Based on archaeological evidence, it would appear that the Philistines were a complex culture and superior to their Israelite neighbors in almost all cultural aspects. At a time when the Israelite were living in small tribes in the hills, their Philistine counterparts lived in a socially stratified society with an oligarchical government, high military organization, and advanced fortifications and cult centers. Instead of keeping to themselves in a less fertile part of Palestine, the Philistines lived on the coastal plain, where they were able to maintain contact with other parts of the civilized world. These supposed Biblical “barbarians” engaged in complex metalworking and may have even helped to introduce iron to the Levant. This, in turn, may have actually provided their Israelite neighbors with iron farm implements to better exploit the hillsides for agricultural purposes (Dever 5). Iron technologies also allowed the Philistines to have greater military might. However, their skill in creating pottery with elaborate decoration also indicates that the Philistines’ cultural sophistication went beyond military pursuits. This once again provides a great contrast to their Israelite neighbors, who used plainly decorated pots for utilitarian purposes. Biblical texts often present the Philistines as a barbaric, godless civilization. However, the Bible only presents the texts from the perspective of the Israelites and, therefore, often displays a strong bias in favor of the Israelites. Many passages in the texts condemn the Philistines for brutally killing the Israelites but then praise the Israelites for carrying out similar actions against the Philistines. Others acknowledge the military prowess of the Philistines, but the authors then undermine the Philistines’ achievements by once again condemning their brutality. The Biblical authors even further discredit the Philistines' actions by rationalizing Philistine victories as a theological downfall on the part of the Israelites. While there are incidents in the Bible in which the Philistines actually aid the Israelites, the Bible often largely ignores these incidents in favor of preserving the image of the Philistines as the great antagonists and oppressors.

It seems, therefore, that the Biblical authors often chose to depict the Philistines as uncultured barbarians simply because the Philistines attempted to occupy the land that “rightfully belonged” to the Israelites. The Israelites saw themselves as “God’s chosen people” and Canaan as their “promised land” that Yahweh had given to them. The Philistines, however, represented another culture which practiced their own “pagan” religion and also did not follow traditions, such as kosher laws, which made the Israelites a distinct people (Dothan, Anch. 7). The Biblical authors, therefore, perceived the Philistines as a culture that stood in the way of their divine claim to Canaan and, therefore, also chose to go against Yahweh. As a result, the Biblical authors chose to ignore the Philistines’ cultural achievements and standing as an advanced civilization. Instead, they depicted them as a godless and barbaric culture in order to better exhibit the fact that the Philistines were intruding on their land. Thus, although the Philistines by all reliable evidence demonstrated their advanced cultural status, the Biblical authors diminished their cultural refinements in order to make them more effective villains and to elevate the cultural status of Yahweh’s “chosen people.”

Conclusions