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Goliath might have been from the Nephilim whom are mentioned in Bereishis 6,4 pre-flood and fought famously with Dovid. The Nephilim are also mentioned in the incident with the spies (Bamidbar 13,33) being terrified by the sight of them from afar, so we know they existed post-Flood. Were all Nephilim destroyed in the Flood and if so, how did they reappear after the Flood?

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    “Goliath was a Nephilim and fought famously with Dovid... so we know they existed post-Flood. Were all Nephilim destroyed in the Flood...?” Seems you answered the first part of your own q. You may want to post a separate q for the 2nd part.
    – Oliver
    Oct 26, 2018 at 0:24
  • @Ephraim77 Perhaps the possibility of the genes of the giants were carried in the DNA of the wives of Shem, Ham and Japheth. I don't have a source for that, I just pondered that same question and arrived at this theory. Oct 26, 2018 at 1:13
  • judaism.stackexchange.com/q/8382/603 -- strongly related
    – Menachem
    Oct 26, 2018 at 2:33

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In Pirkei Derabbi Eliezer 23 it says that Og was the only survivor of the flood other than Noach and his family (and animals) as he hanged on to a ladder:

וימח את כל היקום אשר על פני האדמה חוץ מנח וכל אשר אתו בתבה שנאמר וישאר אך נח ואשר אתו בתבה וחוץ מעוג מלך הבשן שישב לו עץ אחד מן הסולמות של התיבה ונשבע לנח ולבניו שיהיה להם עבד עולם מה עשה נח נקב חור אח' בתיבה והיה מושיט לו מזונו בכל יום ויום ונשאר גם הוא שנ' כי רק עוג מלך הבשן

In Nidda 61a it says Og escaped from Dor Hamabul and was the son of Achia the son of Shamchazai one of the Nephilim (fallen angels) that came about before the flood (the other Nephel was Azael who remained on earth as the accuser see Midrash Yalkut Shimoni https://agadastories.org.il/node/35 and Shamchazai did Teshuva). The Gemora then says Sichon was Ogs brother so there are 3 explanations to how this is possible if only Og escaped:
1. Tosfos Niddah 61b says Sichon also escaped with Og his brother by holding the ladder as a pair (all the people and animals had a pair)
2. The Rosh on Bereishis 7,23 says og escaped with his pregnant mother as his pair.
3.The Rosh says really Ogs mother was not pregnant and he had relations with her after the flood, and Sichon was born as his brother through his mother (though he was not Shamchazai's grandson rather Sichon was his great grandson)

The rest of the nephilim were the בני ענק מן ה הנפילים i.e descendants of Og and Sichon.
Goliath was Orpa the Moabite's son as stated

(שמואל ב כא, כב) ואת ארבעת אלה יולדו להרפה בגת ויפלו ביד דוד וביד עבדיו מאי נינהו אמר רב חסדא סף ומדון גלית וישבי בנוב

and Gemora Sotah 42b says that Orpah was with many Pelishti men before she bore Goliath:

כתיב (שמואל ב כא, טז) הרפה וכתיב ערפה רב ושמואל חד אמר הרפה שמה ולמה נקרא שמה ערפה שהכל עורפין אותה מאחריה וחד אמר ערפה שמה ולמה נקרא שמה הרפה שהכל דשין אותה כהריפות

So it does not seem Goliath was related to the Nephilim despite his giant status.

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