Sea Peoples

It's been a while since I looked at the book A Visual Guide to Bible Events, and this time I read about Samson and the Philistines. The chapter actually answered some questions I have had for a couple of years while doing research for a book.

In that time, I watched a program (which I can't remember the name of) that spoke about people hiding in caves to get away from the "sea people". The producers of the program didn't know who these people were. Only that they were greatly feared because of their ruthlessness. It was the first time I had heard the term sea people. And since I didn't use the internet to try to find the answer, it's been a puzzle for me. That is until I read the chapter mentioned above.

So, here's a quick synopsis of the chapter's short summary. The Canaanite people had strategically placed towns along the Mediterranean coastline. About the same time as the Israelites return comes a strong, highly militarized people with advanced weaponry attacking from the sea. The Canaanite cities are destroyed and the new people erect cities of their own. These people were called the Philistines by the Hebrews. But to the Egyptians, according to Mazar in Archaelogy of the Land of the Bible, they were also known as the "Sea Peoples". Bingo. Question answered.

And as far as Samson is concerned, his actions angered the Philistines over and over again. See Judges 13-16. Personally, I would have loved to have seen the fox episode. Can you picture foxes tied together by their tails? Now try to picture a lit torch tied between their tails. I can see them jumping and trying to pull away from each other. Then Samson sets the foxes free to run in the fertile fields of the Sorek Valley. And how many foxes did he tie up? Three hundred! Good-bye crops.

Samson wasn't a perfect man, but you have to admire the strength and ability to do such a feat. Most people remember him more for his encounter and demise through Delilah. But, ultimately his greatest victory came at his death when he pulled an entire building down on all the leaders of the Philistine people.

Did this stop the Philistines? No. When Saul and David come into the picture of Israel's history, the Philistines are still hanging around. Remember Goliath? Now you understand why the Israelites were very hesitant about engaging in fighting these feared people. Albeit they forgot they had God on their side.

The Philistines, or sea people, were a tough group to get rid of. And while they lived in varying stages of peace with the Israelites, they continually fought over control of the Sorek Valley. I'm not sure what happened to the Philistines in the end. Perhaps it was the Babylonians or Assyrians who finally destroyed their power. But by the time of the New Testament the fierce Philistines were replaced by the even tougher and more organized Romans.