Slinging.org Forum - daivid and goliath sling

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Re: David's sling
Reply #60 - Oct 2^nd, 2008 at 9:25pm

Dr. Q.

There are only a handful of slings which have survived 3000-4000 years, and none that I know of from the region known today as Israel. There are, however examples of Egyptian slings which would have been contemporary with the period of the Biblical tale of David. Technology changed very slow in that part of the world 3000 years ago, and still changes only when necessary. You should read the entire discussion here under Project Goliath called Egyptian Sling:

http://slinging.org/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1140984986

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winkleried

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Re: David's sling
Reply #61 - Oct 2^nd, 2008 at 9:43pm

Dr. Q
I will also add that right now we have approximately 5 Ethnic sling designs from the Eastern Mediterrian. Two are desribed above in my posts to this tread. We now have evidence of a possible "split cradle" ( or a leather pouch with a slit in the middle) and a solid leather pouch being used at least in this area. We have the two Lahun Slings which have the same pouch (?) but diffrent techniques of Making the cords. And we have the ethnic Palestinian Woven sling where the non split woven pouch with twisted cords.

I have attached a pic of the Ethnic Palestinian sling

Marc Adkins

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Bedouin_Shepards_Slings.jpg (166 KB | )

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winkleried Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Posts: 1535 Norman Oklahoma Gender:	Re: David's sling Reply #62 - Oct 2^nd, 2008 at 9:56pm Here is one of the Pouches
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Dr.Q

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Re: David's sling
Reply #63 - Nov 19^th, 2008 at 8:33am

all the materials mention here seem plausible.
the soft leather of the sheep makes it possible
to make one without the time it takes for brading
and still be usefull. The softness of the skin makes
it flexible to move as a braded one.
The ancient Israely way for
the slingers to carry 3 (one around the head one
around the ankle and the one used to start the
stoning, makes me believe this could be the material.
never the less Im not very certain. The woven wool
and the other material of some plant are also plausible.
The Bible mentions the weapon of the kill but does not
enters into its making.
Goliath received the stone wich killed him instantly.
1 samuel 17:50. The believe he used goliaths sword
to kill him because the stone just stunned him is wrong.
the head cutting was his promise to him before the
launch of the rock that entered his skull.

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winkleried

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Re: David's sling
Reply #64 - Nov 19^th, 2008 at 6:32pm

Actually you are quoting several Greek Authors who were discussing the Balearic Slingers. Now if you have a reference to a similar quote that is describing the Isrealites then by all means share it. Would love to know who the author was and what manuscript it was in.

Again the material and design of the slingis open to very broad interpatation.

Marc Adkins

[quote author=Dr.Q link=1188133751/45#59 date=1227101603]all the materials mention here seem plausible.
The ancient Israely way for
the slingers to carry 3 (one around the head one
around the ankle and the one used to start the
stoning, makes me believe this could be the material.
never the less Im not very certain.

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Jimb

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Re: David's sling
Reply #65 - Jan 15^th, 2009 at 12:33pm

Tint wrote on Aug 26^th, 2007 at 9:09am:

Was there any detail? How long, how thick, material?

coming in on this late, but wool would be my guess. As a successful shepherd they would have shown off their wealth by using the wool that they raised. Shepherds around the world use the hair of the animals they raise to make the slings they use. Witness Tibetan herdsman, Andean herders of Llamas and Alpaca. Greeks were known to have used well twisted wool for their slings.

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timann Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 2504 Norway Gender:	Re: David's sling Reply #66 - Jan 22^nd, 2009 at 1:03pm I think Jimb has a good argument, good slings would be a good way to show off the great quality of your wool timann
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winkleried

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Re: David's sling
Reply #67 - Jan 22^nd, 2009 at 9:47pm

The translation of this particular phrase has been questioned, and it still is being hashed out in academic circles. I'm not doubting that wool may have been used but the Greeks were not the Israelites. In short we don't know for sure and until one is excavated all we are doing is speculation.

Marc Adkins

Jimb wrote on Jan 15^th, 2009 at 12:33pm:

Tint wrote on Aug 26^th, 2007 at 9:09am:

Was there any detail? How long, how thick, material?

. Greeks were known to have used well twisted wool for their slings.

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Lycurgus

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Re: David's sling
Reply #68 - Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 4:15am

IMHO the Greek slings could just as easily of been made from linen strips like the ones found in old Tuts tomb but I do think that a shepherd would more probably use wool for the reasons already mentioned. I intend to use sheeps wool for my Greek re-enactment sling.
Of course Winkleried is correct when he says we will probably never know for certain.

Ancient writers have a habit of missing out simple details in descriptions of artifacts because at the time of writing everyone would have known what they meant anyway. For example if I wrote "John rides a horse in the field." You would all know what I meant, but if in 2000 years time most current records had been lost and horses were extinct someone reading this would be able to prove that horses existed but not what they looked like.

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« Last Edit: Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 6:23am by Lycurgus »

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winkleried

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Re: David's sling
Reply #69 - Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 8:26am

Sounds good to me,
I just wanna clarify that we are disccusing several things here right now, and a wool slings are only one of them in this thread. I was trying to steer the topic back to the original, what material would David's sling be made from.

Now with your greek reenactment activitites wool would probably be a wonderful choice but Last time I checked david wasn't Greek.

Marc Adkins

Lycurgus wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 4:15am:

IMHO the Greek slings could just as easily of been made from linen strips like the ones found in old Tuts tomb but I do think that a shepherd would more probably use wool for the reasons already mentioned. I intend to use sheeps wool for my Greek re-enactment sling.
Of course Winkleried is correct when he says we will probably never know for certain.

Ancient writers have a habit of missing out simple details in descriptions of artifacts because at the time of writing everyone would have known what they meant anyway. For example if I wrote "John rides a horse in the field." You would all know what I meant, but if in 2000 years time most current records had been lost and horses were extinct someone reading this would be able to prove that horses existed but not what they looked like.

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Lycurgus

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Re: David's sling
Reply #70 - Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 8:35am

winkleried wrote on Jan 23^rd, 2009 at 8:26am:

Now with your greek reenactment activitites wool would probably be a wonderful choice but Last time I checked david wasn't Greek.

True, but he was a shepherd. I believe he would have probably made his own sling using the cheapest, easiest and most plentiful fibre available to him.

My vote is that would be wool.

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You only need two tools in life - wd-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the wd-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.&&&&Remember - You are unique.............just like everybody else.

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David Morningstar

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Re: David's sling
Reply #71 - Jan 24^th, 2009 at 2:35pm

I was about to post "I cant think of a known instance of shepherds making a sling from anything anything other than their own flocks fibre", but then I remembered this:

http://slinging.org/index.php?page=la-honda-manchega-sling-in-la-mancha---pio-sa...

Quote:

The material for the braiding was very varied, what they had near by, but fundamentally plant fibers like hemp or sisal, better “esparto” or “pita.”

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timann Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Slinging Rocks! Posts: 2504 Norway Gender:	Re: David's sling Reply #72 - Jan 29^th, 2009 at 1:42pm Nice, David. That means nothing is certain yet. And this dicussion can merrily continue timann
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Thearos Interfector Viris Spurii Offline Take that Posts: 3427	Re: David's sling Reply #73 - May 12^th, 2009 at 6:48pm Perhaps also sinews / nerves from the animals ? Strabo (3.5.) mentions sinews as one of the things slings were made of in the Baleares
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xxkid123 Past Moderator Offline Hallo, ich heiße kartoffel Posts: 4807 new to california Gender:	Re: David's sling Reply #74 - May 12^th, 2009 at 8:08pm in one discovery channel thing on whether David could have killed Goliath or not, the scientists concluded that he probably had used a hemp full pouch sling.
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