Read 'From Kashmir to Palestine, Goliath is now David' by Parvati Sharma appearing in The Indian Express on January 2, 2024. It made an interesting read.
In I Samuel 17:32-51, we read the legendary 'David - Goliath' fight.
David appeals to me for more than one reason - his bravery as a pastoral youth tending his father's sheep is proven by his feats of overpowering (killing) a lion and a bear to protect them (I Sam 17:34-36). There is a pertinent question of whether those regions had lions. It is said to have had them, but habitat loss has led to their disappearance from those regions. His songlike youthfulness brings cheer to people, even to the moody King, Saul. He is daring to seek ways beyond the typical - He is indeed an out-of-the-box-thinker, not happy with the TINA (There Is No Alternative)attitude, but wears the TATA (There Are a Thousand Alternatives)attitude, and finds the very unconventional way of tackling a skilled warrior with a sling! He is a popular King who dances with the people. He is a devout leader, who dances in joy before God's presence. He is a alive and active man who easily falls for the attraction of the flesh, and who commits grave sin to satisfy his carnal inclinations - but he is a repentant sinner, sincerely sorry for his failure, accepting his wrongs, ready to make amends. He is accommodative and tolerant, and magnanimous with his enemies. He is King, he is almost like a priest, he is a poet, he is a prophet.
Interestingly the region is finding continued struggles between two groups over many centuries - each time the roles of David and Goliath being reversed. In the early part of the Common Era, we find the Goliath in the Roman Empire, but no David to resist on the part of the Jews. They were scattered for good.
Then we have the Islamic expansion from 7th century, with the new found religious empire occupying the region. Here again, the David figure is missing. Perhaps, the Islamic followers might find David figure in their leaders. This lasts till around the 11th century, whence Christian crusaders put on the mantle of David against the Goliath of the Islamic empire. Of course, in this case too, the David Goliath roles may depend upon the perspectives of the people. For each of them, the rival could be Goliath and themselves the valiant David.
The series culminates in the Islamic victory in the late 12th century with Ayyubid and later, Mamluk dynasties holding the power in the region. By the 16th century, the rule of the Turkish Ottoman Empire is established in the region which is challenged only in the 20th century with the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The power over the region was transferred to the British Empire where the sun did not set through the intervention of the League of Nations.
This period is marked by another David legend - a sculptural masterpiece on the biblical hero David, by the all-time great artist Michael Angelo, between 1501 and 1504. The sculpture of very unique features, about 17 ft in height, sculpted from a single marble stone is a world art heritage available in the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence. The depiction of the emotional features of youthful David in concentration, ready to fight Goliath, and the accuracy of the anatomical features are said to be unparalleled. Apparently, no artwork seems to have been made on Goliath.
The Zionist movement gains momentum under the British regime with newer strategies to regain the land by the scattered Jewish population across the world. In 1948, the UN-mediated establishment of the Israeli nation takes place, and the proposed Palestinian nation does not emerge. While Israel - depending on the varying perspectives donning the role of David or Goliath - has been successful in establishing itself as a modern tech-driven, democracy, the Palestinians are still struggling to find a physical space for them as a nation, leading to continuous conflict in the region - again, who is David and who is Goliath in the series becoming debatable.
With the present scenario of the Hamas terror attack of October 7th in Israel, and Israel's all-out effort to efface Hamas from the region, Israel might be feeling it is back to David, but with Goliath-like strengths as well (skills and arms). It is doubtful whether the Palestinians would feel happy putting themselves or the Hamas unit in David's role - though, the Islamic religion holds King David (Dawood) as a Prophet. Their story is narrated in the Holy Quran as well.
The ancient race of Philistines (in Arabic Filisti) may have nothing or very little to do with the present-day Palestinians in spite of the fact they call themselves Filastini, which sounds akin to the Arabic term for the Philistines. And Palestinians, though an Islam-majority nation, do have other religious followers among them as well, who all alike feel oppressed and aggrieved that they are unjustly oppressed.
I hope and pray that the land of the City/Foundation of Peace - Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) - indeed becomes a region of peace for people of all faiths, starting the Abrahamic religions - with the Jews who greet each other with 'Shalom', spreading to the Muslims who also greet with the salutation of peace 'Salam' and make claims that Islam is a religion of peace as well (besides being a religion of surrender) and to the Christians whose primary greeting is also 'peace be with you' and for who count on Christ's promise 'Peace, I give you...not as the world gives' and to the Hindus, whose dominant tradition has all their invocations ending in triple peace (Om Shanti Shanti Shanti) and to all people of goodwill.
And I join with the UN secretary-general (https://youtu.be/cxFvUbhVz50) in asserting that peace requires collective will, collective effort and a green shade to ensure that it lasts - it requires peace with the planet as well.
Picture: <https://www.modernhealthcare.com/clinical/michelangelos-david-really-perfection-personified> Jan. 17, 2024
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