Biblical Hebrew Blog by ClassicalHebrew.com

 Yahweh in the Exile

Ezekiel’s vision of the presence of God in Babylon had been an important step in rejuvenating the religion of Yahweh in the exile. The presence of God no longer rested in a temple or resided within the kingdoms of men, but he was omnipresent. Yahweh had followed his people into Babylon and he had called to himself a prophet from out of his people. Contact had been established.

A New Jerusalem in Babylon

The Jews from Judah were grouped together and settled into a place referred to by a cuneiform text dated to 498 BCE as the “al Yahuda” the “city of the Judahites” in Babylon. From other texts we know already that deportees normally retained the names of their old towns- for example the cities of Ashkelon and Gaza reappeared in Babylon with the arrival of Philistine slaves, as too with the new city of Tyre with the arrival of the Phoenicians. Knowing this, it is not too far to assume that the “city of the Judahites” is nothing less then a referral to the people of Judah living in the New Jerusalem in Babylon! In fact this same phrase “city of the Judahites”, is clearly used in reference to Jerusalem when they mention how they besiege and destroyed the city all those years ago!

 This helps us visualize the new environment of the Judean deportees in exile. They were settled together, meaning that they could rebuild a sense of community again. Furthermore we know that the royal family and the priesthood were taken into captivity- meaning that to a degree we can assume that the royal and religious hierarchies were also involved in the rebuilding work that took place in the New Jerusalem in Babylon and that there was a religious framework in place to help the community through their present-day crisis.

An Old King Freed

Not only were the Jews living together with a religious framework in place but also there was positive news about their imprisoned king, king Jehoiachin. Now king Jehoiachin had been captured and exiled when Nebuchadnezzar first came against Jerusalem in 597BCE. However after 37 years of being in prison he received a royal pardon from the king and was invited to eat and dine at the Kings table daily. This story told in the bible and confirmed from cuneiform texts tells us of the hope this community must have began to establish that one day, religiously and politically, they would be free again.

The greatest Philistine was of course Goliath. We hear of his great height and strength when we read the story of his fatal confrontation with a fearless young Israelite boy by the name of David. However Goliath, also assumed to be a bit boorish and stupid, does not represent the regular Philistine. In fact the stories that involve the Philistines tend to be biased in their reflection of this great culture. This may have something to do with the fact that they represent the enemy in the Bible, those who contend for land, water and the lucrative trade routes that David’s son Solomon seems to have monopolized quite well. For the sake of the narrative, the Philistines have been portrayed as brutish and uncivilized, this makes it easier for us to identify against them. Interestingly however they seem to have become the victim in this story- for they are actually a nation with a fascinating story and deep heritage.

The Philistines Troubled Origins

First of all they are a people group descended from a rich and complex culture that perished at the end of the 13^th century, the Mycenaean Empire. Leaving mainland Greece, many groups, often referred to as the “Sea Peoples” roamed through the Mediterranean, stopping in Cyprus and other countries trying to find a new foothold they could call home. The Philistines first went to Egypt where Ramses III expelled them in a series of successful land and water battles, and finally they found their place, in the lands between Egypt and the growing yet small tribal state of Judah.

Finding a New Home

Their arrival in the south replaced essentially the older Canaanite society that was on the wane. Immediately they built wonderfully planned cities by the shore or along rivers, erecting temples and public buildings with their own style of architecture so different from their neighbours in the Hill Country where Jerusalem sits. As time progressed they assimilated the local Canaanite traditions into their own culture never losing their Philistine identity.

Final Thoughts

In remembering these people do not think only of their battles with the Israelites, but consider the fact that the Philistines brought a great deal of civilization to this country. Not only were they people of the Sea whose skills of navigation and seafaring ensured that the important trade routes stayed alive and open, but they also introduced to this side of the world the highly desirable skill of metallurgy (how to shape and process iron). Furthermore they are an example of survival in a time period of great upheaval and a success story of a migrating people’s desire to reestablish their lives in a new land.