KING OG OF BASAN: THE MOST FEARED GIANT IN SCRIPTURE

KING OG OF BASAN: THE MOST FEARED GIANT IN SCRIPTURE

Welcome to the Unraveling the Scriptures channel the nightmare that haunted Moses OG the feared monarch of Bashan formidable ruler of the Giants. Did you know that God needed to comfort Moses speaking words of encouragement to him due to the great fear that Moses felt for the formidable giant OG the king of the Giants of the Rephaite lineage who in fact was OG the king of Bashan. In this video I will discuss its origin and share interesting facts about it in another episode of our series about the Giants mentioned in the scriptures so don’t forget to leave your likes and comments and follow this new content on our Channel. Moses nightmare OG the king of the Rephaite Giants according to several Old Testament records OG whose name means gigantic in Hebrew played the role of ancient monarch of the Amorites a people who inhabited the regions of Canaan and are mentioned in scriptures since patriarchal times. OG had Rephaite ancestry and was part of the Giants of the Rephaite lineage and he and his army were defeated by Moses and his followers in an intense battle fought in Edrei which probably corresponds to current Daraa in Syria from ancient times to contemporary literature the figure of OG the giant has appeared in several works. For example John Milton references OG in his epic Paradise Lost describing him as one of the Nephilim giant beings descended from the sons of God and the daughters of men.

The internal timeline of deuteronomic history specifically in the book of Devarim or Deuteronomy indicates that the fall of OG the fearsome Rephaite giant who ruled over the Amorites occurred around 1440 BC that is approximately 3,440 years ago. The Amorites were a Semitic society and spoke a West Semitic language their culture was influenced by Mesopotamian culture and later by Canaanite culture with whom they came into contact in the Levant region. The Amorites are mentioned in the Bible especially in the context of the Israelites conquest of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua. The Amorites were one of the ethnic groups that inhabited the land of Canaan and that the Israelites encountered during their journey. OG is also mentioned in the Islamic religion and is referenced in the Quran as a giant about 13 feet tall. The Bible describes OG’s stature based on the size of his bed which was approximately 9 cubits long by 4 cubits wide as recorded in Deuteronomy 3:1 equivalent to about 13 feet 9 inches high by 5 feet and 3 inches wide. The precise height of OG according to the standard cubit of the time which could have been the Israelite cubit or most likely the Egyptian cubit that Moses used at that time varies between 13 feet and 9 inches and 14 feet and 9 inches with a width of 5 feet 11 inches according to different interpretations. Arguably OG was a giant of extraordinary proportions perhaps the largest giant mentioned in sacred scripture in terms of height. The Bible informs that OG was part of the Rephaite people or lineage mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy 3 and in other parts of the Bible such as in Genesis 14 among other passages of the Sacred Scriptures. The Rephaites were known to be a race of fearsome Giants often portrayed as monstrous beings almost like legendary figures.

An intriguing fact about the Rephaite Giants is that the term Rephaim or Rephaht literally means Undead referring to them as the living dead or those who people believed to be dead but who in fact were still alive. This term makes a reference that is little explored in current times as it refers to the Giants who were thought to have been annihilated due to the flood but who ended up reappearing and being called Rephaim or Living Dead due to this initial belief in their extinction. OG is recognized as a ruler among the Amorites who were the descendants of Canaan. He is also notable for being one of the last Giants of the Rephaite lineage since in this era these imposing creatures were already on the verge of extinction. In the time of Abraham they were already rare and in the era of Moses although scarce they still persisted surviving until the period of the kings of Israel. The character OG king of Bashan a formidable giant is shrouded in a deep mystery as the Dead Sea Scrolls attest. Among these writings a volume known as the book of OG the king of the Rephaite Giants stands out which arouses great curiosity. Soon I will explore some references and present a special video about this book. Furthermore in ancient rabbinic traditions OG the king of Bashan is considered a giant survivor of the flood. According to some rabbis and ancient Jewish traditions they claimed that he would be around 3,000 years old and would have lived at the time of Moses having survived the flood. According to Rabbi Rashi he hid in Noah’s ark during the flood begging Noah for permission to enter and Noah agreed thus allowing him to survive.

According to other ancient Jewish traditions OG is credited with surviving the flood. OG’s own book states that he was around 3,000 years old and managed to survive the flood by climbing the highest mountain in the region when the waters began to rise he swam and leaned on cedar trees which allowed him to survive for a long period without food or water. Many may consider this impossible but argue that the endurance of a giant like him could allow him to go hundreds of days without feeding remaining strong in a similar way to a bear’s hibernation. According to other interpretations OG aware of the imminence of the flood decided to build his own ark on a colossal scale. This ark would have been designed to accommodate not only him but also other giants and a variety of animals that could be found in the region of Bashan. OG with his unusual strength would have used giant trees from the forest of Bashan to build the ark. Bashan’s wood was known for its quality and strength which would have contributed to the giant ark’s durability. Another interpretation suggests that OG was actually born from the relationship between a fallen angel and a human woman shortly after the flood. There are also those who believe that he was born shortly after the flood being the fruit of the union of a fallen angel or a demon with a human woman possibly a priestess of pagan idols. This theory considers him one of the giants who resurfaced shortly after the flood. These interpretations are often based on the Book of Genesis chapter 6 which mentions the existence of giants at the time of the flood and suggests that they also appeared after this cataclysmic event. According to the beliefs of those who adhere to this view OG the giant ruled the region of Bashan. Bashan was known for its fertility and wealth of natural resources. The fertile pastures made the region ideal for raising cattle and its forests were rich in high quality timber such as cedar. These resources played an important role in the region’s economy.

First mentioned in Genesis 14:5 in this verse it is reported that Kedorlaomer king of the Elamites and his allies fought a terrible battle against the Rephaim the giants of the same lineage as OG in Ashtaroth Karnaim where OG resided. Ashtaroth Karnaim also known as Ashtaroth Caram or simply Karnaim is a city mentioned in the Bible specifically in the Old Testament. It played an important role in the ancient history of the region that today comprises Israel Palestine Jordan and adjacent parts of the Middle East. The city of Ashtaroth Karnaim was located in a region that was ruled by King OG of Bashan. When the Israelites under Moses conquered Bashan Ashtaroth Karnaim was probably incorporated into Israelite territory. In the Bible Ashtaroth Karnaim is often associated with local kingdoms and peoples and does not have a detailed narrative of its own. It is part of the context of the struggles and conflicts in the region as the Israelites advanced towards the promised land. When the Israelites entered the promised land OG challenged them but was eventually completely defeated as recorded in Numbers 21:34-35. As described in Deuteronomy 3:1-7 the region of Bashan extended from southern Gilead to northern Hermon and from the Jordan River in the west to Salecah in the east. This area was granted to the half-tribe of Manasseh as recorded at Joshua 13:29 and 13:31 and Golan one of the cities of Bashan became a city of refuge according to the passage in Joshua 21:27. Argob in Bashan another city in the region was one of the administrative districts during the reign of Solomon as mentioned in First Kings 4:13. Argob was part of the territory ruled by OG the king of Bashan. Like other areas of Bashan Argob was known for its fertility. It was a region suitable for raising livestock due to the lush pastures and it was also rich in natural resources. After the victory over OG and the conquest of Argob the Israelites incorporated this region into the territory they established in the promised land.

It became part of the tribal lands of Manasseh and Gad according to the division of lands among the tribes of Israel. The cities of Bashan were temporarily taken by Hazael as narrated in Second Kings 10:32-33. However shortly afterwards they were reconquered by Jehoash as described in Second Kings 13:25 fulfilling Elisha’s prophecy. After this time Bashan virtually disappeared from history although we read of the region’s rich pastures for wild cattle in Ezekiel 39:18 in Psalm 22:12 its oaks in Isaiah 2:13 its mention in Ezekiel 27:6 and its beauty in Amos 4:1 and Jeremiah 50:19. After the conquest the entire country east of the Jordan was named Gilead. After the exile Bashan was divided into four districts Golan which included the famous Golan Heights in the western part Hauran which was also a city or district as mentioned in Ezekiel 47:16 Argob and Batanea. According to some ancient traditions the terrible giant OG was defeated and killed by Joshua the future leader of the people of Israel. According to these traditions Joshua would have wielded a spear to kill OG of Bashan the giant thus fulfilling this remarkable achievement. The reality is that OG the king of Bashan was nothing more than one of the giants that the people of Israel had to face during their conquest of the land of Canaan. In that region there were several other giants of different bloodlines but one of the most formidable adversaries that the people of Israel defeated was King OG of Bashan. Now think for a moment how do you imagine King OG of Bashan. Visualize him as a monstrously colossal figure nearly 15 feet tall almost the size of a tree and approximately 6.5 feet wide. Imagine the challenge it was to face this creature in the middle of a battle against numerous soldiers. From my perspective he truly resembles a monster. I hope everyone enjoyed another video from our series about the Giants of the Scriptures. I sincerely thank everyone who has followed along to this point. May everyone be under God’s protection. See you soon.