Spear, Spearman

A spear had a long wooden shaft with a sharp point at one end. It looked like a javelin, but it was longer and heavier. Soldiers mainly used it for thrusting at an enemy (see Numbers 25:7–8).

A spearman was a soldier who fought with a spear. Spearmen often served in groups of soldiers who fought on foot.

Ancient monuments show that people developed the spear at an early time. An Egyptian stone object called the Hunter’s Palette shows a warrior carrying a long spear. A carved stone monument from Warka, dating to about 3000 BC, also shows this type of weapon.

Throughout the third millennium BC, heavily armed soldiers often used spears. Spears were effective when soldiers attacked on foot or from chariots. Archaeological evidence also shows that seminomadic groups used spears. These groups moved into Palestine during the Middle Bronze Age.

Ancient spears often had a metal tip at the bottom of the wooden shaft. This tip allowed a soldier to place the spear upright in the ground when it was not in use. The Bible describes Saul’s spear standing in the ground near his head while he slept (1 Samuel 26:7).

A soldier could also use the lower metal tip as a weapon. The account of Asahel’s death describes this use of a spear (2 Samuel 2:23).

See also Armor and Weapons.