The Quran Verse
Surah 34:10-11:
...And We made iron soft for him [David], 'Make full coats of mail and calculate the links...'
The Polemical Point: The Anachronism of Chainmail
The Science:
While David lived around 1000 BC (the early Iron Age), the "chainmail" (sābiqhāt) described in the verse—flexible armor made of interlinked rings—did not become widespread until the Celtic/Roman era (several centuries later).
The Myth:
The idea that David could "soften iron" like dough with his hands is a recurring motif in Eastern Christian and Jewish legends of the "Holy King."
Rather than reflecting the actual blacksmithing techniques of the 10th century BC (which involved casting and hammering brittle iron), the Quran describes a supernatural version of a much later technological advancement (flexible chainmail).
It presents a common 7th-century blacksmithing skill—working with iron—as a miraculous biological power of the Prophet David.