A study published in Science Advances by an international team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute, Harvard University, and Seoul University, among others, suggests that the Philistines, the people mentioned in the Bible as enemies of the Israelites, were immigrants from Europe who arrived in the region in the 12th century B.C.

The team analyzed samples of human remains found in excavations in the port city of Ashkelon over the last 30 years, finding that a substantial proportion of their ancestry came from European populations. This ancestry was introduced to Ashkelon around the time of the Philistines’ arrival in the 12th century B.C.

According to the researchers, the early Iron Age population was genetically distinct (from the Bronze Age) due to a mix related to Europe. This genetic signal is no longer detectable in the later Iron Age population, indicating the occurrence of a migratory event during the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age.

Locations and ages of analyzed individuals
Locations and ages of analyzed individuals / photo Michal Feldman et al.

For a long time, this Philistine phenomenon has been associated with the sea peoples’ migrations from points in the Aegean. Now, the proposed links extend to northern Italy, where depopulation events triggering migratory movements throughout the Mediterranean have been suggested.

According to the Book of Joshua, the land of the Philistines was located to the southwest, consisting of the five city-states of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath, from the Wadi Gaza in the south to the Yarkon River in the north. Hence, the area was later called Palestine by the Greeks (meaning the land of the Philistines).

The conflict between the Israelites and the Philistines is narrated in the Bible, with perhaps the most well-known examples being David’s battle against the Philistine Goliath (in Samuel 17) or Samson’s struggle against the Philistines (in Judges 15).

The situation of the Philistines in the 9th century B.C.
The situation of the Philistines in the 9th century B.C. / photo FinnWikiNo on Wikimedia Commons

According to one of the study’s authors, Dr. Adam Aja, the DNA of children buried in Philistine homes in Ashkelon revealed that their genetic heritage did not come from the local population. Michael Feldman, from the Max Planck Institute and the study’s lead author, indicated that the genetic distinction is due to the flow related to Europe, which is known to have been introduced to Ashkelon during the end of the Bronze Age or the beginning of the Iron Age. This timeline aligns with estimates of the Philistines’ arrival on the Levantine coast, based on archaeological and textual records.

According to Daniel Master, the excavation director, we not only have radiocarbon dating supporting the age of the samples but also stratigraphic evidence. These samples come from carefully excavated contexts, linked to artifacts that can be precisely dated.

However, the study indicates that within no more than two centuries, this genetic imprint introduced during the early Iron Age is no longer detectable and appears to be diluted within the local Levantine genetic pool. It also suggests that while our model proposes a genetic origin in southern Europe as a plausible source, future sampling in regions such as Cyprus, Sardinia, and the Aegean, as well as in the southern Levant, could better address this question.

Sources

Michal Feldman, Daniel M. Master, Raffaela A. Bianco, Marta Burri, Philipp W. Stockhammer, Alissa Mittnik, Adam J. Aja, Choongwon Jeong, Johannes Krause, Ancient DNA sheds light on the genetic origins of early Iron Age Philistines. Science Advances, 3 Jul 2019:Vol. 5, no. 7, eaax0061, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax0061 | Jerusalem Post

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