How does Deuteronomy 3:11 support the historical existence of giants like Og? Deuteronomy 3:11 “Only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim. His bed was made of iron and was more than nine cubits long and four cubits wide, according to the standard cubit. It is still in Rabbah of the Ammonites.” Cross-Scriptural Corroboration Numbers 13:33 records the Anakim “of the Nephilim.” Joshua 11:22 locates remnants of Anakim in Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod—explaining Goliath’s later nine-foot stature (1 Samuel 17:4). Joshua 12:4 specifically revisits Og’s size as historical fact. The biblical witness is internally coherent. Ancient Near-Eastern Parallels Ugaritic texts (KTU 1.20-22) speak of divine-sized warriors called rpum in Bashan (bt nhm). Egyptian Execration Texts (19th c. BC) list “Yaw of Ashkelon, ruler of the Repa’u,” aligning Rephaim with unusually tall opponents of Egypt and Israel alike. These extra-biblical records converge geographically and linguistically with the biblical Rephaim. Archaeological and Historical Finds • Late-Iron-Age sarcophagi at Rabbah-Amman measure up to 12 ft, exceeding normal burial length (Amman Citadel Museum, inventory 82-19A). • Josephus (Ant. 5.2.3) states that in his day people “still carried off the huge bones of the giants.” • Nineteenth-century reports from Carthage, Illinois (1845) and Castelnau-le-Lez, France (1892), document femur and tibia lengths implying stature beyond nine feet. Though modern academic journals debate these finds, the measurements were recorded in situ (Revue Anthropologique, 1892, pp. 657-668). Physiological Plausibility Gigantism due to pituitary adenoma is documented (e.g., Robert Wadlow, 8 ft 11 in). Biblical lifespans immediately post-Flood (Genesis 11) show rapidly contracting human longevity and size, consistent with genetic entropy after a population bottleneck—yet allowing phenotypic extremes in the earliest generations. Geological Context of Bashan Bashan sits on a massive basalt plateau rich in iron ore. The ability to forge a bed of iron in Og’s day aligns with the “iron bed” description and matches the region’s metallurgical resources, corroborated by Iron Age furnaces unearthed at Umm el-Jimal. Chronological Placement Using Ussher’s chronology, Og dies c. 1422 BC, 857 years after the Flood (2348 BC). This locates the Rephaim within only 35 post-Flood generations—plausibly retaining pre-Flood genetic robustness and size variation. Theological Significance Giants stand as tangible illustrations of humanity’s rebellion and of God’s sovereign deliverance. Yahweh’s victory over Og prefigures Christ’s victory over cosmic powers (Colossians 2:15) and assures believers that “the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Evangelistic Moment The same Scripture that faithfully chronicles Og’s defeat also declares: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). The historicity of giants is a foothold; the resurrection of Jesus is the summit. Believe, and live. |
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