Bloody Philistines! But archaeologists now say they were actually highly cultured
ARCHAEOLOGISTS may have made one of the Biblical discoveries of the century after unearthing a Philistine cemetery.
Philistines due a new image following “sophisticated finds” at archaeological dig
Little is known about the Philistine people and their origins, but the excavation of an ancient cemetery is shedding new light.
In the Bible, the Philistines are depicted as the enemies of the Israelites, with a young Israeli man named David defeating the Philistine warrior, the giant Goliath, in one of the most famous Biblical tales.
However, where the Philistines came from is shrouded in mystery, but experts believe that they may have cracked the case.
In what was the first excavation of a Philistine cemetery, archaeologists found the remains of 150 people in several chambers in the Israeli port city of Ashkelon.
Archaeologists have unearthed a Philistine cemetery and found that they were cultured people
Archaeologists unearthing a Philistine cemetery
Some of the bodies still contain traces of DNA, which will help scientists decipher where the Philistine people came from.
Daniel Master, professor of archaeology at Wheaton College, said: “After decades of studying what Philistines left behind, we have finally come face to face with the people themselves.
Archaeologists have unearthed a Philistine cemetery
“With this discovery we are close to unlocking the secrets of their origins.”
Buried alongside the Philistines were small jugs which were thought to have contained perfumed oil, while some were buried with their prized possessions such as jewellery and weapons.
Over 150 people were buried there
There was even evidence that some had been cremated which was an expensive practice at the time.
Furthermore, some of the jugs contained the remains of small children.
They were buried alongside their prized possessions
The bodies were buried respectively
The team believe that this shows that the Philistines were more city-dwellers compared to the village lifestyle of the Israelites.
Archaeologist Lawrence Stager said: “The Philistines have had some bad press, and this will dispel a lot of myths.
The cemetery was found in the Israeli port city of Ashkelon.
“The cosmopolitan life here is so much more elegant and worldly and connected with other parts of the eastern Mediterranean.”
Archaeologist Adam Aja added: “This is how Philistines treated their dead, and it's the code book to decoding everything.”
Buried alongside them were small jugs which were thought to have contained perfumed oil
The Philistine people are a ‘sea people’ but their origins have remained a mystery.
However, their red and black pottery indicates that that may have stemmed from the Mycenaean civilisation of the Aegean.
Mr Master said: "What is certain is that they were strangers in the Semitic region.”