Goliath (/ɡəˈlaɪəθ/; Hebrew: גָּלְיָת, Modern Golyat, Tiberian Golyāṯ; Arabic: جالو, جليات Ǧulyāt (Christian term), Ǧālūt (Qur'anic term)) of Gath (one of five city states of the Philistines) is a Bible character described as a giant Philistine warrior defeated in one version by the young David, the future king of the ancient Israelites, according to a Biblical story told in the Books of Samuel (1 Samuel 17), and in 2 Samuel 21:19 by "Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, the Bethlehemite".
Post-Classical Jewish traditions stressed Goliath's status as the representative of paganism, in contrast to David, the champion of the God of Israel. Christian tradition gave him a distinctively Christian perspective, seeing in David's battle with Goliath the victory of God's king over the enemies of God's helpless people as a prefiguring of Jesus' victory over sin on the cross and the Church's victory over Satan.