The belief that Goliath was only 6 feet 9 inches tall is based on a variation in the ancient manuscripts of the Bible. The Hebrew Masoretic Text, which is the basis for most modern English translations of the Old Testament, states that Goliath was “six cubits and a span” in height, which converts to about 9 feet 9 inches. However, some of the oldest copies of the Old Testament, including the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Septuagint (an ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament), state that Goliath was “four cubits and a span” in height, which converts to about 6 feet 9 inches. The Masoretic Text and the Dead Sea Scrolls/Septuagint have different measurements for Goliath’s height. A cubit is generally accepted to be about 18 inches, and a span is about 9 inches. Thus, “six cubits and a span” would be about 9 feet 9 inches, and “four cubits and a span” would be about 6 feet 9 inches. However, some scholars argue that during the time of Goliath a cubit was around 21 inches, which means Goliath was over 11 feet tall using 6 cubits and a span or closer to 7 feet 9 inches using 4 cubits and a span. The weight of biblical and historic evidence supports Goliath being 7 feet 9 inches tall. Goliath was a giant, so a height of 9 feet 9 inches would make sense. However, either 7 feet 9 inches or 6 feet 9 inches would also have been considered very tall in the ancient world. Some Christians believe that Goliath was only 7 feet 9 inches or 6 feet 9 inches tall because they trust the older manuscripts more, or because they think a height of 9 feet 9 inches is too exaggerated. Thus, the belief in Goliath’s height as 7 feet 9 or 6 feet 9 inches is a matter of which ancient texts one considers to be more accurate or reliable. Because the Septuagint is more historically accurate than the Masoretic Text and the ancient cubit during the time of King David was roughly 21 inches, Goliath was probably around 7 feet 9 inches tall?