In the Holy Bible, there is mentioned an expert groups of slingers from the Isrealite tribe of benjamin.

Judges 20:16- "And among all of these men were 700 select men who were left-handed, each one could sling a stone at a hair's breadth and not miss"

As I have said in another thread, my father is a seminary student and can read ancient greek and hebrew. In the original languages, the "hair" mentioned is really referring to a human hair, not the rabbit "hare".

This is some extreme accuracy, and again the left-handed accuracy thing comes up again. What do you guys think? :-?

The hair deal is pretty common knowledge. Just reading it, its spelled with an I not an E. That's how I knew. :)

I interpret the Bible pretty literally. However, even with the best possible slingers, there is still going to be some variation in accuracy because of ammunition variation.

While weapons are used often in the scripture, the word 'accurate' like we would use it today isn't actually used in relation to weapons, only with scales and information.
http://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=accurate&qs_version=NIV

I'm not an expert in Hebrew, but my interpretation is that this is the old way of saying 'really accurate'. Similar to how we would say 'he can shoot the wings of a fly'. Kind of like an idiom. Be really careful interpreting scripture that way with other things, and consult your Dad on it before you take it as absolute.



I'm sure they were still really great slingers though, just like David's Mighty Men were great warriors.

I know it's spelled with an I, but everytime that I've told this to people that's what they always assume (Rabbit). They find it very hard to believe. What if this was literal though :o :o :o

Amazing skill. I wouldn't deny that it's literal though, considering those west african slingers in sierra leonne can hit a brid at 50+m, imagine at closer 20m or less ranges. I'm sure that while it may not be a shot they would hit everytime, that the benjamites could have done it. But still, the fact that all of Israel went against the one tribe of benjamin, and the benjamites held their own is pretty impressive (even though God was letting the Benjamites win as a test of faith for Israel)

Literally "sling at a hair"

Seems to be a lot of Benjaminites, left-handed (Judges 20:16; 1 Chronicles 12:2).

I can see the advantage of a swordsman but is there an advantage in having a left handed person as a slinger in an army?

Would ancient slinger be ambidexterity?

Having seen a guy throwing rugby balls with 4 inch grouping at 50 yards, i can believe the ancient passage that balearic slingers could hit different part of the enemies face at such distance.
It's not a hair, but it's not a very big exaggeration either.
Of course,not all of them were THAT good, but i truely believe they were a lot of slingers,growing up with a sling in their hand,as a child,and being crack shot slingers when they got in their 20 ies,and went into battle.

(It's not the Baleares, but the Achaian slingers, from the northern Peloponnese who are said to be able to hit different parts of face. the source is Livy, who is using Polybios, who was an Achaian. SO either he's very well informed or reflects local patriotic exaggeration).

Oops :) But they all belong to the human race,and capable of similar feats :P

(just a simple correction, because it's just as well to keep the details right0

I agree.