13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
You'll think twice before calling someone a Philistine..., May 27, 2003
This review is from: People of the Sea: The Search for the Philistines (Hardcover)
It is part of our culture to call those we consider to be lacking in culture a 'Philistine'. This, of course, is a derivative of a biblical reference, and for the past 4000 years of so, the Philistines have been a mysterious people about whom not much was known, save that they were supposedly uncultured.
This, however, is a very distorted view, primarily due to the fact that the Philistines, being in close competition with the tribes of Israel for the same piece of real estate, were viewed as foreign, alien, and the enemy. Eventually the united tribes of Israel won out over the Philistines, and wrote the primary historical references we have about their foe, and thus, we get the victor's view--and in Biblical times, it was quite traditional that any enemy be seen as devoid of redeeming features.
In fact, there are still no examples of Philistine writing that have been found--rather curious, considering the large settlements (cities, in fact) that have been discovered that would be of Philistine origin or population. Could it be that this group was, as a people, illiterate? This is very remote possibility, but still has to be considered.
There is a problem with determining the origin of the Philistines, too. There are two different origins ascribed to them. In the biblical record, the Philistines are included among 'the sons of Egypt' (Gen. 10:14) as well as in Ezekiel, the are linked to an obscure tribe called the Cherethites (Ez 25:16), which is related to the inhabitants of the isle of Caphtor (Jeremiah 47:4), which is unknown. Of course, it makes sense that the Israelites first encounter with the Philistines would have been in Egypt, for the Sea Peoples settled in various spots along the south-eastern Mediterranean, and there are references on Egyptian stelae and battle-monuments to Sea Peoples most likely kin to, if not in fact, the Philistines.
Of course, the Semitic root of the word Philistine (p-l-sh) also is the root of the words 'to wander' and 'to invade'. Pottery evidence shows similarities to technique and design for pottery making to that of other late Mycenaean peoples, pointing once again to a sea-origin for the Philistines. It is likely that the Philistines were invaders and marauders (similar to the Danes and Vikings of early English history) who eventually settled in relatively safe coastal lands (having been fairly definitively defeated in their attempts to enter Egypt by Ramesses II).
Interestingly, while most biblically-referenced Philistine cities have been located, not all have; likewise, Philistine settlements and even one city with no biblical references have been found. Trude and Moshe Dothan, both archaeologists of note with particular interest in the Philistines, put together this wonderful book based on their own researches and field work. High praise goes to archaeologists who take the time to publish their findings; it is a great scandal of the profession today that so much research goes unpublished, awaiting an archaeology of a different sort by future generations who try to resurrect the work using libraries rather than sand brushes.
The Dothans explore the tomb evidence, the ruins of settlements and cities, the pottery fragments, as well as reported histories and possible references from sources both biblical and extra-biblical. From these, we discern a culture quite different from the typical biblical diatribe.
+ The Philistines had a refined sense of art, that combined Greek, Minoan, and Egyptian styles with innovations of their own, in architecture, religious icons, pottery, and burial practices.
+ The artistic designs of the Philistines were actually quite beautiful by any standards.
+ As a city people, the Philistines were concerned for and maintained good economic relationship along trade routes (a common concern this part of the world) as well as among the people in the countryside, with whom they largely lived in peaceful cooperation.
+ Social stability remained high among the Philistines, and declined more or less with the general Mycenaean decline.
+ The Philistines were not a homogeneous group, but were used to diversity of ethnicities in their cities.
+ Most likely the Philistines were not finished off by the tribes of Israel, but rather the same rise of Assyria and Babylon which destroyed Israel and Judah sounded the death knell for the Philistines as well.
This fascinating book will cause the reader to re-evaluate all previous notions of who the Philistines were. Rich with detailed drawings, maps, and archaeological/architectural renderings, including plates of photographs (including my personal favourites, the bichrome pottery ware with typical bird motif from Ashdod), this book is a fun and educational tour of a largely ignored people who have more significance than would appear at first glance.
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"It's Good To Be A Philistine", July 21, 2002
This review is from: People of the Sea: The Search for the Philistines (Hardcover)
This small work is monumental in its implications. Trude and her husband Moshe (now deceased) summarize their work in excavating Ashdod in modern Israel. They draw upon their many years of hands-on, field work as well as the efforts of others.
Ashdod was one of the five cities of the Philistine "pentapolis" so-called.
Students of the huge turmoil in the Mediterranean of the 1300-1100 BCE period will find this a must read. The Dothan's work along with the work of others clearly suggest that this period in human history may have been the most significant in human time for Egypt, the Levant, Crete, Cyprus and all of the Aegean islands and the associated peoples. The Greeks, Hittites, Mycenaeans, Phonecians, Hebrews, Assyrians, Egyptians and not the least, the Philistines, were all dramatically effected. The impact of these enormous movements and cultural shifts is with us today.
The Dothans conclude that the Philistines, as one of the "sea peoples," --one that is not necessarily ethnically homogeneous-- settled peaceably in some parts of Palestine and farmed and produced crafts, both similar to and different from, those they brought with them; their locally produced pottery incorporated motifs from the entire region. Their entry was not a matter of brutal conquest and destruction of all the settled inhabitants they encountered. Philistine influence is clearly shown to have reached well beyond the immediate environs of the "five cities."
A special bonus incorporated into "People of the Sea" is the discussion of Yigael Yadin's ideas about a group of people from the sea that became one of the "tribes" of Israel or almost so. Most readers will find this discussion fascinating.
This is a highly readable account of the Dothan's research. Few can quarrel with the thoroughness of the work on which the findings are based. One might quarrel with what is surely one if not the most important conclusions only because it is too subtly stated! The Philistines were deliberately characterized by their neighbors as other than what they truly were. The Bible projects infamy, the facts otherwise.
The Philistines were both accomplished and sophisticated contributors to the cultures of the Levant. This reviewer suspects the work of the Dothans will stand for a long time. Their goal was surely not to expose the Judean writers and editors of the Old Testament as political propagandists. But there it is.
7-21-2002 psb
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
How we learned what we do know about the Philistines, April 20, 2010
This review is from: People of the Sea: The Search for the Philistines (Hardcover)
In this interesting book, two of the preeminent authorities on the Philistines, husband and wife archaeologists Moshe and Trude Dothan, discuss the Sea Peoples in general, and the Philistines in particular. The book takes the form of a history of the knowledge about the Philistines, focusing particularly on the digs and discoveries of the Dothans.
First off, I must admit that I was rather disappointed with this book. I was looking for a book that would give an organized explanation of what is known about the Philistines. The book is somewhat of that, but the way it explains what is known by when it was discovered gives you a somewhat disjointed review of the information. As such, as a book about the Philistines it is a disappointment.
However, the book never was intended to be a book strictly about the Philistines. Instead, what it aims to be is a memoire of the Dothan's experiences and discoveries, and it certainly does hit the target it aims at.
As such, if you want to learn more about the Philistines, who they were and what they did, then this is probably not the best book to start with. If, on the other hand, you are interested in archaeology, and how we learned what we do know about the Philistines, then this is definitely the book for you. It's all down to what you want in a book.
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