Continuing our journey into overpowered weapons from mythology, we now look to the Middle East and the three main Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Despite appearances, they have plenty in common—at least mythologically. Adam, Abraham, Moses, and others (most notably God) all feature prominently in their scriptures. Basically, if they were comic books, they’d all share a universe. And, like comics, they all have some pretty crazy weapons. Here are the most overpowered.

10. The Sword of Goliath

David’s victory over the giant Goliath is the archetypal underdog tale. In it, the young shepherd confronts and kills, against all the odds, the arrogant Philistine champion. Whereas Goliath is huge (“six cubits and a span”), wears armor (“five thousand shekels of brass”), and carries weapons (a sword, a bronze javelin, and a spear topped with “six hundred shekels of iron”), David is dressed as an ordinary shepherd and only has a simple shepherd’s sling. But that’s all he needs. Before the fight has even begun, he launches a stone between Goliath’s eyes, killing him instantly. Then he takes possession of the slain giant’s sword and uses it to cut off his head. 

In the Midrash, the commentary on the Torah, the Sword of Goliath has miraculous powers—though it’s not entirely clear what they are. Some think the sword changed its size to suit its wielder, while others think it had super strength. Whatever the case, David carried it into the third Giant War to kill the last of the giants. Later, it was wrapped and stored in the Temple alongside other holy items. 

It’s unknown today if the sword still exists. But (in an interesting crossover with our last list on overpowered mythological weapons), the old Celtic gods, the Tuatha Dé Danann, are said to have brought Goliath’s sword to Ireland. But, like Myrddin’s demotion to a wizard (and Lugh’s to a leprechaun), this is likely another Christian retcon.

9. The Jawbone of an Ass

With his God-given super-strength, Samson, the last of the Judges, was basically the Hebrew Hercules. His best-known feat is certainly on a par with the Greek hero’s famous Twelve Labors. In the Book of Judges, he is said to have confronted one thousand Philistines entirely alone and, to begin with, tied up in strong new ropes. And he defeated every last man armed only with the jawbone of a donkey.

Although usually interpreted as an allegory for the power of faith or righteousness, or of God working through otherwise inadequate means (basically the old adage about a good workman never blaming his tools), the jawbone itself must have been strong to have held up through one thousand men. We’re also told it was “decayed” to begin with. So it must have been enchanted not to crumble after the first man it struck. Nowhere else in Jewish mythology does one man kill so many on his own.

8. Zulfiqar

The most overpowered weapon associated with Islam, though not specifically mentioned in the Koran, is the curved sword Zulfiqar, or Du’l Faqar. It was actually a gift from Muhammad to his cousin Ali during the Battle of Uhud against the Meccans. In the Shi’ite tradition, Zulfiqar was believed to have been brought down to earth by the archangel Gabriel. Split at the top (like a snake’s tongue) and curved like a scimitar, it was infused with magical powers.

Despite not being mentioned directly in scripture, its prominence in Shi’ism and the popular imagination explains its appearance in Islamic iconography, from flags and banners to medals, coins, and amulets.

Unfortunately, we don’t know what its magic powers were, except that it was used to cleave through many soldiers on the battlefield.

7. The Glittering Sword of Kenaz

Kenaz has only a minor role in the Torah, as the younger brother of Caleb, one of Moses’ spies. It’s in Pseudo-Philo’s first-century book Biblical Antiquities that he becomes more important—portrayed as the first judge of Israel after Joshua. 

He also carried a magical sword. And such was its power that during a twilight confrontation with the Amorites, “all who saw it trembled like a leaf.” Kenaz had got exactly what he prayed for—a sword that “shall glitter and send forth sparks” and caused the Amorites to cower and fall to the ground. In the end, against overwhelming odds, he killed 45,000 men. This was an impressive feat by any standard, even taking into account the help he received from two angels—one of whom blinded the Amorites and the other of whom strengthened Kenaz.

Like some other mythological swords, however, it seemed to have a thirst of its own. After the battle, it refused to let Kenaz put it down until he had shed more blood—whether the enemy’s or that of his own men.

6. The Sword of Methuselah

Methuselah, the oldest man in the Bible, lived to be 969 years old. According to Jewish tradition, this was in the early days of humanity somewhere between Adam and Noah. It was a time of demons running rampant, all fathered by Adam and Lilith during Adam’s 130-year estrangement from Eve following the murder of their son Abel by their other son Cain. Adam’s new children with Lilith were even worse; these were the shedim (demons) and lilin (succubi) who plagued the world for several generations. Eventually, God had enough. 

To deal with the problem, he gave Methuselah, son of Enoch, a magical sword. Engraved with one of God’s sacred names, it was forged to slay malevolent beings. And slay them it did; Methuselah used it to strike down 900,000 at once. Then Adam and Lilth’s firstborn, the demon king Agrimas, made a deal with Methuselah: he would spare the surviving demons, allowing them to retreat to remote mountains and the depths of the sea, and, in return, they would teach humans to restrain them.

There are two different tales about what ultimately happened to the sword. One says Methuselah was buried with it while another says it passed to Noah, then Shem, then Abraham, and then to Abraham’s three sons Isaac, Esau, and Jacob. Given this was technically the Bronze Age, historians imagine Methuselah’s sword was probably more of a long bronze dagger or a sickle-like khopesh than the longsword you may be imagining.

5. The Ark of the Covenant

In the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, the story of Uzzah has a crystal clear message: “Look but don’t touch.” The young man and his brother were driving a cart carrying the Ark for David when one of their oxen stumbled, threatening to topple the cargo. Instinctively, Uzzah reached out to steady it and was immediately killed for defying God’s law not to touch the Ark at any cost. 

Though not out of character for the Abrahamic god, this punishment is bizarrely severe—and seemingly pointless as a spiritual lesson. Hence some believe the tale may be a magical explanation for something more down-to-earth. In 1933, engineering professor Frederick Rogers drew parallels between the biblical descriptions of the Ark of the Covenant and simple electrical condensers or capacitors known as Leyden jars. He argued that the Ark—which, although wooden, was lined and overlaid with gold—was basically an oversized Leyden jar. It accumulated static electricity from the earth and the air, as well as heat from sacrifices, possibly reaching deadly levels. According to Rogers, Uzzah wasn’t smited by God; he was electrocuted.

Other theorists, like Graham Hancock, have suggested the Ark was powered by radioactive material (e.g. from a meteorite) or the sorcery of Moses. Whatever the case, it served as a weapon—and one that would kill at a touch.

4. The Holy Lance

The Holy Lance, or Spear of Destiny, is mentioned in the Gospel of John—but not so much as a weapon. In fact, it’s only used to pierce Jesus’s corpse on the cross to check that it’s dead before taking it down. As John 19:34 puts it, “one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” It’s only in the time since that it’s become such an overpowered weapon.

Said to confer invincibility and world-enslaving political power, the Holy Lance has long been desired by those of a conquering bent. But it carries a sting in the tail. The legend begins with Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, who wielded it on 47 victorious military campaigns. Legend has it that he died after letting go of the spear. Another wielder was Henry the Fowler, a Saxon king from whom it passed through a line of successors to the German king Frederick Barbarossa—who in the 12th century became the Holy Roman Emperor. Interestingly, similar to Charlemagne and despite his reputation for being unstoppable, he died after dropping the lance—apparently by drowning in a creek. Fast forward to 1796 and we find Napoleon storming the city of Nuremberg in pursuit of the Holy Lance, only to learn that the locals had it smuggled to Vienna. There it stayed for more than a century until the young Adolf Hitler set eyes on it. Immediately entranced, he came to see it as the key to his destiny: restoring the Holy Roman Empire as the Third Reich. Shortly after the Nazis annexed Austria in 1938, Hitler had the relic under SS guard on a train bound for Nuremberg. Seven years later, at the end of the war, the lance was stolen again—possibly by Americans—and Hitler was dead within hours.

Exciting though this history is, it may have even more holes than this spear put in people. That said, the Holy Lance is unique on this list for still existing today, at least to the extent of other holy relics. In fact, there are (at least) four lances in existence all claimed to be original. Unfortunately (or fortunately; however you want to look at it), scientific analysis on the one owned by Hitler dates it to the 7th century, i.e. long after Jesus’s death. The others in Armenia, Krakow, and the Vatican are also contested. 

3. The Sword of Heaven

There are many strange images in the Book of Revelation: seven-headed monsters, angelic beasts covered in eyes, a whore with a cup full of filthiness… The last book of the Christian Bible is a twisted, apocalyptic vision of the future, courtesy of someone called John. Even Jesus’s arrival (his Second Coming, where he’s come to rule with a rod of iron) is frightening, portraying him with flaming eyes, a robe soaked in blood (not his own blood this time), and a tattoo on his thigh reading “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” From his mouth emerges a sharp two-edged sword. This is the Sword of Heaven.

He then proceeds to use it against the forces of darkness before casting them into the lake of fire. Crucially, though, he does it without actually striking them with the sword. Instead, the power of the sword is remote. It’s usually taken as a symbol of the power of his words, capable of subduing whole nations from a distance.

2. The Flaming Sword 

The Flaming Sword—with its “blade” of holy fire—is usually associated with Michael, the archangel. In the Old Testament Book of Genesis, however, following Adam and Eve’s ejection from Eden, the Flaming Sword blocks the east entrance and the way to the Tree of Life. Here it operates alongside God’s personal attendants, the cherubim, apparently without a wielder. Flaming and turning in every direction, it prevents humanity’s return to innocence.

It was only natural that the Flaming Sword would later be wielded by Michael. Of all the archangels, he is the most aggressive defender against the forces of evil. And the sword’s fiery, spiritual composition matches the nature of his foes (calling to mind the spiritual counterparts to humans in Islam, the fire beings or jinn created at the same time as Adam). According to some, the Flaming Sword can even cut through the fabric of spacetime.

The most iconic depiction of Michael wielding this sword is the statue at Mont Saint-Michel, in France, where he’s standing over a dragon. His no-nonsense wrath may also be why he’s the Mafia’s patron saint.

1. The Staff of God

Moses’ staff was more than just a stick. Throughout Exodus, it serves as “the staff of God,” an instrument of miracles, and a symbol of Moses’ status. According to the Jewish oral tradition (as collected in the Mishnah), the staff is as old as the world itself; it was one of ten “wondrous” items created by God the evening before his day off. Some believe it was made out of sapphire, while others say it was made out of wood—specifically from the Tree of Knowledge.

In any case, it was first entrusted to Adam. Then, after the Fall he passed it to Enoch, who gave it to Noah, who gave it to Shem, who gave it to Abraham, who gave it to Isaac, who gave it to Jacob, who gave it (now in Egypt) to his own son Joseph. From Joseph it was stolen by the Pharaoh; and from the Pharaoh, it was stolen by the royal advisor Jethro, who planted it in the garden of his house. Henceforth no one could pull it from the ground… except Moses, who used the staff to part the Red Sea while leading the Jews out of Egypt. He also drew water from a rock. 

Technically, the staff isn’t seen as a weapon. In fact, Ridley Scott faced a backlash for portraying Moses as violent at all in the movie Exodus. However, he used it to bring about plagues—specifically the seventh and eighth: hail and locusts. It also appears to have been used by Aaron to bring about the earlier plagues of blood, frogs, and vermin. If so, Aaron also transformed it into a snake to devour those conjured by the Pharaoh’s court magicians. Furthermore, it’s prophesied in the Midrash to play a role in the apocalypse.

Celtic mythology is mainly from Britain, though not so much England. These are the tales of the druids, the Irish Otherworld, the folklore of Wales and Scotland. It’s also, in part, the basis for Arthurian legend. 

Unsurprisingly for tales of gods in battle, there are plenty of crazy weapons. From swords and spears to monstrous siege engines, here are ten of the most overpowered.

10. Lorg Mor

Lorg Mór, or Lorg Anfaid, “the Staff of Wrath,” was a forked stick so big it needed a wheel—and eight men to pull it, leaving furrow-like trails in the ground. It belonged to the Dagda, the father of the gods and patron of the druids. One end killed enemies (nine in one blow), while the other revived the dead with just a touch.

To give you some idea of the Dagda’s huge size, at the Second Battle of Mag Tuired he ate porridge from a “great pit in the ground” using a spoon big enough “for a man and a woman to lie together in.”

Also in the Dagda’s possession was a magic cauldron from which he drew unlimited food, enough to supply whole armies, and a magical harp to boost or crush an army’s morale. Once, when it was stolen by the evil Fomorians, this harp leapt off the wall and killed the thieves present merely at the sound of his voice.

9. Dyrnwyn

According to Welsh legend, an early name for Britain, when gods walked the earth, was Clas Myrddin, or “Myrddin’s Enclosure.” It’s where Myrddin was imprisoned, in a house made of air “by enchantment so strong it may never be undone” as long as “the world endureth.” Though he was later Christianized (culturally vandalized) to Merlin—the wizard of Arthurian romance—Myrddin was once such a powerful god that the Greeks considered him Kronos, i.e. the Titan and father of Zeus. 

In any case, Myrddin took with him the Thirteen Treasures of Britain, among which was a sword called Dyrnwyn, or “White-Hilt”. This was once the weapon of Rhydderch Hael, the King of Strathclyde in Scotland. And its power was to burst into flames, lightsaber-like, from the hilt to the tip—but only if the wielder was worthy. If they were unworthy, they would burst into flames instead. Hence, while Rhydderch was happy to lend it to others (earning him the nickname “the Generous”), few took him up on the offer.

8. Moralltach

Moralltach, “Great Fury,” belonged to Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (pronounced Dermot O’Dyna), foster son of Aengus the sex god. He got it from his mentor Manannán, son of the sea god Lir. A reliable long sword, it left no strike unfinished and always followed through with a kill. It was therefore reserved for the most deadly fights. For lesser confrontations, Diarmuid had Beagalltach, or “Little Fury,” Moralltach’s gentler counterpart.

One night, when Diarmuid and his lover, Gráinne, were woken three times by the sound of a dog, he armed himself only with Beagalltach to investigate—despite Gráinne begging him to take Moralltach instead. “How can danger arise from such a small affair?” he said. When he arrived at the scene, he found a boar hunt in progress—but this was no ordinary boar. Years before, his foster father Aengus squeezed a wizard’s son to death for being more popular than Diarmuid; and in revenge, the wizard turned the corpse into a boar and tasked it with Diarmuid’s destruction—one day. Now realizing that day was upon him, Diarmuid realized his mistake and exclaimed: “Woe to him who does not follow the advice of a good wife!” Although he tried striking the boar on the neck with Beagalltach, it glanced off without leaving a mark. In the end Diarmuid was killed.

Had he brought Moralltach, he could have split the boar in half in one blow. In fact, he once destroyed a whole army with the sword, rushing “through them and under them and over them, like a wolf among sheep, or a hawk among sparrows, cleaving and slaughtering them, till only a few were left.”

7. Claiomh Solais

Forged for Nuada, the king of the gods, Claíomh Solais (or Chloive Solais) was a “Sword of Light.” It was also one of the Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Dannan (i.e. the gods)—alongside the Lia Fáil (or “Stone of Destiny”), Lugh’s spear, and the cauldron of the Dagda. Once this sword was drawn, there was no escaping. No-one could resist, nor kill its wielder. And if any but the owner tried to wield it, it screamed like a magical car alarm.

Claíomh Solais appears in numerous Irish folk tales and even spread to Scotland. It may also have inspired King Arthur’s sword Excalibur.

6. Gae Bulg

Made from a sea monster’s bones, Gáe Bulg (“barbed spear”) was practically indestructible. It belonged to the hero Cú Chulainn, who got it from his teacher, the warrior goddess Scáthach. This was no casual gift; he was the only one of her students to prove capable of wielding it. For one thing, it had to be thrown by foot—launched from the toes with a kick. Also, because it always guaranteed a kill, it had to be responsibly used.

When Gáe Bulg entered an enemy’s body, it filled it with barbs. Sources vary as to how many; some say 30, others 49. Either way it made such a mess of the target that retrieval of the weapon took time. It couldn’t just be pulled from the corpse, it had to be dug out with a knife. Needless to say, it was much better suited to one-on-one duels than fighting on the battlefield. But it was a dishonorable weapon. 

Cú Chulainn only used it when not doing so would lead to his death. Being such a unbeatable warrior himself, this meant he only ever used it to kill Ireland’s very best—usually after long fights, just as they were about to kill him. It looks like he used it three times, against his young son Connla (ripping up his belly), Queen Medb’s champion Loch (splitting his heart in two), and his best friend Ferdiad (filling “every limb and crevice with wounds”).

5. Luin of Celtchar

The enchanted spear of the hero Celtchar apparently had a mind of its own. When it sensed an enemy, it writhed uncontrollably until it got blood, and if it didn’t it would turn on its wielder. The only other way to “quench” the spear’s bloodlust was to immerse it in a cauldron of venom.

It could also kill targets from a distance, without touching them; you simply had to thrust it in place. If it was thrown, though, it killed nine men at once—always including a king, a royal heir, or a “plundering chieftain.”

Celtchar used the Lúin against the god who slept with his wife, and later lost his own life to the weapon. It was found abandoned on the battlefield of Mag Tuired.

4. Lugh’s Spear

Also known as Gae Assail, Lugh’s spear was, as mentioned, one of the Four Treasures of the gods, or Tuatha Dé Danann—that is, one of the four crowning achievements of their mastery of magic. Confusingly, however, it’s also said to have been stolen, on Lugh’s orders, from its original owner the King of Persia. Either way, it made Lugh unbeatable. According to the Cath Maige Tuired, an old Irish saga about the Battle of Mag Tuired, “No battle was ever won against it or him who held it in his hand.” 

One of the most important of the old Celtic gods, Lugh’s name survives in place names like Lyon in France (from Lugdunum, the “fortress of Lugh”). As a sun god, he’s compared to Apollo. He was also the grandson of Balor—the Sauron-like king who tried to kill him as a baby when a prophecy warned that Lugh would destroy him. If you’re familiar with Greek or Roman mythology, you’ll notice the parallels to the story of Kronos/Saturn devouring his sons. Similar to Zeus, Lugh escaped death and was adopted by the sea god Manannán, growing up to be the god of arts and crafts. Later, as prophesied, he killed Balor—using his magical spear. Like Thor’s hammer, it always returned to its thrower. And it never missed. 

Interestingly, while all the old gods are diminished today, Lugh has been diminished more than most. Over the years, this mighty warrior, sun god, and “Master of All Arts” became the simple fairy craftsman Lugh-chromain, or “little stooping Lugh”—a figure we now call the leprechaun.

3. Fragarach

Another of Lugh’s weapons was a sword called Fragarach, or “The Answerer.” Originally forged by the gods for Nuada, the High King of Ireland, it was meant to be wielded on the Lia Fáil stone (the “Stone of Destiny”) so that when the stone roared to confirm the true king, Fragarach would whisper in reply. 

But it did a lot more than that. It could also draw the truth from anyone’s lips, drain their strength from a distance, and penetrate all kinds of armor—including shields and walls. It also flew from the scabbard to the hand on command. And as if that wasn’t enough, this Swiss Army knife of magic swords killed anyone it struck within seconds, even if the wound was just slight. It could also control the weather.

Not being a king himself, Lugh got the sword when Nuada lost an arm fighting the Fomorians. So equipped, he rushed to the aid of the Tuatha Dé Danann, saving them from paying tribute to Balor. Again calling to mind Apollo, it’s said that when they saw him coming, Fragarach in hand, aboard the self-steering boat of a sea god, it felt like beholding a sunrise. Immediately, Lugh killed almost all the Fomorians, sparing just nine to take a message to Balor: There wouldn’t be any more tributes.

2. Caladbolg

Like all the best swords, Caladbolg passed through a number of hands—Fergus mac Róich‘s among them. This Ulster king, the greatest of all Ulster heroes, had huge genitalia, requiring seven women to satisfy him. He was also Cú Chulainn’s tutor and, in later tales, Queen Medb (Maeve)’s lover.

Swung with two hands, Caladbolg swept down whole ranks of men in a colorful arc like a rainbow. It could even alter the landscape. At the Battle of Garach, Fergus—mad with fury at his stepson Conchobar for stealing his throne—cuts down hundreds of his own men to strike at his rival. But he only manages to hit Conchobar’s shield before Cormac, Conchobar’s son, intervenes, persuading Fergus to spare his father’s life. Fergus then turns on another man present, Conall, Cú Chulainn’s twin, who grabs hold of Fergus and manages to bring him to his senses. Like a fungus-crazed berserker, however, he still had to vent his “battle-fury.” So he “smote among the hills with his rainbow-sword,” striking off the tops of three peaks—for which they became known as the maela or “flat-tops” of Meath.

The name Caladbolg literally means “hard (or crushing) lightning,” and it survives in the name of Excalibur. In fact, the two swords are thought to be one and the same. The Welsh name for Caladbolg, Caledfwlch, was Latinized to Caliburnus and later became Excalibur.

1. Balor’s Eye

Balor, king of the Fomorians, had an eye like a siege engine. It was only ever opened on the battlefield and took four men to lift up the lid. Once it was opened, not only could the eye reduce armies to ashes, it could also lay waste to whole regions. This apparently explains the islands west of Scotland, which “remain bleak and haunted to this day.”

The eye was so dangerous, in fact, that in addition to the eyelid, it was usually kept covered by seven cloaks. Removing each of these had progressively destructive effects: The first withered ferns, the second browned grass, the third heated trees, the fourth got them smoldering, the fifth got them hot, and the last two set the landscape ablaze.

Ironically, it was through this eye that Lugh killed Balor. In their fateful confrontation, the two met on the battlefield and Lugh began to speak. Balor turned to one of his men, saying “lift up mine eyelid, my lad, that I may see the babbler who is conversing with me.” Then, as soon as it was uncovered, Lugh released a stone from his sling, carrying the eye through Balor’s head and out the other side so that only his own men could see it—killing them instantly.