The Sacred Scriptures write of a time in the history of Israel when the Ark of the Covenant had been returned to them from an adjacent country named Philistia. The Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant belonging to Israel in a battle named "the Battle of Aphek."
The Philistines were a nation of people that some historians thought had early beginnings shortly after The Flood in the days of Noah (Genesis 10:14). Both the Jewish patriarchs Abraham and Isaac had interactions with the Philistines. ( Genesis 21:33-34).
Yet it was during the period of history when the Israelites were leaving their time of slavery in Egypt and beginning their journey to The Promised Land that God made this announcement: "I will give to you the land of milk and honey." This promise of the land of milk and honey included...the land of the Philistines. Certainly war loomed in the horizon for the nation of Israel and the conquest of the Philistines......
The country of Philistia was southwest of Israel, who were now established in The Promised Land. The Philistines lived by the sea and later was the home of Goliath, from the city of Gath. David, the prized King of Israel had killed Goliath with a sling shot while still a young boy and instilled confidence to bring Israel a great victory in the now famous story of "The Battle of Goliath."
Earlier in Israeli history, the great leader Joshua had led them to numerous victories in establishing Israel in the Promised Land, now reminds his people at a very late age that the land of the Philistines were still yet to be conquered and was necessary to do so if they were to have peace throughout this land of "milk and honey."
The Philistines and the Jewish nation of Israel were bitter rivals from the start. During the time Israel had elected to have judges throughout the land prior to having kings, the Philistines would capture various sects of Israel's population, normally along the borders of Israel and Philistia, and make them their slaves.
The Sacred Scriptures write of 7 battles between Israel and the Philistines including: 1) the Battle of Shephlesh (II Chronicles 26) 2) the Battle of Aphek (I Samuel 4) 3) the Battle of Eben-Ezez ( I Samuel 7) 4) the Battles of Michmash ( I Samuel 14) 5) the Battle of David and Goliath ( I Samuel 17 6) the Battle of Mount Gilboa ( I Samuel 7) and 7) the defeat of the Philistines by King Hezekiah of Israel ( II Kings 18).
The battle I would like to focus on is the Battle of Aphek. Yet first I would like to give a description of what a Philistine meant to an Israelite. The nation of Israel would identify the word Philistine to a an uncircumcised, brutish, and unrefined people. This was not entirely the case when it came to the Philistines, yet Israel thought of them as such.
The Philistines were a coastal people often referred to as "sea people". The Philistine nation had found a home in this area largely due to a vast migration over time from inner areas of the land due to famines and crop devastation throughout the Promised Land.
The Philistines had gained confidence as a nation because they had carved out an area for themselves by the sea with victories over the great and long time dominant nation of Egypt. Over the centuries, Egypt had weakened as a culture, mostly due to internal conflicts and could no longer stand up against a nation like the Philistines.
Contrary to being an unrefined people, the Philistines had moved on from the Bronze Age and had entered the Iron Age. This was a vital move as many of their rivals were still using weaponry from the Bronze Age. This allowed the armies of the Philistines to have a well marked superiority.
The Philistine culture has left artifacts that also make it clear they may have not been so unrefined. The Philistines findings have found they had well managed breweries and wineries including beer mugs and wine "craters", large bowls to used to drink wine.
As to their religion, the chief deity among the Philistines was the god "Dagog", the god of fish and grain. Temples had been constructed in the land of the Philistines in honor of their god Dagog and the worship included singing and instrumental music along with various forms of arts and entertainment.
So, on to the battle of Aphek, a time when the Philistines had...the Ark of the Covenant.
The Philistines were a nation of people that some historians thought had early beginnings shortly after The Flood in the days of Noah (Genesis 10:14). Both the Jewish patriarchs Abraham and Isaac had interactions with the Philistines. ( Genesis 21:33-34).
Yet it was during the period of history when the Israelites were leaving their time of slavery in Egypt and beginning their journey to The Promised Land that God made this announcement: "I will give to you the land of milk and honey." This promise of the land of milk and honey included...the land of the Philistines. Certainly war loomed in the horizon for the nation of Israel and the conquest of the Philistines......
The country of Philistia was southwest of Israel, who were now established in The Promised Land. The Philistines lived by the sea and later was the home of Goliath, from the city of Gath. David, the prized King of Israel had killed Goliath with a sling shot while still a young boy and instilled confidence to bring Israel a great victory in the now famous story of "The Battle of Goliath."
Earlier in Israeli history, the great leader Joshua had led them to numerous victories in establishing Israel in the Promised Land, now reminds his people at a very late age that the land of the Philistines were still yet to be conquered and was necessary to do so if they were to have peace throughout this land of "milk and honey."
The Philistines and the Jewish nation of Israel were bitter rivals from the start. During the time Israel had elected to have judges throughout the land prior to having kings, the Philistines would capture various sects of Israel's population, normally along the borders of Israel and Philistia, and make them their slaves.
The Sacred Scriptures write of 7 battles between Israel and the Philistines including: 1) the Battle of Shephlesh (II Chronicles 26) 2) the Battle of Aphek (I Samuel 4) 3) the Battle of Eben-Ezez ( I Samuel 7) 4) the Battles of Michmash ( I Samuel 14) 5) the Battle of David and Goliath ( I Samuel 17 6) the Battle of Mount Gilboa ( I Samuel 7) and 7) the defeat of the Philistines by King Hezekiah of Israel ( II Kings 18).
The battle I would like to focus on is the Battle of Aphek. Yet first I would like to give a description of what a Philistine meant to an Israelite. The nation of Israel would identify the word Philistine to a an uncircumcised, brutish, and unrefined people. This was not entirely the case when it came to the Philistines, yet Israel thought of them as such.
The Philistines were a coastal people often referred to as "sea people". The Philistine nation had found a home in this area largely due to a vast migration over time from inner areas of the land due to famines and crop devastation throughout the Promised Land.
The Philistines had gained confidence as a nation because they had carved out an area for themselves by the sea with victories over the great and long time dominant nation of Egypt. Over the centuries, Egypt had weakened as a culture, mostly due to internal conflicts and could no longer stand up against a nation like the Philistines.
Contrary to being an unrefined people, the Philistines had moved on from the Bronze Age and had entered the Iron Age. This was a vital move as many of their rivals were still using weaponry from the Bronze Age. This allowed the armies of the Philistines to have a well marked superiority.
As to their religion, the chief deity among the Philistines was the god "Dagog", the god of fish and grain. Temples had been constructed in the land of the Philistines in honor of their god Dagog and the worship included singing and instrumental music along with various forms of arts and entertainment.
So, on to the battle of Aphek, a time when the Philistines had...the Ark of the Covenant.
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