Who were the Philistines?
"The day has come to destroy all the Philistines. The time has come to remove all those who could help Tyre and Sidon. I am about to destroy the Philistines. I will not leave anyone alive who came from the coasts of Crete" (Jeremiah 47:4).
"Once again the Israelites did what was evil in the sight of the LORD. So the LORD handed them over to the Philistines for 40 years" (Judges 13:1).
The Philistines were an angry and strong people group, who were constantly attacking God's people.The Philistines lived in the area between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River. Many people knew them as the “Sea Peoples.” The first account of the Philistines is found in the book of Genesis. They are recorded in the Table of Nations (Genesis 10:14). They are also known to have come in contact with both Abraham and Isaac as early as 2000 BC.
The Philistines were constantly moving and relocating. Their main plan was to overtake all other armies and be the strongest of all nations. At times, the Philistines were allies to God's people, yet most of the time, the Philistines were enemies. The Philistines were active in the lives of Samuel, Samson, and David.
The Old Testament indicates that the Philistines worshiped three gods: Ashtoreth, Dagon, and Baal-Zebub—each of which had shrines in various cities (Judges 16:23; 1 Samuel 31:10; 2 Kings 1:2).
The Philistines disappeared into Canaanite culture. Due to this happening, they no longer appear in later biblical accounts.
