Synopsis
"Mysteries of the Bible is an hour-long television series that was originally broadcast by A&E from March 25, 1994 until June 13, 1998 and aired reruns until 2002. The series was about biblical mysteries and was produced by FilmRoos. . . . 1. A Savage People 2. A Mysterious People 3. Enemy And Neighbor 4. Fight To the Finish 5. A Mysterious Disappearance." [Wikipedia]
The Philistines arrived in Palestine in about 1200 BC. From their pottery, it is known that they came from Greece. The Canaanites lived in the land before they came. After the Exodus, the Israelites battled them for about 200 years, and the Philistines were militarily dominant. Five cities in Palestine have been identified as Philistine cities: Ekron, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, and probably Gath. Ekron is an important archeological site. Goliath came from Gath. Samsun fought the Philistines, fell in love with two Philistine women, and spent time living in Philistine territory according to the Old Testament (Judges). The Philistines captured the Arc of the Covenant at the Battle of Ebenezer. In a later battle, God intervened and Israelites were victorious. After this battle, the Jews wanted a king to lead them. First was Saul. After David defeated Goliath, Saul was jealous. David escaped from Saul's wrath and hid in a Philistine camp. At Mt Gilboa, Saul was defeated by the Philistines. David became the new king. Later, David received tactical advice from God and destroyed the Philistines. Ekron was later occupied by the Assyrians (7th century) and then the Babylonians. Possibly fleeing the Babylon invasion, the Philistines disappeared from history.