For the day has come to destroy all the Philistines and to remove all survivors who could help Tyre and Sidon. The LORD is about to destroy the Philistines, the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor. – Jeremiah 47:4

Today's Scripture Reading (June 3, 2023): Jeremiah 47

The Philistines are a bit of a historical mystery to many biblical experts. The Philistines seem to appear out of nowhere in Canaan in 1175 B.C.E. Just as a framework; the Israelites had already been in the Promised Land for two hundred years before the Philistines even showed up. And the reign of King Saul was just over a hundred years into the future when this group of people appeared. It appears that the Philistines were back written into history because they had become such a power during the early days of the Israelite monarchy.

Some theorize that the Philistines were Greeks who had left their homeland, stopping in Crete before landing in Southern Canaan. And there, in Southern Canaan, they built the tremendous Philistine cities. But others believe that the Philistines were misplaced Egyptians and that any similarities between them and the Greeks are accidental.

But regardless of when the Philistines arrived in Canaan, they became a significant threat to the area's security. The area they controlled included the northern portion of what is known as the Gaza Strip and then extended further north of where the strip exists today. As a result, they controlled a significant trade route called the Via Maris or "Way of the Sea" that connected Africa with Asia and Europe.

Philistia existed on Canaan's southern Mediterranean Coast throughout Israel's monarchy era. However, these cities lost their independence to the Assyrian Empire in the final years of the 8^th century B.C.E. However, even without their autonomy, they still controlled the area. This would have been the Philistine nation that Jeremiah would have experienced.

But weaker wasn't enough. And so, Jeremiah prophesied about the demise of the Philistia. The Weeping Prophet argues that Philistia would be destroyed by the God of Israel, not just weakened. Politically, that happened in 604 B.C.E. The Babylonians, under the command of Nebuchadnezzar II, removed the Philistines as a political entity. And within another two hundred years, they also lost their ethnic distinctiveness. At that point, the Philistines were erased from the planet, existing only in the pages of history.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Daniel 1