Did Archaeologists Really Discover Goliath's Skull?

Have you also received a WhatsApp message excitedly announcing that a team of archaeologists discovered the skull of Goliath, with David's slingshot stone embedded in its forehead, at an excavation site in the Valley of Elah, west of Jerusalem? Well, here's some background on the history of this particular story.

The images you've seen on WhatsApp—and the accompanying news report—first appeared on May 25, 1993, in an issue of an American newspaper called The Weekly World News, whose motto was: 'The world's only reliable newspaper.' To understand the credibility of this publication, it's worth noting that it regularly reported on aliens, giants, and people who claimed to have seen Elvis Presley—long after he had passed away. Over the years, the newspaper featured headlines such as: 'Aliens Take Over NASA's Secret Moon Base,' 'Hillary Clinton Adopts Alien Baby,' and even: 'Paradise Found.' In the latter article, the paper claimed that the lost paradise had been found in Colorado—complete with the original fruit that Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge.

The report on Goliath's skull was, of course, just another link in the chain of 'reliable news' the paper so excelled in. In other words, it's a fabrication from start to finish. The scientists cited in the report do not exist, and the archaeological discovery never happened. Moreover, a simple reading of the Bible would confirm the falsehood: David took the severed head of Goliath to Jerusalem—how, then, did the head make its way back to the Valley of Elah?

The world's only reliable newspaper ceased publication in August 2007. But rumors, especially in the age of the internet, have a life of their own. Every few years, someone stumbles upon the story and images published long ago in a forgotten newspaper, and eagerly shares the 'amazing discovery'—an old prank that is now over twenty years old.

So no, Goliath's skull has not yet been found. And the next time you receive such a convincing message, accompanied by pictures, try to check what news organization has mentioned the issue recently. In the case of 'Goliath's Skull' and its current tour, the only media outlet that referenced it was... a news site from Zimbabwe. And really, that says it all.