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Published July 2022 | public
Journal Article

Famous figures and their neurological disorders: A historical vignette

Abstract

Few accounts inspire greater awe than that of David and Goliath, a miraculous tale romanticized throughout history in famous works of art, including that of 17th century Italian painter Caravaggio's work David with the Head of Goliath, an oil painting which depicts David, a robust adolescent with sword in hand, holding the head of the giant Goliath. To this day, whether in sports or other arenas, the phrase "David versus Goliath" persists as a common description of scenarios in which an underdog faces a grand obstacle or juggernaut opponent against long odds. Although his exact dimensions are not certain - the Dead Sea Scrolls from the first century BCE list his height as 6 feet 9 in., while the Hebrew Masoretic text of the 7th century place his height at a whopping 9 feet 9 in. - what is clear is that Goliath towered as an imposing force over the Israelites.

Additional Information

© 2022 Elsevier. Received 30 March 2022, Revised 12 May 2022, Accepted 14 May 2022, Available online 18 May 2022, Version of Record 28 May 2022. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Additional details

Created:
August 22, 2023
Modified:
October 24, 2023