The Philistine is a representative of the ancient people who inhabited Israel in its coastal part from the 12th century. BC e. Today it is the area between modern Tel Aviv and Gaza. This people is repeatedly mentioned in the Old Testament, for the first time - in the book of Genesis. Also, information about him is available in Assyrian and Egyptian historical documents.
In the Middle East, only two nations mastered the technology of steelmaking, these are the Philistines and the Hittites. This marked the beginning of the Iron Age there. There is an assumption that the kingdom of Palestine, which in the 12-9 centuries BC. e. was in Syria, in the Amuk valley, could be related to the studied ethnic group. More about what the Philistine means will be described in the article.
Origin
There is no consensus on where this people came from. In the Bible, in the book of Genesis, it is said that the Philistines are the descendants of Kasluchim, who was the son of Mizraim, whose father was Ham. In later biblical sources, for example, in Deuteronomy, it is reported that they are of descent from the island of Kaftora, that is, Crete.
According to researchers, both versions have a right to exist. One of them settled near Mount Kasios, located east of the Nile River Delta. Later they reached the southern outskirts of Canaan, that is, to the borders of Israel. The other part is known as the "peoples of the sea." She also played a role in the creation of the ethnic group, moving to Canaan already from the island of Crete.
However, from the books of Genesis and Exodus it is known that on the lands where Abraham and Isaac lived, by the time the exodus of the Jews from Egypt occurred, the Philistines were already settled. And the territory where they lived was called the "Philistine land." There is also evidence that representatives of this nationality were residents of Crete.
Some modern scholars identify it with Pelasgians. As one version narrates, the latter were an Indo-European people. The Philistines, arriving in Canaan, acquired the characteristics of the local population after they married local women.
History
The Philistines did not create a centralized state. They formed a coalition of five policies. In Greek, it was called "Pentapolis", which means "Pentagram". This is about:
- Gaza.
- Ashdod.
- Ashkelone.
- Gefe (Gate).
- Ekrone.
Of these cities, the fifth was founded, and not conquered by the Philistines. Their attack on the Jewish lands was facilitated by the possession of technologies that became advanced for that time. This is the smelting of iron and its further processing, the production of weapons and chariots.
The advance of the Philistines was stopped by the beginning of the 10th century. BC e. During this period, a united kingdom of Israel existed among the Jews. The territory of the Philistines was reduced to the vicinity of Pyatigrad, but the struggle continued until the beginning of the 7th century. BC e. Then there was a seizure of the kingdom of Judah and the Pentapolis by Assyria.
The Philistines experienced dominance on the part of the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians. After all, they, like the Jews, were only one of the small nations. And as such, ceased to exist in the 4th century. BC e. after the conquests of Alexander of Macedon. They were destined to dissolve in the mass of the population of the Eastern Mediterranean, subjected to elimination. The cities of the Philistines in 2-1 centuries BC e. Hasmoneans conquered.
In the bible
In the Old Testament, the Philistines are opponents of the Israelites. They repeatedly conquered the Jews who lived on the banks of the Jordan River. The biblical hero Samson ended his days in the City of Gaza in a Philistine captivity. It was to resist this people that the Jews gathered under the rule of the king.
But they were defeated by the Philistines, and they took the Ark of the Covenant as a trophy. However, faced with disasters, they returned it to the Jews, since they connected their failures with him. King David began his service as a Philistine vassal. Then he, including with their help, began to reign in Hebron, and after that in Jerusalem.
In conclusion, consideration of the meaning of the word "Philistine" must be said about the culture of this nation.
Culture
The Philistine pottery is quite close to that characteristic of the Cretan-Mycenaean culture. They were the first to master the processing of iron in Canaan. Archaeologists have discovered swords, daggers, sickles, spearheads made by them, as well as ornaments and plow elements. Excavations revealed remains that indicate the consumption of beer, wine, pig meat and other animals by this people.
Among their deities, an important place belonged to Dagon. As stated in the book of Judges and in the book of Kings, temples dedicated to this god were located in Gaza and Nitrogen. And there was also worship of Baal Zebub, who is also called Beelzebub. He was revered in Ekron. Two goddesses were still popular: Astarte and Derketo.
It should be noted that there is another meaning of the "Philistine" - figurative. This is the name of an ignorant smug person who is hostile to intelligent, intelligent people.