# What ever happened to the Philistines? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 4, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ever-happened-to-the-philistines/363204 "2006-07-04T21:19:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ever-happened-to-the-philistines/363204/1 "2006-07-04T21:19:47Z")
The [Philistines](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philistines) were a people who figure prominently in the Old Testament as enemies of the Hebrews. They were one of the “Sea Peoples,” probably of Mycanaean Greek origin, who around 1150 B.C. settled in southwestern Canaan – the region we now call the Gaza Strip, but in ancient times known as “Philistia” (from which comes the name “Palestine” for the whole of Canaan). That much is as well known as anything from Bronze Age history can be known. But – what happened to them? When did they cease to exist as a culture? Was it before or after the Babylonians conquered Judea? ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ever-happened-to-the-philistines/363204/2 "2006-07-04T21:24:30Z")
David killed the big guy with a rock (which really wasn’t all that amazing) and the Philistines went into a tailspin, never to be heard from again. ;j ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ever-happened-to-the-philistines/363204/3 "2006-07-04T21:25:56Z")
Tsk. I’m always doing this . . . Mods, please move thread to GQ. ---
**Author:** ![Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Alive\_At\_Both\_Ends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alive_At_Both_Ends)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ever-happened-to-the-philistines/363204/4 "2006-07-04T22:29:35Z")
I always assumed the Philistines are today’s Palestinians. In Arabic, Palestine is pronounced “Falasteen”, which is close enough to “Philistine”. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ever-happened-to-the-philistines/363204/5 "2006-07-04T22:48:35Z")
> [@Alive At Both Ends](#): > > I always assumed the Philistines are today’s Palestinians. In Arabic, Palestine is pronounced “Falasteen”, which is close enough to “Philistine”. They are probably lineal biological descendants of the Philistines (and the Canaanites, and the Hebrews, and the Arabs, all mixed together), but I am asking when and how the Philistine **culture** died out. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ever-happened-to-the-philistines/363204/6 "2006-07-04T23:50:06Z")
Nitpick: In Classical/Modern Standard Arabic, the country’s name is _Filastîn_, which sounds even closer to “Philistine.” ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2006, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ever-happened-to-the-philistines/363204/7 "2006-07-04T23:54:34Z")
Moved to GQ. From memory, I’ll try to double check later: No, the Philistines are not the Palestinians… any more than the ancient Romans are the modern Italians. There may be some ancestry, but there’s no cultural, ethnic, or historic connection other than occupying the same land. The Philistines were NOT wiped out after King David, they continued to harrass the Israelites for a couple centuries after that. Presumably, they vanished when the Babylonians conquered the whole area (6th Century BC) – the same fate befell most tribes when they were conquered. ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ever-happened-to-the-philistines/363204/8 "2006-07-05T00:06:24Z")
Here’s what Wikipedia says: > [@](#): > > The Philistines lost their independence to Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria by 732 BC, and revolts in following years were all crushed. Later, Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon eventually conquered all of Syria and the Kingdom of Judah, and the former Philistine cities became part of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. All traces of the Philistines as a people or ethnic group disappear. Subsequently the cities were under the control of Persians, Jews (Hasmonean Kingdom), Greeks (Seleucid Empire), Romans, and subsequent empires. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ever-happened-to-the-philistines/363204/9 "2006-07-05T00:29:02Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > I am asking when and how the Philistine **culture** died out. It’s still with us. Just turn on your TV. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ever-happened-to-the-philistines/363204/10 "2006-07-05T01:06:54Z")
Do we even know what language the Philistines spoke? (Probably some form of Greek, but are there any alternate theories? And I never heard of the Greeks worshipping a god named “Dagon.”) ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ever-happened-to-the-philistines/363204/11 "2006-07-05T02:01:43Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Do we even know what language the Philistines spoke? (Probably some form of Greek, but are there any alternate theories? And I never heard of the Greeks worshipping a god named “Dagon.”) Most defintely a West Semitic language. Think of them as “southern Phonecians”. Note that it is _conjectured_ that some archaic Greeks conquered the proto-Philistines and left a little remnant Greek. Sort of like the Normans adding some French to English. (Actually more like the Norsemen in Russia.) But the core language remained Semitic. Very hard to prove given the tiny amount of pre-Alexander writings in the area. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ever-happened-to-the-philistines/363204/12 "2006-07-05T02:33:32Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Most defintely a West Semitic language. Think of them as “southern Phonecians”. > > Note that it is _conjectured_ that some archaic Greeks conquered the proto-Philistines and left a little remnant Greek. Sort of like the Normans adding some French to English. (Actually more like the Norsemen in Russia.) But the core language remained Semitic. Very hard to prove given the tiny amount of pre-Alexander writings in the area. Interesting. Cite? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ever-happened-to-the-philistines/363204/13 "2006-07-05T21:40:20Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Do we even know what language the Philistines spoke? (Probably some form of Greek, but are there any alternate theories? And I never heard of the Greeks worshipping a god named “Dagon.”) Perhaps their descendants settled around here. I often hear “Daggone” as a minced oath, expressing dismay or surprise. Sometimes it is clipped down to “Dag.” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2006, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-ever-happened-to-the-philistines/363204/14 "2006-07-05T21:48:38Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Do we even know what language the Philistines spoke? (Probably some form of Greek, but are there any alternate theories? And I never heard of the Greeks worshipping a god named “Dagon.”) Philistinian? 🙂