Ancient History - Part 59: The Philistine Confederacy

Caphtor is frequently mentioned in the ancient inscriptions of Egypt and Syria as well as the Hebrew Bible and is purported to be the original homeland and locality of the Philistines. There is much discourse in the relation between the Cretans, Minoans, and Philistines in regards to Caphtor, as all three groups appeared to have occupied the region, at times simultaneously. 

Egypt commonly referred to those native born to Crete or Cyprus as Minoan and their migrant populations later recognized as Keftian. Both groups therefore migrated to Caphtor to adopt the lifestyle and ways of the Philistines who thereby ruled it. The language of the Philistine lands was maintained as Semitic, despite a continual influx of migrants who entered via Palestine’s coasts.

Upon the Philistines overtaking of Gaza City, the grand temple converted to worship their sea-god, Dagon, the very head of their pantheon. According to the Bible, the Philistine temples whose construction followed were massive in size and scope. They adopted the architectural design of the Babylonians and Egyptians, with the exception of leaving massive open theater areas that were commonly used for gladiatorial combats of amusement, especially in the case of the palaces.

Some of the ruthless sporting events included boxing and bull-grappling. Unlike sports of today, most outings comprised of participants forced to challenges resulting in death, much to the delight of the onlookers. Suffice it to say, the losers did not return home with their tails between their legs, in fact, they likely didn't return at all.

Beneath the roofs of these structures, heads numbering amongst a thousand or more could move freely within, whether gathered together for the purpose of worship, festivity, or political discourse. With the Cretan, Minoan, and Semitic peoples all dwelling in this region, it was well over a century that the Philistines enjoyed significant rule over the region until the rise of David and his Kingdom of Israel came to fruition.

[KEFTIAN CAPTIVE of Egypt during the 1200s BC]

Ancient History - Part 58: The Bible Meets History (And The Romans Ignore It)

According to the Hebrew Bible, king David is referenced as employing two groups who were listed together, the Cherethites and Pelethites, as an elite mercenary faction ("huscarles"). The Cherethites are synonymous with the Philistines, but the Pelethites are unconfirmed as being ethnically Philistine in nature. Most modern historians tend to agree that the Pelethites were likely also Philistine in makeup though occupied a separate regional part of the Levant than their neighboring brothers-in-arms.

Whilst the people of the inner Levant composed of these two groups, separate from king David and his Kingdom of Israel, the coastal peoples were largely Cretan. It is thusly this mix that caused much of confusion amongst later day historians in the coming days of Rome, when historians such as Tacitus confused the genealogies of the Levant (i.e. Tacitus on multiple instances confuses the Philistines with the Jews, erroneously categorizing them as one and the same).

In Gaza, Samson brought down the pillars which crushed the Philistines at their temple. Ancient Rome again miscategorized the names and places associated with the area to reflect Jupiter and other mentions of their own religious customs over those of Semitic faith in Asia Minor. Whilst the Romans adopted words such as "our Lord" to be interpreted as one of their own gods, and in the case of Minoa, a name brought to Gaza from Crete by the Philistines, the Romans affiliated it to resemble a piece of their own pantheon ("Jupiter Kreta-genes").

It is intriguing to reflect upon how the Romans, once overtaking the region a thousand years later, would update their new surroundings to their own society's proclivities and language as they would become the new overseers of the Levant for many, many ages. Upon witnessing the work of the dead previous civilizations before them, now in their possession, they adopted them to undoubtably become Roman, down to the very redefinition of terms and their original meanings. 

As we today live in an era where those in control have shown a tendency to ban, re-define, rename, and withhold information to alter the very perception of reality around us along with its true history, it is important to remember that for better or worse, the Romans once did it first.

[SAMSON depicted destroying the pillars of the Philistine's Pentapolis - Temple in Gaza City]

Ancient History - Part 57: Slayers, Slavers, And Survivors

Not every tribe joined the Migrant Army. The Pulesati, for example, took one gander upon Egypt's fortifications and abandoned all cause to the multiconglomerate's land horde. This group instead chose to settle in Shepheleh, unclaimed land just outside of Palestine, where a century later found themselves at war with the Israelites, all of this supposedly referenced in the lost Book of Jasher.

Whilst the mighty empire of Egypt proved capable of repulsing these threats by land and sea, the Israelites were guaranteed no such safeguard. For centuries the Semitic people were subjected to being overrun and ruled by outsiders, first by the Hittites and Egyptians, and now extending to the Philistines, the Pulesati, and the Sea Peoples themselves.

Upon Egypt's defeat of the Sea Peoples (at the Battle of the Delta) and their Migrant Army (at the Battle of Djahy) the fates of many of the losing tribes varied. Two notable examples include:

• The Washasha tribe was one of the legions that was captured and enslaved to Egypt, sentenced to lifelong servitude, in the form of hard labor.
• A lesser known tribe, the Zakaray, disappeared for nearly a century before the last remnants of their civilization was found by Egyptian tradesmen, resettled in a field to the north.

Countless other tribes who fought amongst the Migrant Army are listed in the Harris Papyrus which heavily focuses upon these wartime events and documents the enemies of Egypt by name, though many are never referenced again in history, as they scattered and split apart into obscurity in the aftermath of the two battles.

The Sea Peoples successfully conquered many nations in their migration towards Egypt. Whilst the cultures of Syria and Israel survived, many other societies who lacked a system of commerce to serve up in offering, were eradicated mercilessly. Egypt and Israel's strengths by its people were not to cave to pressure, despite the seething array of threats by this foreign enemy. Whilst the power demonstrated by Egypt to defeat this opposition is the peak of the era's events, Israel's continued survival against overwhelming odds should not be overshadowed either.

[HARRIS PAPYRUS: Primary source for the events during Ramses III's reign]

Ancient History - Part 56: For Those Who Would Be Egyptian

[DARDANELLES - Entry point of the Bryges invasion of Asia Minor]

The initial migration of the Sea Peoples through the Levant differs greatly than their engagements compared to when the Hittites ruled the region. Those slow-building attacks whether by battlefield or sea piracy, largely endured by the indigenous Hittite allies, were not a forced march that Egypt had to later contend with in the aftermath of Hatta's fall. The Bryges, inhabitants of the Balkan Peninsula, first invaded Thrace, and later crossed the Dardanelles to carve out a piece of Anatolia, and upon doing so, renamed themselves as "Phrygians".

This is how Egypt believed the kingdom of the Hittites fell.

Next, the Philistines fell to the newly renamed Phrygians, and Egypt began to suffer direct attacks from this new opposition, the same conquerors of Thrace and Hatta. Yet, there was one key difference: Egypt was aware of this pending invasion well in advance. This foresight allowed Egypt to prepare for war, but the opposition she faced was a challenge unlike any the Empire of the Nile had ever contended with before.

Since the dawn of the Middle Kingdom's inception, this New Kingdom of Egypt's wars of the past all dealt with her own foreign excursions and military adventurism of her day. She recognized the ripe lands of the Fertile Crescent and the lands beyond the Levant and fought many rival kingdoms over these interests. But no foreign entity ever struck precisely at the heart of Egypt, and with the Phrygians marching southward along the coasts of Cilicia, with many other allied tribes joining the ranks, the Migrant Army aimed to do just that.

Soon, Egypt stared across the lines upon an enemy horde. 

Preparation for war is always difficult. This not due to any actor being inept of their own duties that necessarily leads to the folly of ill decision-making, but rather the challenge of utilizing a short window of opportunity that quickly closes. Does one strike while the iron is hot? Or shall he rest in patient vigilance within the safety of his walls, waiting for a better development? Big talk is cheap when the battle is over with all critique now bearing the benefit of hindsight, and Egypt held no such benefit then against the continuing existential threats that plagued her kingdom's people.

[Typical Phrygian garb]

Ancient History - Part 55: A Deeper Look Into The Sea Peoples

Let us take an introspective look upon when this troublesome mass migration from the westerners began, leading up to Egypt's successful battlefield engagements against them. The Pisidians who dwelt from Sagalassos along with the feather-crested battle-armored Lycians of Lycia and Carians of Caria (all geographically located throughout modern day Turkey) gathered and pushed southwestward.

According to Egyptian record, no land could stand against this massive horde, and upon their departure from Anatolia, one-by-one the Syrian city-states began to fall. There were two notable divisions amongst this threat to the Near East: 

The shipmen and the land-horde.

First it was Alashiya that was attacked, overrun by shipmen who assaulted from the sea. Upon victory, the migrant fleet next completely overtook the Syrian Gulf of Issus, permanently circling its coastline in its callous occupation. 

The land-horde however marched into Syria en masse. Arvad, Cappadocia, and of course the legendary historic city of Carchemish were not spared. These places of import, their beauty first desecrated, were largely destroyed by this land-horde, with many citizens likely losing their lives as foreign invasions of this nature rarely offer much in the ways of mercy.

The Amurru kingdom (Palestine) was next attacked and leveled, and it was here that the massive push was halted. We know what came next with the battles between Egypt and the Sea Peoples, but massive damage had been done to Egypt's subjects, and the Near East now bore a literal culture war on its hands between the native kingdoms and the invaders.

When you fear nothing, doubt is eliminated. If your enemies project weakness, then the time to attack is immediate. Thusly, the doubtless hordes of the west immediately attacked the Syrian princes, who'd in the past always relied upon the protections of either the Hittites or the Egyptians, themselves noticeably possessing no desire to fight. And it all fell apart. Trade was displaced and there was no preventing the trail that was blazed right through their land. 

This is not to overshadow the achievements of Egypt in defeating the Sea Peoples when it eventually came to thwarting direct attack, but if one thing can be ascertained about Ancient Egypt it is that defending her subjects was not one of her strengths, if the Upper Levant region is any indication.

[THE FORTRESS OF ARVAD]

Ancient History - Part 54: Egypt's Last Stand

Even whilst confusing the growing hostile activity throughout the neighboring Phoenician region as guesswork between Minoan, Philistine, Semitic, or a new tribesfolk, the Empire of the Nile would not sit quietly. The rise of piracy instituted a culture of mercenary versus pirate with Egypt maintaining these independent units via payment of her own treasury, which led to frequent deadly confrontations.

Despite the growing tensions brought by the great movements of people during the 15th century, the Egyptian pharaohs did not place blame for these incursions upon a single nation. Thutmose IV warmly regarded Crete and any gifts from the West as tribute, interpreting such gestures as being honored for his own prestige. He kept his forces away from Crete's shores even as the Minoans opened trade with the Phoenicians, particularly the princes of Syria.

Amenhotep III also chose not to escalate military engagement with the Sea Peoples but, unlike his predecessor, made attempts to properly identify the indistinguishable cultures, to middling results. Customs, culture-wear, language, and racial characteristics were still commonly confused amongst the maritime foreigners flooding into the region.

It wasn't for roughly two hundred more years (1194 BC) that the first Egyptian pharaoh (Ramses III) directly engaged these sea-tribes. In a series of violent clashes, the Egyptian military fought against free Vikings, rival Aegeans, and other freefolk amongst the Phoenician states. Mainly the fight for control of the Mediterranean coasts was of a prime interest to the Egyptian king, and at the height of this war led to Ramses' massively successful defeat of the Sea Peoples' migrant army deep within the Serbonian Bog.

On the side of Egypt was their lone ally the Tursha and the opposing side, the barbarian hordes encompassing bits and pieces of all the mixed cultures who represented a culmination of Egypt's centuries-long disdain. With this migrant army thoroughly destroyed on the Nile's marshland, Egypt stated her objective to defend her borders, along with the nearby coasts of the Near East, though this strong posture would ultimately arrive too late.

Mass migration is always tough. It is an issue met with resistance whether the host nation's leader tasked with dealing with it intends to act or not act. But the reality is that there is only a short window of opportunity, early on, that requires hardline action before things get too hot. This is primarily due to it being a far easier task in defending borders against foreign invaders than to later expel countless semi-assimilated migrants from within, after the fact, when the possibilities for damaging scenarios to the host country or kingdom are limitless.

[RAMSES III - Defender of the realm]

Ancient History - Part 53: The Innocence Of The Minoans

There is much in the way of confusion when it comes to identifiers and datapoints regarding the cultural histories between the differing Mediterranean seafaring peoples, particularly during their great migrations into Asia Minor. Often, aggressive acts of piracy that plagued Egypt were mistaken as Minoan (Crete) in nature instead of Mycenaean. It was commonplace for Egypt to mistake newly established Greek settlements for Philistine settlements, Philistine settlements for Semitic settlements, and so forth.

This situation has thusly created a puzzle box of sorts for contemporary historians to decipher the most likely of tribes in certain situations and events whilst sifting through the occasional erroneous accounts scattered throughout ancient Egyptian record.  The most poignant example is to simply look again between the two ethnically separate Greek nations of the time, the Minoans and the Mycenaeans.

Egypt referenced the term "Northerners" many times and it has been widely interpreted to indicate the Mycenaean-Greeks despite Crete, populated and ruled by the Minoan-Greeks, being geographically another northward contender for the recurring reference.

If "Northerners" refers to the Mycenaean-Greeks then "Keftians" refers to the Minoan-Greek population that dwelled on Crete. Therefore, the Mycenaean-Greeks had the ability of travel-by-sea and the Minoan-Greeks, despite the height of their civilization's peak established during the Middle Kingdom of Egypt's decline, did not. This is not to say that a Minoan or two never departed their isle to the mainland coast of the Levant, but mass migration during this civilization's epoch at the scale of their northwestward neighbors (the Mycenaeans) is widely ruled out as unlikely.

Prior to the rise of Mediterranean piracy, the Minoan civilization had begun to deteriorate (by 15th century BC) marking this newer nautical enemy of the Egyptians as intrinsically Mycenaean-Greek via process of elimination. The "Peoples of the Sea" were never Minoan in nature, did not wear their garb, and it is evidenced that the Minoans actually engaged in fierce skirmishes against them, thwarting invasions from the waters against the very same enemy that would later engulf Egypt's coasts and the adjacent coastlines of Libya and Phoenicia. 

An existential threat to the Empire of the Nile saw the Egyptians lump many differing foreign cultures into the same group, when in fact there were various contrasting tribes who encompassed the invading migrants who first encroached upon their waters and would later infiltrate into her region. It has since been the duty of scholars studying this period to attempt to ascertain the correct correlation and identifications in this steep game of "Who's Who?" ever since.

[MINOAN PALACE - Knossos]