Monday, August 15, 2005
Some very interesting information on the "Foreskin People" (seriously, read on) in this article about archaeology confirming biblical accounts. Let me emphasize that I find the use of ancient history to justify modern political claims to be marginal, but since the Arabs have adopted the lack of any Jewish connection to the land as part of their national myth, and are in the process of erasing the evidence, stories like this take on a far more interesting and significant meaning.
As a side note, it would appear the dig director is none other than Aaron Meir of Bar-Ilan University, who was kind enough to allow me permission to re-print his review of Nadia Abu el-Haj's book, here: Applauding the destruction of Joseph's Tomb at Columbia?
Haaretz: Dig backs biblical account of Philistine city of Gat
...The Philistines controlled the southern coastal plain for close to 600 years. Their best-known contribution was to the Roman name for the Land of Israel, "Palestina," which is derived from the Greek name "Paleshet," the land of the Philistines. (There is no connection between the Philistines and modern Palestinians.)...
...The Philistine people are particularly interesting to researchers because they were Indo-Europeans, while the people of Israel and others in the area were Semites. The language, culture and origins of the Philistines were thus different from that of their neighbors. Unlike Semitic peoples, the Philistines did not practice circumcision and were therefore referred to as "foreskins" in ancient sources. Their lesser-known customs included eating puppies and pigs...
...The end of the Philistines came about 200 years after the destruction of Gat. Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzer conquered their land and dispersed their nation throughout Babylon. Their neighbors, the Judahites, were also dispersed. But unlike the Jews, evidence of the Philistines vanished in Babylon.
