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I WOULD LIKE THE FINAL ANSWER EMAILED, RATHER THAN POSTED. IF
INTERESTED IN PROVIDING A FINAL ANSWER, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO
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[Backround before asking the real question…]
Introduction
The Philistines figure prominently in the Old Testament, above all as
Israel's worst enemy. Their presence in southern Canaan in the days of
the last judges and the first kings was a serious threat to the
southernmost Israelite tribes in particular. After the defeats they
suffered against David, the Philistines saw their powerful position
weaken considerably, however.
In the past twenty years much has been written about the Philistines,
primarily on account of the results of recent excavations in Ashdod,
Ekron, and Ashkelon, well-known cities which together with Gath and
Gaza constituted the Philistine Pentapolis.1 The excavations have
produced new interpretations of literary sources describing the period
when the Philistines were a strong military nation, as well as a new
understanding of their culture, their origins, and their presence in
Canaan and Egypt.
It may be said in general that the theories about the origins of the
Philistines have not fundamentally changed in the course of time. The
idea that the Philistines settled themselves during the mass migration
of the 13th and 12th centuries B.C. and that they belonged to the 'Sea
Peoples', as the invaders were named in Egyptian texts, is both found
in recent and older literature.2 Recent excavations and views on
literary sources have only completed and further underpinned the
picture as far as the subject of this article is concerned.
The historical books of the Old Testament provide by far the most
details about their origins.
The Old Testament
In the Old Testament the Philistines figured frequently during the
period between judge Jephtah and the reign of king David. The
Philistines constituted a threat to southern Israel and oppressed the
Israelites notably during the days of judges Samson and Samuel. The
main reason for their expansion was the superior quality of their
weapons.3
In the days of king Saul (late 11th century B.C.) the positions of
power kept changing, but it was only during the reign of king David -
for some time a servant to Philistine king Achis - that the
Philistines were thrown back, and even lost part of their territory.
Afterwards David went so far as to incorporate many Philistine
soldiers in his army.4 Until the Babylonian Captivity of Judah their
role in history remained insignificant, and finally they disappeared
altogether from the scene. The period of their greatest influence may
be dated roughly between 1150 and 1000 B.C.
Nevertheless this was not the only period in which reference was made
to the Philistines. They are also mentioned in the book of Genesis:
first in the table of nations (Gen.10:14), as descendants of the
Casluhites, and next, in Gen.21 and 26, as being ruled by king
Abimelech of Gerar, with whom Abraham and Isaac came into contact.
Were these the same Philistines that threatened Judah seven centuries
later? Probably not. The settlement of the Philistines in the 12th
century B.C. is clearly reflected in the type of pottery and
architecture of south-western Canaan and in the historical sources
from that period, which indicate that many peoples from the North (the
Sea Peoples, and among them the 'Peleset' or Philistines) invaded the
region and even reached the very border of Egypt. Egyptian annals do
not refer to the Philistines previous to this period. Archaeological
evidence of continuous Philistine occupation of this region has not
(yet?) been found.
Of course this does not solve the question about the real identity of
the people referred to as Philistines. It is possible that trading
posts from the Minoic culture existed along the coast of Canaan
already in the days of the patriarchs. These posts and their occupants
may have become forgotten, and their name may have been replaced by
that of the Philistines, who lived in the vicinity in later days. This
could also apply to Ex.13:1718, where it is reported that the
Israelites leaving Egypt were not led on the road through the
Philistine country..... (but) by the desert road toward the Red Sea.5
Caphtor
The Old Testament also offers a clue as to the origins of the
Philistines. In Jeremiah 47:4 they are named 'the remnant from the
coasts of Caphtor', and Amos compares the exodus of Israel from Egypt
with that of the Philistines 'from Caphtor'(Am.9:7)
The question remains what exactly is meant by 'Caphtor'? Usually it is
identified with Kephtiu, which is known from Egyptian records, as well
as from Ugarit and Mari.
Caphtor is generally taken as synonymous with Crete, but also with
Cyprus and the southwest of Asia Minor. The Septuagint and other
ancient translations of the Bible identify Caphtor with Cappadocia.
The extensive literature on the subject can only be given here in
summary.6
Crete
The oldest literature about the Philistines points to Crete as their
original home. This idea is strengthened by the ancient name of the
Philistine city of Gaza: Minoah; the same name was given to several
trade stations started from Crete.7 It is furthermore known from the
Odyssee that the island was inhabited around 1200 B.C. by a variety of
peoples. An argument against Crete as the Philistines' homeland is the
fact that iron is not found there at all and copper in no more than
traces. Tin is absent as well.8 In their days the Philistines were
known for their great skill at metal working, and they guarded their
knowledge anxiously (1 Sam.13:19). This is hardly compatible with the
available evidence that Kephtiu was a copper exporting country.
Cyprus
Cyprus is named as the homeland of the Philistines especially in
recent literature. J. Strange points out that both Cyprus and the
Philistines were familiar with metallurgy at a high level and that
pottery from Cyprus strongly resembles pottery from Philistea
(Mycenaean III C:1b). It is furthermore known from literary references
that Cyprus, like Crete, was inhabited in the 13th and 12th centuries
B.C. by a variety of
peoples.9 However, the many different names given to the island in the
various cultures of that time make it very difficult to identify
Cyprus as Caphtor.10
V. Karageorghis adds to the arguments in favour of Cyprus the evidence
from excavations on the island (near Pyla and Maa): a mixed population
(from Crete, Greece and Anatolia) appears to have lived here in
fortified villages during 25 years. The inhabitants were wealthy, but
clearly preferred a defendable place over a location that favoured
trade and agriculture. After these 25 years both places were abandoned
or burnt down. Maa was rebuilt by the conquerors who also manufactured
type Myc. III C:1b pottery.11 Karageorghis moreover refers to
Cypriotic myths about Greek heroes who founded cities on the island.12
Finally, Raban and Stieglitz showed that the architecture on the
island was comparable with that of Philistea as far as the use of
ashlars (large building blocks) was concerned.
Another argument in favour of Cyprus is a definite resemblance between
Philistine and Cypriotic - Minoic writings from that period.13
The presence, though perhaps temporary, of Philistines in Cyprus or
Crete is given wider perspective if the contemporary events in this
part of the Mediterranean are also taken into consideration. Literary
references and excavations from the Late Bronze period only
demonstrate the great importance of such a widened perspective.
The Sea Peoples
It will be clear from the foregoing that a number of non-native
peoples lived in Cyprus around 1200 B.C. and that the inhabitants of
the eastern Mediterranean apparently were exposed to danger. The
reasons for this unstable situation, which lasted from c. 1300 to c.
1170 B.C., are still uncertain. Egyptian relief texts speak about 'Sea
Peoples' invading the coasts of Canaan and Egypt from the North and
destroying whole kingdoms. Possible reasons for the mass migrations of
those days could be, e.g., famine in Greece and Anatolia, invasions of
tribes from the Balkans, and earthquakes.14
Anyway, the collapse of the Hittite empire (shortly after 1200 B.C.),
the fall of Troy (1185 B.C.), and the invasions into Egypt (c. 1207
and 1175 B.C.) were all part of a major catastrophe that pushed
peoples from the North to the South and caused large devastations
among Late Bronze (c. 1550-1200 B.C.) cultures. When the mass
migrations came to a halt, Greece was left impoverished, while
prosperous and highly developed cultures seemed to have moved to the
South.15 The Philistines arrived in the south-west of Canaan in the
12th century B.C., and this marked the end of Egypt's domination over
the region. Here too Myc. III C: 1b pottery is found after their
arrival.
Egyptian reliefs in Medinet Habu tell us that the Peleset
(Philistines) were involved in the second raid on Egypt, during the
eighth year of Ramesses III (c. 1175 B.C.). It was apparently after
these raids that the Philistines settled down in the south-west of
Canaan.
Odysseus And Goliath
Homer's epic poems are now increasingly being taken to be serious
historiography. As a result of this, more connections are found
between the Greek heroes who after the fall of Troy wandered round the
eastern Mediterranean, and the Philistines. The Greek heroes wandered
about and ended up in Crete, Cyprus, Libya, and Egypt. The fight
between these wandering troupes and the Egyptians is described in
Odyssee XVII, 420-460, and XIV, 250-290, where the pirates - who came
in from Crete - destroyed Egyptian farmland, killed men and carried
off women and children. Foot-soldiers and war-chariots soon intervened
how-ever, and took vengeance.
Stager points to similarities between Greek heroes like Achilles and
Odysseus on the one hand and leading characters from the late Judges
period, viz. Goliath, Jephtah and Samson, on the other. The same could
perhaps be said of Shamgar, who put an end to an early invasion of Sea
Peoples/Philistines by means of an ox goad (Jdg. 3:31). Prominent
features are an enormous strength (Goliath, Samson), loneliness
(Samson) and the typically Greek suit of armour (Goliath).16 The
'disastrous' decisions of Jephtah could perhaps be added here.
Regardless of the way this relationship is interpreted, it can at
least be concluded that the stories from the Greek heroic age and the
Biblical history describing the period directly thereafter, viz.
1150-1000 B.C., show remarkable similarities.
The Hittites
The Hittite empire, like many Mycenaean-Greek city-states, went down
in the period of the invasions of the Sea Peoples. In the foregoing
the Philistines were mainly associated with Mediterranean islands and
the Mycenean-Greek culture. In a different theory that is certainly
worth mentioning, the Philistines are supposed to be of Hittite
origin.17 This theory, which is proposed by M. Riemschneider, is based
on the following facts:18
1) Jewish and Christian translations of the Bible from the second to
fifth century A.D. render Capthor as Cappadocia, a province within the
Hittite empire;
2) in 711 B.C. Sargon II used the name Hittites to indicate the
inhabitants of the Philistine city of Ashdod;
3) just like the Philistines in Canaan, the Hittites in Anatolia had a
monopoly on iron, which was carefully protected;
4) the Hittites called their kings 'judges' ('tarawanas'), as did the
Philistines and the tribes of Israel;
5) the Philistine principal god Dagon is also a god of the Hittites:
'Dagan-zipas', and their second god Baal-Zebub is paralleled in the
Hittite god 'Zababa' of 'Ziparwa';
6) the types of pottery we call Philistine are found every-
where along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, and thus can
hardly be used as evidence.19
Summary
The Philistines are viewed as participants in the great migration of
the period round 1200 B.C., which caused the fall of so many empires.
Belonging to the Sea Peoples, they came from the North and, possibly
through Crete or (much more likely) Cyprus, went to the South, where
they caused devastation but also established a new culture.20
Philistine pottery, architecture, military power, and certain
similarities with Homer's Greek heroes together point to Mycenaean
Greece as their homeland.21 Other facts however strongly suggest a
Hittite origin: their gods, their king-judges, and ancient
translations of the Bible which render Caphtor as Cappadocia.
Nonetheless the latter theory finds little support in recent
literature.
Anyway, the old theories about the origins of the Philistines have
remained broadly unchanged, while new excavations and
reinterpretations of ancient literary references have produced new
evidence or brought nuance in existing views.
NOTES
1. T. Dothan, Ekron of the Philistines, BAR 16, 1990, 1, p. 26-36 and
T. Dothan, What we know about the Philistines, BAR 8, 1982, p. 4,
20-44.
2. R. Kittel, Geschichte des Volkes Israel, II, Gotha 1922, p. 86-87
and A.R. Burn, Minoans, Philistines and Greek, 1400-900 B.C., London
1930, p. 145-165.
3. The struggle between Philistines and Israelites is often viewed as
a struggle between iron and bronze. It was not until King David that
the Israelites manufactured iron weapons.
4. Various heroes of David were Philistines. So e.g. Benaiah and the
Kerethites and Pelethites, David's body-guards (2 Sam. 15:18).
5. C.C. Stavleu puts forward the view that the Philistines from the
patriarchal time and those from the later days of the judges an kings
belonged to the same people. Their absence from, e.g., Egyptian
literature is understandable in view of their very small size as a
people; C.C. Stavleu, De Filistijnen in het boek Genesis, in:
Verkenningen in Genesis, Kampen 1986, p. 103-107.
6. A similar problem is presented by the very term Philistines. J.
Strange argues that the Israelites called all Sea Peoples Philistines,
whereas in Cyprus the Tjeker and Dananoi were the names remembered; J.
Strange, Capthor/Keftiu. A new Investigation, Leiden 1980, p. 165.
7. Castleden, Minoans, Life in Bronze Age Crete, London 1990, p. 122.
8. J. Strange, op. cit., p.114
9. V. Karageorghis, Exploring Philistine Origins on the Island of
Cyprus, BAR 10, 1984, p. 2, 28.
10. J. Strange, op. cit. p. 167.
11. V. Karageorghis, op. cit., p.18-27.
12. V. Karageorghis, op. cit., p.27.
13. A. Raban and R.R. Stieglitz, The Sea Peoples and their
Contributions to Civilisation, BAR 17, 1991, 6, p. 34-42, 91-92.
14. J. van Gestel, Oude Beschavingen. De Egeïsche wereld, Amsterdam
1993, p.141-143.
15. V. Karageorghis, op. cit., p. 27-28.
16. L.E. Stager, When Canaanites and Philistines ruled Ashkelon, BAR
17, 1991, p. 40-42.
17. M. Riemschneider, Die Herkunft der Philister, Acta Antiqua IV,
1956, p. 17-29.
18. Septuagint, Vulgata, Peshita and Targum; M. Riemschneider, op.
cit. p. 20.
19. It is not clear whether M. Riemschneider is referring to type Myc.
III C:1b that was found in massive quantities in Philistine cities
well after the appearance of her article.
20. The great significance of the Philistines is especially pointed
out by Karageorghis, op. cit., and Raban and Stielitz, op. cit. The
Philistines exceeded the surrounding nations in their high cultural
level. Their high standard of living and novel technology were taken
over later by Israel and the Phoenicians (Raban and Stieglitz, op.
cit., p. 42).
21. An inscription that was recently found in Ekron may provide
evidence that Achis, a Philistine king in the days of David, was named
after Anchises, the father of Aeneas from the Ilias. See: S. Gitin, T.
Dothan and J. Naveh, A Royal Dedicatory Inscription from Ekron, Israel
Exploration Journal 47, 1997, 1/2, p. 1-16.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* START OF THE QUESTION TO
ANSWER…*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*:
As is evident from the previous excerpts, there is increasing
speculation that the biblical Phoenicians have an Aegean origin.
Please look into the general questions surrounding the
Aegean/Philistine connection. As an “answer” I’m looking for a 4,000
word essay (+ or – 250 words), with parenthetical citations. While
this may seen rather daunting, included below are 4300+ words of
highly relevant notes (That’s in addition to the 2,500 word
introduction and 3 specific websites which each provide a great deal
of information. 7000+ words of notes are included in this posting
alone!) So, in short, the essay shouldn’t be too hard to compile.
Some potential angles which may be of relevance for the answer include
the following aspects…
- What strong archaeological evidence, like characteristic poetry,
Archaic Greek writing, Inscriptions in Linear B , or other artifacts
to justify the theory of the origin of Philistines from the island of
Crete?
- At the time of the arrival of the so called "sea people" in the
lowlands of the Levant and Palestine, were there any settlements of
Philistines in existence there?
- Could the Trojan War be a cause for Aegean immigration to the
Palestine coastline?
Again, remember that the primary focus of the essay is to report on
the “connections between the Aegean people and the biblical
Philistines.”
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* END OF THE QUESTION TO
ANSWER…*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*:
*** SOME RESOURCES FOR RESEARCH…
[ADDRESS]
http://omega.cohums.ohio-state.edu/hyper-lists/anc-l/02-06-01/0005.html
[NOTES]
Perhaps the best way to understand the Sea Peoples is to accept that
the name referred to an amorphous, non-unified collection of groups of
peoples who were traveling about at the fall of the Bronze Age. The
very specific "Sea Peoples" mentioned in the Medinet Habu amd Ramses
inscriptions have names which appear to relate them to the Greeks
(such as the Danunu, perhaps), and the Anatolians (such as the Lukka),
as well as others not as easy to identify. The fact is that there were
quite a few downfalls, quite a few relocations going on during this
period, makes trying to find a specific ethnic for the Sea Peoples is
rather pointless, not to mention obscuring the general brouhaha of the
times. As Trude Dothan has noted (See her and Moshe's book: People of
the Sea...), even with just one group, the Philistines, there is
already a huge mixing of cultural elements in the artefactual remains
(Mycenaean, Cypriot, Egyptian, Levantine). Perhaps it is best just to
think of the Sea Peoples as "Mediterranean Migrants".
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[ADDRESS]
http://omega.cohums.ohio-state.edu/hyper-lists/anc-l/02-06-01/0007.html
[NOTES]
-STATEMENT:-
If so, why were they so organized and forcell? Why were they able to
destroy stable civilizations (Hittite , Egypt)? It seems that Egypt
repulsed the invasion but never recovered after it.
-RESPONSE:-
The Hittite issue should, I think, be kept distinct from the Egyptian
issue. With Egypt, the original invasion was organized by the King of
Libya (going from memory, here), with the Sea Peoples serving as
mercenaries. It does not take too much initial organization on the
part of the Sea Peoples themselves to become a good fighting unit;
merely their presence and willingness and the Libyan king's ability to
arm, pay, motivate, etc. them. If you think of them as refugees who
trade their ability to fight in for arms (?), money (?), and
eventually land (as seems to be the case, as the reliefs show them
with families and carts in tow), then there is no need to have them
start out as a mighty, fighting force. Don't forget that after the
Egyptians "held off" the Sea Peoples, they hired them to occupy the
now mostly deserted southern Levant, reinforcing, in my opinion, that
notion of mercenary.
As for the Hittites... I think the question here is whether
you want to argue that "Sea Peoples" attacked the Hittites, or that
the Hitties fell to pirate raids which they grew too weak to fend off.
With the displacement of the Hittites following the collapse of the H.
Empire, you start a domino effect through the Mediterranean, with
former Hittites looking for new homes and/or sources of revenue, so
they attack mainland Greece, displacing those people, and so forth.
ooOO--OOoo
[ADDRESS]
http://omega.cohums.ohio-state.edu/hyper-lists/anc-l/02-06-01/0008.html
[NOTES]
Trude Dothan had linked some of the Sea People, the Peleset, back to
Crete as earlier art work in Crete was similar to that found in
Philistine ruins. The Greek Island civilization was looted and ruined
by some army(s) and/or navy(s) attacking the region towards the end of
the Bronze Age or early Iron Age as they had iron in some of their
early settlements dug in Israel. There was evidence the Sea Peoples
went over to Asia Minor, perhaps during a time Homer wrote about as he
was attributed with recording the names of some of the tribes of Asia
Minor who lived before his time. The confederated people of the Sea
Peoples and some of Asia Minor moved down the coast. The king of
Ugarit (Ras Shamra, Syria) recorded on clay tablets that were found in
an oven in Ugarit that some of his own ship crews who had been with
the Hittites had gone over to the Sea Peoples and they had turned to
attack him. Ugarit was destroyed perhaps as early as 1200 although one
date published was 1170. The Peleset, the Dananu, and the Sicala
(Tjeker) settled along the Israeli coast. The Dananu were assimilated
by some other group or disappeared rapidly. The Peleset were on the
south coast and were later called Philistine during Greco/Roman times.
The Sicala settled in the north near Mt. Carmel and persisted for some
time. Part of this summary was from my notes of a recent symposium by
Dr. Stieglitz of Rutgers about the Phillistines..
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[ADDRESS]
http://omega.cohums.ohio-state.edu/hyper-lists/anc-l/02-06-01/0012.html
[NOTES]
-STATEMENT:-
The Peleset, the Dananu, and the Sicala (Tjeker) settled along the
Israeli coast. The Dananu were assimilated by some other group or
disappeared rapidly. The Peleset were on the south coast and were
later called Philistine during Greco/Roman times. The Sicala settled
in the north
near Mt. Carmel and persisted for some time. Part of this summary was
from my notes of a recent symposium by Dr. Stieglitz of Rutgers about
the Phillistines..
-RESPONSE:-
I don't keep up on the literature too closely these days, as I am
working on other things, but I seem to recall an article by Yigael
Yadin (Australian Journal of Biblical Archaeology, I think, 1957?)
which made the case that the Israelite tribe of Dan had clear Aegean
affinities, or at the very least were unique compared to other
Israelite tribes in the represenatations of the early historical books
of the Hebrew Bible: Dan "abiding with the ships" in the Song of
Deborah, Samson as more Hellenic hero than Israelite judge, and
Samson's taste for riddles which recalled the Greco-Anatolian Mopsus.
Perhaps this view has fallen out of favor, but I believe the Dothans
still thought the viewpoint worth featuring in *Peoples of the Sea*.
What is the latest feeling about this?
Also, an earlier post mentioned that the Sea Peoples were organized by
the King of Libya, but I think that confuses the episode related in
the Medinet Habu inscription of Ramesses III with the attack expelled
by Merneptah some fifty years earlier, which did in fact include
Shekelesh, Ekwesh, and Peleset as well and was indeed launched from
Libya.
ooOO--OOoo
[ADDRESS]
http://omega.cohums.ohio-state.edu/hyper-lists/anc-l/02-06-01/0014.html
[NOTES]
Some believe the Sea Peoples to have come from Mycenean Greece, and to
be associated with the persistent enemies of the Jews, the
Philistines, who settled in southern Palestine, or Philistia. Among
the people mentioned in association with the Sea Peoples in the
ancient records are the Peleset (the Philistines), Tjeker, Shekesh,
Denyen, the Sikils, and Weshesh.
However, the Philistines were one part of the group called Sea Peoples
by the Egyptians, but an earlier contingent of Sea Peoples fought the
Egyptians under Pharaoh Merneptah in the late thirteenth century BC,
and Egyptian records do not list the Philistines among them. More
likely, the Philistines are related etymologically to the Pelasgians,
the native population of Greece, said to have been displaced by the
invading Danaans, usually identified with the Denyen, mentioned in the
records of Ramses III.
According to Greek mythology, the Danaans themselves were of
Phoenician or Egyptian origin. According to Greek myth, Danaus fled
Egypt with his fifty daughter, and was chased to Greece by his brother
Egyptus, and his fifty sons seeking wives. Scholars recognize that the
Sea Peoples invasion may be connected with a Danaan people, known as
the Dorians, and referred to in Greek myth as the Dorian Invasion, or
the Invasion of the Heraklids. The ancestor of the Heraklids was
Perseus, who was of known to have been of Syrian origin. The were
named after Heracles, for whom, according to Burkert, ".since
Herodotus, the equation of Herakles with the Phoenician god Melqart
has been beyond question, which is why the Melqart Pillars in the
temple at Gadeira/Cadiz became the Pillars of Hercules."
In any case, Heccataeus of Abdera, a Greek historian of the fourth
century BC, and important source to Diodorus of Sicily, set out his
view that the traditions of the Egyptian expulsion of the Hyksos, the
Israelite Exodus and that of Danaus' landing in Greece, were three
parallel versions of the same story. Referring to the Egyptians he
says:
"The natives of the land surmised that unless they removed the
foreigners their troubles would never be resolved. At once, therefore,
the aliens were driven from the country and the most outstanding and
active among them branded together and, as some say, were cast ashore
in Greece and certain other regions; their teachers were notable men,
among them being Danaus and Cadmus. But the greater number were driven
into what is now called Judea, which is not far from Egypt and at that
time was utterly uninhabited. The colony was headed by a man called
Moses." (Diodorus Siculus. XL: 3.2)
Some have recognized that the Denyen Sea Peoples may have been one of
the twelve tribes of Israelites, the tribe of Dan, or the Danites, one
of two tribes, along with the tribe of Asher, whose characteristic
mode of trade was seafaring. Furthermore, it has been proven
archeologically that the conquests by the Israelites mentioned in the
Bible, following the exodus from Egypt, took place in fact throughout
the thirteenth and twelfth century BC, coinciding with the ravages of
the Sea Peoples. Yet, as Stager mentions:
Archaeologists agree that dramatic cultural change affected not only
parts of Canaan but also much of the eastern Mediterranean at the end
of the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1200 BC). How much of that change was
brought about by the migrations and/or invasions of newcomers to
Canaan, and specifically by invading Israelites, is still an open
question. ("Forging an Identity", The Oxford History of the Biblical
World, p. 128.)
A number of sites counted among the conquests of the Sea Peoples, are
identical with those known to have been accomplished by the
Israelites. Among them, Dor, on the coast of Palestine, mentioned in
Joshua 12:23, taken by the Sikils in the twelfth century, and Aphek
mentioned in Joshua 12:18.
Even the Trojan War itself may have been a conflict between Israelites
and Hittites. The Sea Peoples were known to have devastated a broader
territory than that described in the Bible, and though such conquests
are not recounted in the Bible, the Jews were commanded to conquer all
the lands of the Canaanites and their affiliate peoples, which
included the Hittites, known to have inhabited most of Asia Minor, or
modern Turkey, and if the Pelasgians were Philistines, perhaps as far
as Greece.
Homer himself referred to the contingent of Achaeans hidden inside the
Trojan Horse as Danaans. The ancient city was located in the region
known as the land of Troy, or Troas, within which was also found, just
several kilometers to the north, the city of Abydos, named after
another city by the same name in Egypt, that had formerly been the
capital of the Hyksos.
ooOO--OOoo
[ADDRESS]
http://omega.cohums.ohio-state.edu/hyper-lists/anc-l/02-06-01/0026.html
[NOTES]
-SOME CLARIFICATION ON THE PREVIOUS LISTING:-
> Some believe the Sea Peoples to have come from Mycenean Greece
They do. But the term 'believe' is not accurate, as it tends to imply
that this is an opinion unsupported by any evidence, while there is in
fact such evidence: the pottery of the Philistins has Mycenean
similarities, some words in the Hebrew text of the Bible can be traced
to Greek origins (Philistins, Anakim, makera (sword), kurranos
(tyrrant), koba (helmet). Also EUAIOI (Hivites) in the LXX, considered
as Greeks, is an Indoeuropean name.
> Tjeker
They could be related to the TEUKRIDES (Tefkrides), a Greek tribe.
TEUKROS (Tefkros) was the founder of Salamis in Kypros.
> According to Greek mythology, the Danaans themselves were of
Phoenician or Egyptian origin. According to Greek myth, Danaus fled
Egypt with his fifty daughter
The 50 daughters of Danaos were not the Danaans, but the DANAIDAI,
Danaids or Danaeads (or whatever form this name has taken in English).
This can be see from something you also written:
> the Pelasgians, the native population of Greece, said
> to have been displaced by the invading Danaans,
This implies that the Danaans must have came from a direction
appropriate to push the Pelasgians to the coast of Syria, Canaan and
then to Egypt. So, if the Pelasgians were pushed as far as Egypt, it
is rather difficult that those who pushed them came from there.
I don't recall having met the term 'invasion' before.
> a Danaan people, known as the Dorians
Actually, DANAOI (Danaans) was a collective name for the Greeks. The
Dorians were one of the main Greek tribes. Another name was ACAIOI
(Achaeans). Later, they became known as ELLHNES (Hellenes), GRAIKOI
(Greeks), RWMHOI (Romans, Rum), then back again to ELLHNES after the
Greek Revolution of 1821...
What is know in English as "Beware of the Greeks even bearing gifts"
it is known in Greek as "beware of the Danaans": FOBOU TOUS DANAOUS
KAI DWRA FERONTAS.
> and referred to in Greek myth as the Dorian Invasion
(Actually: 'the KAQODOS of the Dorians' the Descent of the Dorians.)
Well, I'm not (*yet*!!) an expert on Greek history and myths. But
then, I will be surprised if the historical evidence included in the
Greek myths was so much as to include not only a panoramic, total
picture of the events at the fall of the Mycenean era, but even a
special term for these events. And still further, a term describing
things in a historical rather than mythological way.
> it has been proven archeologically that the conquests by the
Israelites mentioned in the Bible, following the exodus from Egypt
Indeed, there is archeological evidence for the destruction of sites
in Palestine at the end of Late Bronze period. But are you claiming as
proved that these events were conquests, eventually by a newcomer to
Canaan? And, mainly, that they happened _after an Exodus from Egypt?_
As far as I know, this is not so.
> Even the Trojan War itself may have been a conflict between
Israelites and Hittites.
It sounds shocking and interesting. But how can we base it?
> The Sea Peoples were known to have devastated a broader territory
than that described in the Bible...
The Bible makes no reference to Sea People --or to an area devastated
by them. But it does include evidence which we interpret as having to
do with Sea People. So, anything about Sea People is our modern
interpretation.
> ...and though such conquests are not recounted in the Bible, the
Jews were commanded to conquer all the lands of the Canaanites and
their affiliate peoples, which included the Hittites, known to have
inhabited most of Asia Minor, or modern Turkey, and if the Pelasgians
were Philistines, perhaps as far as Greece.
The Bible is not a book of history, it is not a recording of
historical events. Rather, it is an effort to explain and justify
events later than the historical time attributed to the explaining or
justifying event.
But then, the Jews weren't actually "commanded to conquer all the
lands of the Canaanites and their affiliate peoples". They were (ok,
supposedly) commanded to conquer the Land of Canaan, which was the
land of these and these peoples.
The Bible gave itself more than a few chances to describe the area of
this Promised Land. And the description was "from Dan to Beersheba",
meaning: 'all the land'. (But there is also "from the great river
[Euphrates] to the river of Egypt"). The available evidence allows
only the understanding that Hittites, for example, are reffered
because some of them lived in Canaan, not because all the land
inhabited by them was to be conquered.
> Homer himself referred to the contingent of Achaeans hidden inside
the Trojan Horse as Danaans.
Homer uses many times the name Danaans. It was one of the names for
the Greeks. Why make a special point from the refference to the Trojan
Horse?
> the land of Troy, or Troas, within which was also found, just
several kilometers to the north, the city of Abydos, named after
another city by the same name in Egypt, that had formerly been the
capital of the Hyksos.
Are you implying that Abydos was built by the Sea People, after they
flew from Egypt? But, isn't your proposal that the Sea Peoples were
those not defending but attacking Troy?
Abydos is reffered in Iliad, rapsody II836, IV500, XVII584.
ooOO—Oooo
[ADDRESS]
http://omega.cohums.ohio-state.edu/hyper-lists/anc-l/02-06-01/0009.html
[NOTES]
There are a number of theories about the origins of the Sea Peoples.
It is true that Gordon thought they (the Philistines) were Semites and
that they spoke a Semitic language, but most scholars disagree. They
do acknowledge, however, that they acculturated to the prevailing
Canaanite world and did adopt a Semitic language (with strong
affinities to Hebrew) while still retaining some words of the parent
language.
Singer sums up the current state of research :
"Clear evidence for the origins of the Sea Peoples is still missing
(survey of views in Singer 1988). Disregarding some farfetched
theories, the admissible views may be roughly classified according to
three main geographical zones. (a) The N Balkans, particularly Illyria
on the Adriatic coast; the "Illyrian theory" is related with the
identification of the Philistines (*Palaisti may be the original form
of the name) with the Pelasgoi (sometimes spelled Pelastoi) of the
classical sources, a pre-Hellenic people who inhabited the Balkans and
the Aegean regions (Lochner-Hüttenbach 1960). (b) The W Aegean region,
i.e., Greece, the Aegean islands, and Crete; this theory relies on
archaeological (mainly ceramic) comparisons and on the biblical
tradition, which brings the Philistines from the island of Caphtor,
i.e., Crete. (c) The E Aegean, i.e., Anatolia and the offshore
islands. This view, which is gaining increasing acceptance, is
supported by the most solid and diversified evidence. (1) At least two
out of the nine Sea Peoples mentioned in the Egyptian sources are
undoubtedly located in Anatolia-the Lukka in Lycia and the Danuna in
Cilicia; a third group, the Trs, is probably related to the Tyrsenoi
(and biblical Tiras), who, according to Herodotus, migrated from Lydia
to Etruria. (2) The few traces of Philistine words (seren, q/kobah)
and names (Goliath, Achish) appear to be etymologically connected with
Anatolian languages. (3) The Hittite texts provide ample evidence for
serious upheavals in SW Anatolia (the Lukka lands) in the second half
of the 13th century b.c., which can clearly be related with the
emergence of the Sea Peoples (Singer 1983). (4) Some of the classical
traditions on W Anatolian heroes who trekked eastward and eventually
settled in Cyprus and the Levant (Teucros, Mopsus) may reflect dim
echoes of the migratory movements of the Sea Peoples (Schachermeyr
1982).
Although the focal point of the turbulence appears to have been in SW
Anatolia (still a poorly explored region), the 'tidal waves' soon
affected the neighboring regions and disrupted the authority of the
Hittite and the Mycenaean empires. The major cause for the economic
and political breakdown, which motivated large populations to migrate,
was probably the severe food shortage, amply documented in
contemporary Near Eastern texts and also echoed in the classical and
biblical sources. Whereas some of the Sea Peoples poured down along
the Levantine coast in search of land and food, others turned westward
and sailed as far as Sardinia (Serdani), Sicily (Sikila or Skls), and
Etruria (Trs/Tyrsenoi). Archaeological evidence from the central
Mediterranean, particularly from Sardinia, confirms the classical
traditions on these movements (Sandars 1978, chap. 4). Quite extensive
in itself, the diaspora of the Sea Peoples represents only a fraction
of much larger population drifts, which encompassed vast territories
in the E Mediterranean, the Balkans, Asia Minor, and the Levant, and
radically changed the face of these regions in the transition from the
Bronze Age to the Iron Age (see summaries in Deger-Jalkotzy 1983).
Contrary to traditional views which conceived of the Sea Peoples as
barbarian raiders spreading ruin and chaos, modern historical and
archaeological research increasingly appreciates their cultural role
in the merging of the Indo-European civilizations of the Aegean realm
with the Semitic cultures of the Levant.
Bibliography
Alt, A. 1944. Ägyptische Tempel in Palästina und die Landnahme der
Philister. ZDPV 67:1-20. Repr. KlSchr 1:216-30. Astour, M. C. 1965.
New Evidence on the Last Days of Ugarit. AJA 69:253-58. Barnett, R. D.
1975. The Sea Peoples. CAH3 2:359-70. Brug, J. F. 1985. A Literary and
Archaeological Study of the Philistines. Oxford.
Bryce, T. R. 1974. The Lukka Problem-and a Possible Solution. JNES
33:395-404.
Deger-Jalkotzy, S., ed. 1983. Griechenland, die Äqäis und die Levante
während der "Dark Ages" vom 12. bis zum 9. Jh. v. Chr. Wien. Dothan,
T. 1982. The Philistines and their Material Culture. Jerusalem.
Dothan, T., and Gitin, S. 1987. The Rise and Fall of Ekron of the
Philistines: Recent Excavations at an Urban Border Site. BA
50:197-222. Güterbock, H. G. 1981. The Hittites and the Aegean World:
Part 1. The Ahhiyawa Problem Reconsidered. AJA 87:133-43.
Karageorghis, V., and Muhly, J. D., eds. 1984. Cyprus at the Close of
the Late Bronze Age. Nicosia.
Lehmann, G. A. 1970. Der Untergang des hethitischen Grossreiches und
die neuen Texte aus Ugarit. UF 2:39-73.
---. 1979. Die Sikalayu: Ein neues Zeugnis zu den "Seevölker"
Heerfahrten im späten 13. Jh.V.Chr. (RS 34.129). UF 11:481-94.
Lochner-Hüttenbach, F. 1960. Die Pelasger. Vienna.
Macalister, R. A. S. 1911. The Philistines. London. Repr. Chicago,
1965.
Malamat, A. 1971. The Egyptian Decline in Canaan and the Sea Peoples.
WHJP
3:23-38; 294-300.
Mazar, A. 1985. The Emergence of Philistine Culture. IEJ 35:95-107.
Mazar, B. 1971. The Philistines and Their Wars with Israel. WHJP
3:164-79; 324-25.
---. 1986. The Philistines and the Rise of Israel and Tyre. Pp. 63-82
in The Early Biblical Period. Historical Studies. Jerusalem.
Müller-Karpe, H., ed. 1977. Geschichte des 13. und 12. Jahrhunderts v.
Chr. (Jahresbericht des Instituts für Vorgeschichte der Universität
Frankfurt A.M. 1976.). Frankfurt.
Nelson, H. H. 1930, 1932. The Earliest Historical Records of Ramses
III, Medinet Habu. 2 vols. Chicago.
Sandars, N. K. 1978. The Sea Peoples. London. Schachermeyr, F. 1980.
Griechenland im Zeitalter der Wanderungen. Vienna. ---. 1982. Die
Levante im Zeitalter der Wanderungen. Vienna. Singer, I. 1983. Western
Anatolia in the Thirteenth Century b.c. According to the Hittite
Sources. AnSt 33:205-17.
---. 1985a. The Beginning of Philistine Settlement in Canaan and the
Northern Boundary of Philistia. TA 12:109-22. ---. 1985b. The Battle
of NihÉriya and the End of the Hittite Empire. ZA
75:100-23.
---. 1987. Dating the End of the Hittite Empire. Hethitica 8:413-21.
---. 1988. The Origin of the Sea Peoples and Their Settlement on the
Coast
of Canaan. Pp. 239-50 in Society and Economy in the Eastern
Mediterranean
(c. 1500-1000 B.C.), ed. M. Heltzer and E. Lipinski. OLA. Louvain.
Strobel, A. 1976. Der Spätbronzezeitliche Seevölkersturm. Berlin.
Young, D. Y., ed. 1981. Ugarit in Retrospect. Winona Lake, IN.
Itamar Singer
Freedman, David Noel, ed., The Anchor Bible Dictionary, (New York:
Doubleday) 1997, 1992.
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Sea People, from: http://i-cias.com/e.o/sea_people.htm
People or clans of seafarers that invaded eastern Anatolia, Syria,
Palestine, Cyprus and Egypt in the 2nd millenium BCE. The exact ethnic
origin, culture and language is not known.
The Sea People could well be a branch of another people of the region,
and there have been several suggestions to this: Ekmesh (a name the
Hittites used for the Ahhiyawa), Teresh, Tyrrhenians (ancestors of the
Estruscans), Sardinians, Shekelesh of Sicily or Pelest. Another theory
is that they could have been a deserted army, or even survivers after
a lost war. Another third theory point at the rise of the Sea People
to the first fall of the city Troy in Asia Minor around 1250 BCE (the
famous battle with the Troyan Horse is a later battle, possibly 60-70
years later).
Despite their name, their main military campaigns were overland. The
started near Ugarit (its location corresponds to modern Latakia,
Syria) and continued south, until they ran into Egyptian forces.
The Sea People are known for waging 2 wars against Egypt which
probably had disastrous effects on the Egyptian society. But other
great states were even worse hit, like the Hittite kingdom, which was
destroyed.
We have received important information on the Sea People, principally
what they looked like, from Egyptian temple reliefs, like the temple
of Ramses 3 at Medinatu Habu near Luxor.
When the Sea People attacked different countries, they attacked
capitals and cities important to administration. In these cities they
destroyed government buildings, palaces and temples, while leaving
residential areas and the surrounding countryside untouched. By doing
this, they destroyed the local leadership, and could win fairly easy
victories.
The Sea People were in almost all ways a negative and destructive
force for the region. Even if the Sea People destroyed much through
their campaigns, it is believed that they were the founders of the
Philistine and Phoenician civilizations, which soon grew to some of
the most important forces in the eastern Mediterranean.
HISTORY
1231 BCE: The Sea People attacks Egypt, and fights the forces of King
Merneptah. According to the Victory Stela found near Thebes, the Sea
People consisted of the following peoples or clans: Shardana, Lukka,
Meshwesh, Teresh, Ekwesh and Shekelesh. While Merneptah claimed
victory over the Sea People, this is perhaps not true, since Egypt
entered a period of much internal unrest following this battle,.
Early 12th century: The Sea People sacks the city of Ugarit. The
destruction by them, was so heavy that Ugarit was abandoned forever.
— Attacks from the Sea People, brings the Hittite kingdom to its final
end. The power of the kingdom had deteriorated for decades, but it is
believed that it was the Sea People that hit the final strike. But the
Sea People attacked other countries too, like Kizzuatna, Carchemish,
Arzawa and Alasiya.
1191 BCE: Attack on Egypt, where the Sea People meet the forces of
king Ramses 3.
1881 CE: The term 'Sea People' is introduced by the French
Egyptologist Gaston Maspero.
IN ADDITION TO THE NOTES LISTED ABOVE, HERE IS A LISTING OF GREAT
SOURCES:
-*-*- http://www.mediasense.com/athena/philistines.htm
-*-*- http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~maeira/word_files/philistines.htm
-*-*- www.fas.harvard.edu/~semitic/wl/white_levy_dothan.html
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