9:1-2) as examples of giants in Scripture. The Bible’s accounts of giants have prompted some to search for additional evidence of giants, at times giving credibility to sensationalistic theories and baseless claims.

Various giant myths exist worldwide. Nearly every culture has ancient stories of giant (often human-like) beings that terrorize villages and necessitate heroic efforts to defeat. Could these tales be vague recollections of real events? If so, most are greatly exaggerated. The giants mentioned in the Bible were not the colossal figures of myth—forty-foot giants sitting on houses and using elm trees as toothpicks. The biblical giants were indeed tall—Goliath may have been around nine or ten feet tall—but they were not gigantic. The Bible

Giants were powerful and larger than average, but they were human.

Some view certain written accounts outside of the Bible, archaeology, eyewitness accounts of archaeological discoveries, graphic depictions of giants in ancient art, and recent historical records as evidence for giants.

First, let’s address the archaeological evidence for giants. Numerous accounts exist of archaeologists discovering very large bones, weaponry, or other artifacts believed to have been used only by giants. However, there is no concrete proof of skeletal remains or fossils of giants, nor solid evidence of giant-sized tools, weapons, or equipment. The vast majority of these alleged discoveries, particularly the most significant and remarkable ones, are only known through unverifiable eyewitness testimonies.

Another argument revolves around visual depictions of exceptionally large individuals, as seen on Egyptian jars and tombs, being interpreted as giants. Art historians commonly interpret these giant figures as representations of gods or kings, with their larger size symbolizing their importance or high status compared to other figures depicted nearby. Alternatively, it is suggested that the smaller figures represent children, not men of lower rank. Realistic anatomical art did not emerge in any culture until the Renaissance, and prior to that, children were often portrayed as proportionally identical to adults but smaller. These arguments are both valid and logical. Egyptian art was highly symbolic, and just as the depiction of the god Anubis as a man with a dog’s head does not imply the existence of a man with a dog’s head whom they worshipped. Consequently, the true intentions of ancient artists cannot be definitively proven. Historians develop theories based on what they consider the most plausible and rational explanation for the depictions found in ancient artifacts.

Additionally, there are accounts outside of the Bible, although these should be approached with caution.With skepticism. These consist of the Book of Enoch, the Book of Jasher, and the writings of the Jewish historian Josephus. Enoch and Jasher are pseudepigraphical, and Josephus sometimes referenced unreliable sources. Josephus, in a passage about the Israelites relocating their camp to Hebron, notes that the Jews encountered the inhabitants of that land, including “the race of giants, who had bodies so large, and countenances so entirely different from other men, that they were surprising to the sight, and terrible to the hearing. The bones of these men are still shown to this very day” (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 5, ch. 2, § 3).

Many individuals in recent history are documented to be very tall: Robert Wadlow measured in June 1940 at 8 ft, 11.1 in. tall; John Carroll in 1966 was 8 ft, 7.5 in.; and Sultan Kösen in 2011 measured 8 ft, 2.8 in. tall (www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/tallest-man-ever, accessed 1/3/22). Such individuals stand out today, just as they did in ancient times. The Bible mentions extraordinarily large people, especially those who interacted with Israel, but there is nothing in the text to suggest gigantic beings of fabulous size. Seeking to confirm the Bible’s record with hearsay, specious claims, and manufactured evidence is misguided and unnecessary.