GIANTS IN THE OLD TESTAMENT: PART III REPHAIM
Tuesday, May 12, 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.
Rephaim
The most common term used to describe giants in the Bible is rephaim (e.g., Deuteronomy 3:11, 13). It may refer to a certain people group, or it may be a term that simply means giants. The singular form, raphah, also appears several times (e.g., 2 Samuel 21:16, 18, 20).
The third chapter of Deuteronomy contains an interesting account of the victory of the Israelites over Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and Og, the king of Bashan. It is here that we learn an intriguing detail about Og:
“For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the giants [rephaim]. Indeed his bedstead was an iron bedstead. (Is it not in Rabbah of the people of Ammon?) Nine cubits is its length and four cubits its width, according to the standard cubit” (Deuteronomy 3:11).
Some translations use the word sarcophagus (NEB) or coffin (TEV, CEV) in place of bedstead, for the Hebrew word ?????? (eres). The majority of English Bibles render this term as bed or bedstead, which makes sense since eres means couch, divan, bed, or bedstead. Also, it would be indeed strange to translate it as sarcophagus since these were made of stone or marble, and Og’s “bedstead” was made of iron.
Whether Moses referred to Og’s bed or coffin is not particularly relevant to the discussion at hand. However, the size of this object is noteworthy. We are told that it was nine cubits long and four cubits in width “according to the standard cubit.” Since the standard cubit is approximately 18 inches long, then Og’s bed or coffin was about 13.5 feet long and 6 feet wide. To put this in perspective, if stood up on end, the height of this bed would have been exactly twice as tall as a person who is 6 foot 9 inches tall. Of course, he may not have been as large as his bed. Some authors have attempted to downplay the significance of these dimensions, but the Bible clearly identifies Og as a giant.
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/