GIANTS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT: PART V ANAKIM
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Giants are no strangers to human history and more than one Bigfoot Researcher has mentioned the possibility that the Giants in Genesis known as the Nephilim are a reference to ancient Bigfoot. There are several giants referenced in the book of Genesis that are not as explicit. The website Answers in Genesis does a great job uncovering many of the giants that are less well-known.
The Anakim
The Anakim were mentioned in several of these passages. They were perhaps the best known of the giants dwelling in the land of Canaan at the time of the Exodus. As stated in the verse above, they were part of the nephilim. If nephilim simply refers to giants in general, then the Anakim are just said to be giants in Numbers 13:33, which is consistent with their description in this passage. So the Amorites and other giant people would also be nephilim. If nephilim refers to a particular giant tribe, then the Anakim were part of this line.
Numbers 13:22 states that Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai were descendants of Anak, who was obviously the namesake of the Anakim. Both the Emim and Zamzummim were compared to the Anakim, as they were both “a people as great and numerous and tall as the Anakim” (Deuteronomy 2:10, 21; 9:2).
Anak was the son of Arba (Joshua 15:13). Little is known about Arba, and his ancestry is not provided. However, he was apparently somewhat legendary as indicated by the parenthetical statements in the text when his name appears. The city of Hebron, where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob settled and were buried was also called Kiriath Arba. We are told that “Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim” (Joshua 14:15), and “the father of Anak” (Joshua 15:13; 21:11). Kirjath Arba was also called “Mamre” in Genesis 35:27. Mamre was an Amorite, who was an ally of Abram (Genesis 14:13). This man owned some trees by which Abram settled, and at some point, part of Hebron became synonymous with his name.
Joshua fought several battles with the Anakim and the Amorites. Eventually, he “cut off the Anakim from the mountains: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel; Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities. None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod” (Joshua 11:21–22). These actions set the stage for the famous account of Goliath in 1 Samuel.
Were there Giants among men referenced in the Bible? Were these giants ancient Bigfoot and Sasquatches? Besides the Nephilim there could be other Rephaim, Zuzim, Emim, and the Amorites. Ron Morehead believes the Old Testament may contain clues to the Sasquatch and further our knowledge about Bigfoot in ancient times.
SRC: https://answersingenesis.org/bible-characters/giants-in-the-old-testament/