The Bible is a STEM Study Book BSTEM101

The STEM Flower of Faith

The Felling of Goliath Art Depictions

Video Version of Felling of Goliath

Biblical Weapons Among personal weapons of Bible days, the sling was, perhaps, the most effective for one-to-one combat when but two warriors battled one another in isolation. Others were: the sword, spear, bow and arrow, club, battle axe, dagger and the mace. Each had unique advantages just as modern hand guns of various designs differ in offensive and defensive qualities. The following screen video shows the dreadful carnage inflicted by such primitive weapons.

David’s firearm was a sling which is defined as “a projectile weapon typically used to throw a blunt projectile such as a stone.”   At once, one thinks of a child slinging a small stone at a target.  Accuracy and “blunt force trauma” are discounted by such a harmless device.  But watch the “blunt force trauma” in the following video of a slinged stone.

Now, watch how accurately and devastating the sling is as a “killing” weapon of Goliath would have been. Of course, severing Goliath’s head would have assured death of the giant.

NASA Goliath (Valkyrie)

Biblical Catapults Having examined David’s sling, a related topic would be an upgrade to weapons used on the biblical field of combat. A catapult would be an example. The same STEM principles apply to both weapons. It is the simple machine lever arm principle of potential energy being released kinetic energy for destructive purposes.

The Catapult, Uzziah's Victories (2 Chronicles 26: 14-15) …14 Moreover, Uzziah prepared for all the army shields, spears, helmets, body armor, bows and sling stones. 15In Jerusalem he made engines of war invented by skillful men to be on the towers and on the corners for the purpose of shooting arrows and great stones. Hence his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong.

How a Catapult Works Another means of catapulting stones, fire, or, God forbid diseased corpses on the enemy was employing the rope tension in Hooke’s law fashion to release the potential torsion energy as kinetic energy for hurling t he payload. The catapult is a basic “super-sized” sling employing the mechanic advantage of a lever arm as shown at the right.

Aerospace Catapults Slingshot Lauch Systems