THE PHILISTINES

    As a Christian I tried to figure out the Philistine claim to the land that is known as Israel. In the Bible, the map shows Palestine. Like many others I assumed Palestinians and the Philistines were the same people. Research proves me wrong. 

The Philistines were not even from that area. They were the people from the Greek isles. They were not Arabs but they were the ancient enemies of the Israelites. 

The Philistines

People make the assumption that Philistines and Palestinians are the same. It is based on a similar root word. It is widely accepted because a lot of sites on the internet state it like a fact. It is done on some credible sites which helps people to accept it as a truth. Predictive text replaces the name Philistine with Palestine. But this is part of a jihad using the pen. The media is manipulated and the algorithms are manipulated to promote this lie.

When I research and read up on the Philistines I have to remind myself that when they say Palestine as a land or people they really mean Philistine. The average person will not know this and will be misinformed.  This is identity theft of a dead man. Because God wiped them out. God is true to His word. I cannot call myself a Christian  if I did not believe this.

Many people doubt the accuracy of the Bible but it is usually proven right. The first reference to the Philistines, that was not Biblical, was in the  annals of the Assyrian king Adad-nirari III (810–782). He had collected tribute from Philistia. 

I find that it is very strange that there are no documents in the Philistine language. A people who were around for hundreds of years. The Enclopaedia Britannica says that all of it was replaced possibly by Canaanite, Aramaic, and, later, Greek. The Philistines were not the same as the Canaanites.

Even the First Nation People who traveled through the Caribbean left artefacts dating back to their settlement on the islands. That was more than 4,000 years ago. They were not even into writing. Obviously the Philistine people were wiped out along with the evidence of the people's existence. Who killed them? Why? God wanted to wipe them out. They committed many sins.

Further to this the little artefacts found where the Philistines lived e.g. Ashdod, Ekron and Tel Qasile proves that they were from the Aegean area. Although they were absorbed or conquered by others in later years, e.g. Babylon. 

The Encyclopaedia goes on to say the Philistine gods mentioned in other sources were Dagan, Ashteroth (Astarte), and Beelzebub. They had Semitic names and were probably borrowed from the conquered Canaanites. The main point here is that the religion they followed was not Islam nor was it Judaism. 

The word Philistine itself means invade. If they are invaders then the land did not belong to them. They were known as invaders from the sea. Egyptian records as far back as 1100s BC refers to them as the Sea People. Why is the name Palestine then used to reference the Philistines? 

It is said that the root of the names are similar. I am no scholar but if they are the same then they are invaders.  The assumed root name of palash פלש is common to both. Philistine (פלשתי) literally means one belonging to Philistia (פלשת). 

Palestine means dirt people who rolled around, peleshet or were migratory or roamed the land. Another meaning for Palestine is land of grief-stricken dust-rollers, land of tunnel diggers (have to chuckle here). It is as easy as forgetting a comma I think. But what an important comma!

 

A terror tunnel in Gaza destroyed by Israel in the May 2021 war

Hamas tries to dig out terrorist members from
terror tunnels destroyed by Israel, May 2021 

Body of Special Forces Hamas member is
dug out of a terror tunnel in Gaza, May 2021

Palestinians could not be the Sea People. I once read an article written by someone who claimed the name Palestine was lent to the Philistines. There is no documentation of this. 

Additionally, history tells us that Emperor Hadrian changed the name of Judea and Jerusalem. He used Palestine for the name of the land and proceeded to change it on every map and document he had. The name Palestine referred to Jews at that time even in the early 20th century. 

Canaan

The Philistines lived alongside the Canaanites in Israel. Sometimes they are confused as being the same people. Now Canaanites were a very diverse people. Kind of like the diversity seen today in multi-cultural societies. 

Canaanites were the sons of Ham, Genesis 10. They were in the land that had tall people. The land of Rephaim. Deuteronomy 2:20-21, 9:2, tells us that there were other occupiers before the Canaanites and that they were tall. There were always giants in the land it seems. 

Giants were among the Canaanites and the Philistines. Some historians believe that they were scattered in different parts of Israel. By the time of Moses they already had a reputation. Caleb and the spies all knew about them.

 נִפְרְד֞וּ (nip̄·rə·ḏū) Nifal means to spread, breakthrough or to separate. It is used two times in the Bible in the same chapter 

From these the coastland peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations. Genesis 10:5. 

The word is used to create a distinction between these descendants as sea people and the other descendants. It cannot be a coincidence that when God saw the evil in the land during the time of the nephilim and the giants, He flooded the earth and kept separate the same tribes that would have the giants living among them. 

Canaan and the descendants of the Philistines fought against Judah and today, the people who claim to be descendants of the Philistines are fighting against them. Can this be coincidence? Is it any surprise that Noah cursed Canaan for exposing his nakedness? That curse has maintained a separation to this day. 

I pray that you see the truth. I pray that you are not caught by the net of lies and deceptions of the devil in Jesus name. 

If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour you may say this prayer;

Dear Heavenly Father,

I ask you to forgive my sins in knowledge or ignorance. Please forgive me. I accept Jesus as my Saviour. I ask that Jesus comes into my life as I live to be a witness for Him. Please change my life and make me into the person you want me to be, in Jesus name I pray. Thank you.

Thank you Behold Israel