The Relationship between the Philistines and the Israelites in the Ark Narrative

Abstract

In the Hebrew Bible, the Philistines appear as the “aliens” par excellence. This is especially the case in the stories about Saul and David in the books of Samuel, where the Philistines are called the “the uncircumcised” (םיללרע; 1 Sam 14:6; 17:26, 36; 31:4; 2 Sam 1:20; see also Judg 14:3; 15:18). And, indeed, according to a passage from the book of Jeremiah it appears that most of the inhabitants of the Levant practiced circumcision:1 “See, days are coming, says YHWH, when I will attend to all those who are circumcised in the foreskin [הלרעב לומ]: Egypt, Judah, Edom, the Ammonites, Moab, and all those with shaven temples who live in the desert” (Jer 9:24–25a; ET 9:25– 26a). Included among these inhabitants are also the Phoenicians, since the oracle of judgments in Ezek 28 threatens the king of Tyre that he will die the