Philistines

The Hebrew term for “Philistine” (pelishti) occurs often in the Old Testament. The original etymology of the word is unknown. It is likely that the Philistines were one of the original Sea Peoples who left their coastal homes in Greece, Asia Minor, and the Aegean Islands (including Crete) and invaded along the eastern Mediterranean coast. They also attempted to settle on the Egyptian coast, but Rameses III repelled them (circa 1190 bc).

The Old Testament records some of the Philistines came from Crete (Caphtor; Jer 47:4; Amos 9:7) before settling in southwestern Canaan, near the Mediterranean coast. The Philistines dominated the region with five fortified cities: Gaza, Gath, Ekron, Ashkelon, and Ashdod. Each of these cities was governed by what the Hebrew text calls a seren, or “lord.”

The Philistines were the primary adversaries of Israel circa 1200–1000 bc. Unlike the Hebrew people, they did not practice circumcision (Judg 14:3) and were more technologically advanced than the Hebrews, having learned the art of working with iron tools and weapons (compare 1 Sam 13:19–20). Their knowledge of iron gave them the ability to make chariots: formidable weapons of war that allowed them to dominate the coastal plains. These chariots, however, were ineffective in the mountainous regions of central Israel. As a result, the Philistines were unable to dislodge their Israelite neighbors.

Little is known of the Philistine language. An inscription found at Ekron suggests that by the seventh century bc they may have developed their own distinctive dialect of Canaanite. The pottery of the Philistines is particularly well known, primarily because of its distinctive shapes and colors. Typical shapes include the globular pilgrim jar, the high-stemmed kylix, the pyriform jar, the squat pyxis, and the popular stirrup jar. The pottery was usually decorated with red and black motifs.

The Philistines’ chief god was Dagon, who was sometimes referred to as the father of Baal. Dagon was often represented as a human head with the body of a fish and was worshiped in Mesopotamia as a grain god. Ashtoreth was the Philistine goddess of love and a consort of Baal. Ashtoreth, also known as Astarte, represented the counterpart of the Babylonian goddess Ishtar and the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Baal-zebub was the patron god of Ekron (compare 2 Kgs 1:2–3). His name, meaning “lord of the flies,” likely represents a derogatory version of Baal-zebul, meaning “lord Baal” or “Baal the prince.” Notable Philistines mentioned in the Old Testament include Goliath (1 Sam 17) and Achish (1 Sam 21:10–15).

Israel P. Loken

Further Reading

Philistines CLBD

Sea Peoples CLBD

Ekron CLBD

Dagon CLBD

Ashtoreth CLBD

Philistines EDB

Baal Zebub