Topics evolve, that's a fact of life. All of us exhibit varying degrees of lattitude for what a topic should or shouldn't include.
Besides, It hardly seems adequate to discuss this singular biblical event without benefit of context, seeking to determine both more about the beliefs of those who recorded it, and the book in which it is contained.
Quote:It's not the actual possibility of the event I disbelieve - it's the sheer detail that makes it unbelievable.
Sheer detail, of itself, in no way implies deceit or embellishment.
On the contrary, various detailed records have served throughout history to corroborate unbiased and independent discovery. Since the dawn of man, groups, tribes and nations have kept records in a multitude of ways, with varying degrees of accuracy.
It's not hard to spot those individual record keepers whose talent shows either a well polished skill at intentional misrepresentation, (diametrically opposed to the tenets of the book to which their particular work is added) or their devotion to maintaining accuracy. The bible is unique in it's openness....the individual writers revealing many an embarrassing or downright horrible action on the part of one or more of their own. Bible writers, for whom adding or taking away from true events has long been considered a most actionable offense, were laying it all out there during a time (then as always) when it was customary for lesser men to practice 'revisionist history', recording losses as victories, Changing names, dates, etc.
No, I think that if the David & Goliath account were truly embellished, Goliath would by now be recorded as 50 ft high and having one large eye in the middle of his forehead....like the undeniable myths of other cultures, who more highly valued such obvious fantasies. Lesser scribes would have David recorded as picking only one smooth stone.....His faith having been so perfect, knowing he needed only one stone, he would have felt guilty for picking up the other four and would have dramatically pulled them out of his shepherd's bag upon facing the giant and shouted, "See that I have 5 stones by which to feed the birds today!" "Well.....I only need ONE!" He then would have thrown the other 4 at once to the side and promptly put the Cyclops' eye out with the magic stone!
The Israelites would then have mounted to the skies on their trusty 'Vimana' powered by 'Bagdad batteries' and rained down nuclear death darts on the Philistines causing Atlas to sneeze and drop the world from off his shoulders, initiating the separation of Pangea.
Rumor has it that after the battle, David, deeming that single magic stone to be very dangerous, should it fall into the wrong hands, slung it far, far out into the ocean....and it landed somewhere near the center of what today is known as the Bermuda Triangle!
All in all, I would say to any assertions to the contrary, that there is much, much more to both past history and future prophecy as recorded in the Bible, than meets the eye....from quizzical glance to prejudicial skimming!
Perhaps one of the paramount reasons the Good Book does not enjoy wider appreciation, is the fact that the ending's been given away quite thoroughly.....and it's not the preferred ending in many an ancient and modern fairytale alike.
It's characters don't all live happily ever after.
TS