קֶ֫לַע

# Qela (קֶלַע): The Sling in Ancient Hebrew The Hebrew word *qela* refers to a sling—a weapon consisting of a pouch attached to cords, used to hurl projectiles. Based on its six appearances in the biblical text, this term represents a specific implement of warfare or hunting rather than a generic throwing tool. The precise Hebrew designation suggests that ancient Israelite vocabulary distinguished between different types of projectile weapons, with *qela* occupying a distinct category. The relative scarcity of this term (appearing only six times) indicates that while slings held some importance in ancient Israelite material culture, they were not among the most frequently discussed weapons in biblical narrative. This limited occurrence pattern may reflect either the sling's specialized rather than widespread use, or simply the narrative priorities of the texts that survived. Without access to the specific biblical passages where *qela* appears, we cannot determine whether these occurrences cluster in particular historical or military contexts, but the word's consistent designation as a discrete weapon type confirms that biblical authors recognized it as a recognizable and named element of their world.