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107-459: Isaac was one of the patriarchs of the Abrahamic faiths. Isaac may also refer to: Isaac Isaac's name means "he will laugh", reflecting the laughter, in disbelief, of Abraham and Sarah, when told by God that they would have a child. He is the only patriarch whose name was not changed, and the only one who did not move out of Canaan . According to the narrative, he died aged 180,

214-631: A pentapolis consisting of Gaza , Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron and Gath. Whether or not historians are inclined to accept the historicity of the old canonical books of the Hebrew nation, their writers describe a series of conflicts between the Philistines and the Israelites during the period of the Judges , and, allegedly, the Philistines exercised lordship over Israel in the days of Saul and Samuel

321-510: A "gift" to Abraham (6:84; 14:49–50), and 24:26–27 adds that God made "prophethood and the Book to be among his offspring", which has been interpreted to refer to Abraham's two prophetic sons, his prophetic grandson Jacob, and his prophetic great-grandson Joseph . In the Quran , it later narrates that Abraham also praised God for giving him Ishmael and Isaac in his old age ( 14:39–41 ). Elsewhere in

428-465: A European-related admixture; this genetic signal is no longer detectable in the later Iron Age population. According to the authors, the admixture was likely due to a " gene flow from a European-related gene pool" during the Bronze to Iron Age transition, which supports the theory that a migration event occurred. Philistine DNA shows similarities to that of ancient Cretans, but it is impossible to specify

535-594: A Prophet, and one of the righteous. Although the biblical patriarchs' names such as Jacob , Issachar , and Asher can be found in Middle Bronze Age (MBA), which is a period that most biblical scholars believe that the Biblical Patriarchs lived in, text like 13th Dynasty Papyrus Brooklyn 35.1446 and there were Semitic tribal group named Benjamin in Syria at that time , this does not prove

642-406: A child and was believed to be barren. Isaac prayed for her and she conceived. Rebekah gave birth to twin boys, Esau and Jacob . Isaac was 60 years old when his two sons were born. Isaac favored Esau, and Rebekah favored Jacob. The narratives about Isaac do not mention his having concubines. Isaac moved to Beer-lahai-roi after his father died. When the land experienced famine, he moved to

749-598: A corruption of the Greek phyle -histia ('tribe of the hearth '), with the Ionic spelling of hestia . Stephanos Vogazianos (1993) states that Jones "only answers problems by analogy and he mainly speculates" but notes that the root phyle may not at all be out of place. Regarding this theory, Israel Finkelstein & Nadav Na'aman (1994) note the hearth constructions which have been discovered at Tell Qasile and Ekron . According to Joshua 13:3 and 1 Samuel 6:17,

856-617: A distinctive material culture. The English term Philistine comes from Old French Philistin ; from Classical Latin Philistinus ; from Late Greek Philistinoi ; from Koine Greek Φυλιστιειμ ( Philistiim ), ultimately from Hebrew Pəlištī ( פְּלִשְׁתִּי ; plural Pəlištīm , פְּלִשְׁתִּים ), meaning 'people of Pəlešeṯ ' ( פְּלֶשֶׁת ). The name also had cognates in Akkadian Palastu and Egyptian Palusata . The native Philistine endonym

963-502: A geographical region known as Caphtor (possibly Crete/ Minoa ), although the Hebrew chronicles also state that the Philistines were descended from Casluhim , one of the 7 sons of Ham's second son, Miṣrayim . The Septuagint connects the Philistines to other biblical groups such as Caphtorim and the Cherethites and Pelethites , which have been identified with the island of Crete . These traditions, among other things, have led to

1070-454: A prophet, of the righteous", and that God blessed them both ( 37:112 ). In a fuller description, when angels came to Abraham to tell him of the future punishment to be imposed on Sodom and Gomorrah , his wife, Sarah , "laughed, and We gave her good tidings of Isaac, and after Isaac of (a grandson) Jacob" ( 11:71–74 ); and it is further explained that this event will take place despite Abraham and Sarah's old age. Several verses speak of Isaac as

1177-457: A righteous servant of God . Isaac, along with Ishmael , is highly important for Muslims for continuing to preach the message of monotheism after his father Abraham . Among Isaac's children was the follow-up Israelite patriarch Jacob , who is also venerated as an Islamic prophet. Isaac is mentioned seventeen times by name in the Quran , often with his father and his son, Jacob. The Quran states that Abraham received "good tidings of Isaac,

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1284-411: A second son by Sarah named Isaac, with whom a new covenant would be established. In response, Abraham began to laugh, as both he and Sarah were well beyond natural child-bearing age. Some time later, three men who Abraham identifies as messengers of God visit him and Sarah, and Abraham treats them to food and niceties. They repeat the prophecy that Sarah would bear a child, promising Isaac's birth within

1391-489: A series of inscriptions in his mortuary temple at Medinet Habu . Scholars have been unable to conclusively determine which images match what peoples described in the reliefs depicting two major battle scenes. A separate relief on one of the bases of the Osiris pillars with an accompanying hieroglyphic text clearly identifying the person depicted as a captive Peleset chief is of a bearded man without headdress. This has led to

1498-487: A way to fulfill God's promise that Abram would be father of many nations, especially since they had grown old, so she offered Hagar to Abram to be his concubine. On the eighth day from his birth, Isaac was circumcised , as was necessary for all males of Abraham's household, in order to be in compliance with the Jewish covenant. After Isaac had been weaned, Sarah saw Ishmael playing with or mocking him (the Hebrew term

1605-416: A year's time, at which point Sarah laughs in disbelief. God questions why the pair laughed in disbelief at his words, and if it is because they believe such things were not within his power. Now afraid, they futilely deny ever having laughed at God's words. Time passes as Isaac is born. Isaac was Abraham's second son and firstborn of Sarah who was then Sarai. Sarai had been barren for a long time and sought

1712-531: Is a large, well-constructed building covering 240 square metres (2,600 sq ft), discovered at Ekron. Its walls are broad, designed to support a second story, and its wide, elaborate entrance leads to a large hall, partly covered with a roof supported on a row of columns. In the floor of the hall is a circular hearth paved with pebbles, as is typical in Mycenaean megaron hall buildings; other unusual architectural features are paved benches and podiums. Among

1819-508: Is ambiguous), and urged her husband to cast out Hagar the bondservant and her son, so that Isaac would be Abraham's sole heir. Abraham was hesitant, but at God's order he listened to his wife's request. At some point in Isaac's youth, his father Abraham took him to Mount Moriah . At God's command as the last of ten trials to test his faith, Abraham was to build a sacrificial altar and sacrifice his son Isaac upon it. After he had bound his son to

1926-604: Is associated with the covenant of grace, into which her son Isaac enters. The Epistle of James chapter 2, verses 21–24, states that the sacrifice of Isaac shows that justification (in the Johannine sense) requires both faith and works. In the Epistle to the Hebrews , Abraham's willingness to follow God's command to sacrifice Isaac is used as an example of faith as is Isaac's action in blessing Jacob and Esau with reference to

2033-503: Is based on Genesis chapter 24, verse 63 ("Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide"). Isaac was the only patriarch who stayed in Canaan during his whole life and though once he tried to leave, God told him not to do so. Rabbinic tradition gave the explanation that Isaac was almost sacrificed and anything dedicated as a sacrifice may not leave the Land of Israel . Isaac was

2140-457: Is debate among interpreters as to whether Genesis 10:13-14 was intended to signify that the Philistines were the offspring of the Caphtorim or Casluhim. Some interpreters, such as Friedrich Schwally , Bernhard Stade , and Cornelis Tiele have argued for a third, Semitic origin. According to rabbinic sources, the name Philistines designated two separate groups; those said to descend from

2247-489: Is found in the Roman catacomb frescoes . Excluding the fragments, Alison Moore Smith classifies these artistic works in three categories: Abraham leads Isaac towards the altar; or Isaac approaches with the bundle of sticks, Abraham having preceded him to the place of offering ... Abraham is upon a pedestal and Isaac stands near at hand, both figures in orant attitude ... Abraham is shown about to sacrifice Isaac while

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2354-450: Is most frequently attested in the early 2nd millennium BCE rather than in later periods. The biblical historian A. Jopsen believes in the connection between the Isaac traditions and the north, and in support of this theory adduces Amos 7:9 ("the high places of Isaac"). Albrecht Alt and Martin Noth hold that, "The figure of Isaac was enhanced when the theme of promise, previously bound to

2461-798: Is not entirely certain, although the site of Tell es-Safi , not far from Ekron, is currently the most favoured. The identity of the city of Ziklag , which according to the Bible marked the border between the Philistine and Israelite territory, remains uncertain. In the western part of the Jezreel Valley , 23 of the 26 Iron Age I sites (12th to 10th centuries BC) yielded typical Philistine pottery. These sites include Tel Megiddo , Tel Yokneam , Tel Qiri , Afula , Tel Qashish , Be'er Tiveon, Hurvat Hazin, Tel Risim, Tel Re'ala, Hurvat Tzror, Tel Sham, Midrakh Oz and Tel Zariq. Scholars have attributed

2568-406: Is that of difference between the ancestors and the indigenous Canaanites… In fact, the theme of the differences between Judah and Israel, as personified by the ancestors, and the neighboring peoples of the time of the monarchy is pressed effectively into theological service to articulate the choosing by God of Judah and Israel to bring blessing to all peoples. According to Martin Noth , a scholar of

2675-596: Is unknown. During the Late Bronze Age collapse , an apparent confederation of seafarers known as the Sea Peoples are recorded as attacking ancient Egypt and other Eastern Mediterranean civilizations. While their exact origins are a mystery, and probably diverse, it is generally agreed that the Sea Peoples had origins in the greater Southern European and West Asian area, including western Asia Minor,

2782-627: The Aegean " Pelasgians ." Archaeological research to date has been unable to corroborate a mass settlement of Philistines during the Ramesses III era. A Walistina is mentioned in Luwian texts already variantly spelled Palistina . This implies dialectical variation, a phoneme ("f"?) inadequately described in the script, or both. Falistina was a kingdom somewhere on the Amuq plain, where

2889-670: The Aegean , and the islands of the East Mediterranean. Egypt, in particular, repelled numerous attempted invasions from the Sea Peoples, most famously at the Battle of the Delta ( c.  1175   BC), where pharaoh Ramesses III defeated a massive invasion force which had already plundered Hattusa , Carchemish , Cyprus , and the Southern Levant . Egyptian sources name one of these implicated Sea Peoples as

2996-604: The Amurru kingdom had held sway before it. In 2003, a statue of a king named Taita bearing inscriptions in Luwian was discovered during excavations conducted by German archaeologist Kay Kohlmeyer in the Citadel of Aleppo . The new readings of Anatolian hieroglyphs proposed by the Hittitologists Elisabeth Rieken and Ilya Yakubovich were conducive to the conclusion that the country ruled by Taita

3103-648: The Books of Judges and Samuel . Based on the LXX's regular translation as "foreigners", Robert Drews states that the term "Philistines" means simply "non-Israelites of the Promised Land " when used in the context of Samson, Saul and David. Judges 13 :1 tells that the Philistines dominated the Israelites in the times of Samson, who fought and killed over a thousand. According to 1 Samuel 5 , they even captured

3210-567: The Judges . The quantity of Philistine pottery within these sites is still quite small, showing that even if the Philistines did settle the valley, they were a minority that blended within the Canaanite population during the 12th century BC. The Philistines seem to have been present in the southern valley during the 11th century, which may relate to the biblical account of their victory at the Battle of Gilboa . Since Edward Hincks and William Osburn Jr. in 1846, biblical scholars have connected

3317-707: The Murasu Archive at Nippur . These records, which link individuals to cities like Gaza and Ashkelon, highlight a continued sense of ethnic identity among the Philistines who were exiled in Babylonia . These instances represent the last known mentions of the Philistines, marking the end of their presence in historical accounts. During the Persian period, the region of Philistia saw resettlement, with its inhabitants being identified as Phoenicians , although evidence for continuity from earlier, Iron Age traditions in

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3424-590: The Peleset together with a people called the Teresh , who sailed "in the midst of the sea". The Teresh are thought to have originated from the Anatolian coast and their association with the Peleset in this inscription is seen as providing some information on the possible origin and identity of the Philistines. The Harris Papyrus, which was found in a tomb at Medinet Habu, also recalls Ramesses III's battles with

3531-554: The Philistine land of Gerar where his father once lived. This land was still under the control of King Abimelech as it was in the days of Abraham. Like his father, Isaac also pretended that Rebekah was his sister due to fear that Abimelech would kill him in order to take her. He had gone back to all of the wells that his father dug and saw that they were all stopped up with earth. The Philistines did this after Abraham died. So, Isaac unearthed them and began to dig for more wells all

3638-599: The Septuagint , the term allophiloi ( Greek : ἀλλόφυλοι ), which means simply "other nations", is used instead of "Philistines". Theologian Matthew Poole suggests that Casluhim and Caphtorim were brother tribes who lived in the same territory. However, the Capthorim enslaved the Cashluhim and their Philistine descendants, forcing the latter to flee to Canaan, according to Amos 9:7. The Torah does not record

3745-845: The definite article in the Torah. Rabbinic sources state that the Philistines of Genesis were different people from the Philistines of the Deuteronomistic history (the series of books from Joshua to 2 Kings ). According to the Talmud , Chullin 60b, the Philistines of Genesis intermingled with the Avvites . This differentiation was also held by the authors of the Septuagint (LXX), who translated (rather than transliterated ) its base text as "foreigners" ( Koinē Greek : ἀλλόφυλοι , romanized:  allóphylloi , lit.   'other nations') instead of "Philistines" throughout

3852-574: The pwrꜣsꜣtj , generally transliterated as either Peleset or Pulasti . Following the Sea Peoples' defeat, Ramesses III allegedly relocated a number of the pwrꜣsꜣtj to southern Canaan , as recorded in an inscription from his funerary temple in Medinet Habu , and the Great Harris Papyrus . Though archaeological investigation has been unable to correlate any such settlement existing during this time period, this, coupled with

3959-401: The "men of Gaza" or Ashkelon for roughly 150 years, until they finally lost their distinct ethnic identity. Babylonian ration lists dating back to the early 6th century BC, which mention the offspring of Aga, the ultimate ruler of Ashkelon, provide clues to the eventual fate of the Philistines. This evidence is further illuminated by documents from the latter half of the 5th century BC found in

4066-588: The Arameans' expansion into the Land of Israel on account of his alliance with the southern Philistine kings, as well as with Toi, king of Ḥamath, who is identified with Tai(ta) II, king of Palistin (the northern Sea Peoples). However, the relation between Palistin and the Philistines is much debated. Israeli professor Itamar Singer notes that there is nothing (besides the name) in the recently discovered archaeology that indicates an Aegean origin to Palistin; most of

4173-581: The Ark of the Covenant and held it for several months; in 1 Samuel 6 , the return of the Ark to the Israelites of Beth Shemesh is described. A few biblical texts, such as the Ark Narrative and stories reflecting the importance of Gath, seem to portray Late Iron I and Early Iron II memories. They are mentioned more than 250 times, the majority in the Deuteronomistic history , and are depicted as among

4280-602: The Casluhim were different from those described in the Deuteronomistic history . Deuteronomist sources describe the "Five Lords of the Philistines" as based in five city-states of the southwestern Levant: Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath, from Wadi Gaza in the south to the Yarqon River in the north. This description portrays them at one period of time as among the Kingdom of Israel 's most dangerous enemies. In

4387-592: The Egyptians in 609   BC, under Necho II . In 604/603   BC, following a Philistine revolt, Nebuchadnezzar II , the king of Babylon , took over and destroyed Askhelon, Gaza, Aphek, and Ekron, which is proven by archaeological evidence and contemporary sources. Some Philistine kings requested help from the Egyptians but they were ultimately ignored. Following the destruction of the Philistine cities, their inhabitants were either killed or exiled to Mesopotamia . Those exiled continued identifying themselves as

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4494-593: The Hebrew Bible, the narratives of Isaac date back to an older cultural stage than that of the West-Jordanian Jacob. At that era, the Israelite tribes were not yet sedentary. In the course of looking for grazing areas, they had come in contact in southern Philistia with the inhabitants of the settled countryside. It has also been argued that the form of Isaac's name as found in the Hebrew Bible

4601-609: The Neo-Babylonian Empire and the Achaemenid Empire , and disappeared as a distinct ethnic group by the late 5th century BC. Amos in 1:8 sets the Philistines / ἀλλοφύλοι at Ashdod and Ekron. In 9:7 God is quoted asserting that, as he brought Israel from Egypt , he also brought the Philistines from Caphtor . In the Greek this is, instead, bringing the ἀλλόφυλοι from Cappadocia . The Bible books of Jeremiah , Ezekiel , Amos and Zephaniah speak of

4708-573: The New Testament theme of Isaac as a type of Christ and the Church being both "the son of the promise" and the "father of the faithful". Tertullian draws a parallel between Isaac's bearing the wood for the sacrificial fire with Christ's carrying his cross. and there was a general agreement that, while all the sacrifices of the Old Law were anticipations of that on Calvary, the sacrifice of Isaac

4815-661: The Patriarchs" ( 2:136 ; 3:84 ). In the Quran's narrative of Abraham's near-sacrifice of his son ( 37:102 ), the name of the son is not mentioned and debate has continued over the son's identity, though many feel that the identity is the least important element in a story which is given to show the courage that one develops through faith. The Quran mentions Isaac as a prophet and a righteous man of God . Isaac and Jacob are mentioned as being bestowed upon Abraham as gifts of God, who then worshipped God only and were righteous leaders in

4922-583: The Peleset in conjunction with any of the five cities that are said in the Bible to have made up the Philistine pentapolis comes in the Onomasticon of Amenope. The sequence in question has been translated as: "Ashkelon, Ashdod, Gaza, Assyria, Shubaru [...] Sherden , Tjekker , Peleset , Khurma [...]" Scholars have advanced the possibility that the other Sea Peoples mentioned were connected to these cities in some way as well. Many scholars have interpreted

5029-466: The Philistines as one of the nations to be displaced from Canaan. In Genesis 15:18-21, the Philistines are absent from the ten nations Abraham 's descendants will displace as well as being absent from the list of nations Moses tells the people they will conquer, though the land in which they resided is included in the boundaries based on the locations of rivers described. In fact, the Philistines, through their Capthorite ancestors, were allowed to conquer

5136-468: The Philistines upon their Exodus from Egypt, according to Exodus 13:17. In Genesis 21:22-17, Abraham agrees to a covenant of kindness with Abimelech , the Philistine king, and his descendants. Abraham's son Isaac deals with the Philistine king similarly, by concluding a treaty with them in chapter 26. Unlike most other ethnic groups in the Bible , the Philistines are almost always referred to without

5243-600: The Philistines were housed in Egypt; only subsequently late in the troubled end of the reign of Ramesses III would they have been allowed to settle Philistia. The "Peleset" appear in four different texts from the time of the New Kingdom . Two of these, the inscriptions at Medinet Habu and the Rhetorical Stela at Deir al-Medinah , are dated to the time of the reign of Ramesses III (1186–1155 BC). Another

5350-409: The Philistines' rebellion, leading to the exile of many Philistines, who gradually lost their distinct identity in Babylonia . By the late fifth century BC, the Philistines no longer appear as a distinct group in historical or archaeological records, though the extent of their assimilation remains subject to debate. The Philistines are known for their biblical conflict with the Canaanite peoples of

5457-707: The Philistines, who had been under the rule of the Neo-Assyrian Empire (911–605 BC), were ultimately vanquished by King Nebuchadnezzar II of the Neo-Babylonian Empire . Much like the kingdoms of Israel and Judah , the Philistines lost their autonomy by the end of the Iron Age , becoming vassals to the Assyrians , Egyptians , and later Babylonians . Historical sources suggest that Nebuchadnezzar II destroyed Ashkelon and Ekron due to

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5564-475: The Quran, Isaac is mentioned in lists: Joseph follows the religion of his forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob ( 12:38 ) and speaks of God's favor to them ( 12:6 ); Jacob's sons all testify their faith and promise to worship the God that their forefathers, "Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac", worshiped ( 2:127 ); and the Quran commands Muslims to believe in the revelations that were given to "Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and

5671-464: The Sea Peoples (mainly Philistines) in Canaan as mercenaries. Egyptian strongholds in Canaan are also mentioned, including a temple dedicated to Amun , which some scholars place in Gaza; however, the lack of detail indicating the precise location of these strongholds means that it is unknown what impact these had, if any, on Philistine settlement along the coast. The only mention in an Egyptian source of

5778-445: The Sea Peoples in the southern Levant should not be surprising as Canaan was never mentioned in any text describing the Sea Peoples as a target of destruction or attack by the Sea Peoples. Other sites such as Tell Keisan, Acco, Tell Abu Hawam, Tel Dor, Tel Mevorak, Tel Zeror, Tel Michal, Tel Gerisa, and Tel Batash, have no evidence of a destruction ca. 1200 BC. By Iron Age II , the Philistines had formed an ethnic state centered around

5885-492: The Sea Peoples, declaring that the Peleset were "reduced to ashes." The Papyrus Harris I , records how the defeated foe were brought in captivity to Egypt and settled in fortresses. The Harris papyrus can be interpreted in two ways: either the captives were settled in Egypt and the rest of the Philistines/Sea Peoples carved out a territory for themselves in Canaan, or else it was Ramesses himself who settled

5992-451: The age of 180. According to local tradition, the graves of Isaac and Rebekah , along with the graves of Abraham and Sarah and Jacob and Leah , are in the Cave of the Patriarchs . In rabbinical tradition , the age of Isaac at the time of binding is taken to be 37, which contrasts with common portrayals of Isaac as a child. The rabbis also thought that the reason for the death of Sarah

6099-541: The altar and drawn his knife to kill him, at the last moment an angel of God prevented Abraham from proceeding. Instead, he was directed to sacrifice a nearby ram that was stuck in thickets. Before Isaac was 40 (Genesis 25:20), Abraham sent Eliezer , his steward, into Mesopotamia to find a wife for Isaac, from his nephew Bethuel 's family. Eliezer chose the Aramean Rebekah for Isaac. After many years of marriage to Isaac, Rebekah had still not given birth to

6206-481: The ancestor worshipped in Beersheba and the oldest tradition about him might be an ancestor myth dating back to at least 8th century BCE as shown in Amos 7:9, while proposing that the story about him conflicting with Abimelech, king of Gerar, and Philistines, which is the story that has possibility that Abraham cycle could have vampirized or vice versa, could have been originated and have background in 7th century BCE, and could be made to aim at justifying and legitimizing

6313-452: The ancestors and peoples who were part of Israel's political world at the time the stories began to be written down (eighth century B.C.E.). Lot is the ancestor of the Transjordanian peoples of Ammon and Moab, and Ishmael personifies the nomadic peoples known to have inhabited north Arabia, although located in the Old Testament in the Negev. Esau personifies Edom (36:1), and Laban represents the Aramean states to Israel's north. A persistent theme

6420-403: The arch-enemies of the Israelites, a serious and recurring threat before being subdued by David. Not all relations were negative, with the Cherethites and Pelethites , who were of Philistine origin, serving as David's bodyguards and soldiers. The Aramean, Assyrian and Babylonian threat eventually took over, with the Philistines themselves falling victim to these groups. They were conquered by

6527-410: The area of modern-day Greece . This view is based largely upon the fact that archaeologists, when digging up strata dated to the Philistine time-period in the coastal plains and in adjacent areas, have found similarities in material culture (figurines, pottery, fire-stands, etc.) between Aegean-Greek culture and that of Philistine culture, suggesting common origins. A minority, dissenting, claims that

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6634-524: The biblical Philistines with the Egyptian " Peleset " inscriptions; and since 1873, both have been connected with the Aegean " Pelasgians ". The evidence for these connections is etymological and has been disputed. Based on the Peleset inscriptions, it has been suggested that the Casluhite Philistines formed part of the conjectured "Sea Peoples" who repeatedly attacked Egypt during the later Nineteenth Dynasty . Though they were eventually repulsed by Ramesses III, he finally resettled them, according to

6741-532: The biblical narrative, Abraham fell on his face and laughed when God (Hebrew, Elohim ) imparted the news of their son's eventual birth. He laughed because Sarah was past the age of childbearing; both she and Abraham were advanced in age. Later, when Sarah overheard three messengers of the Lord renew the promise, she laughed inwardly for the same reason. Sarah denied laughing when God questioned Abraham about it. After God changes Abram and Sarai's names to Abraham and Sarah , he tells Abraham that he will bear

6848-420: The campaign, Sargon II singled out his capture of Gath, in 711 BC. Ten years later, Egypt once again incited its neighbors to rebel against Assyria, resulting in Ashkelon, Ekron, Judah , and Sidon revolting against Sargon's son and successor, Sennacherib . Sennacherib crushed the revolt, defeated the Egyptians, and destroyed much of the cities in southern Aramea , Phoenicia, Philistia, and Judah , and entered

6955-472: The ceramic and technological evidence attested to by archaeology as being associated with the Philistine advent in the area as strongly suggestive that they formed part of a large scale immigration to southern Canaan, probably from Anatolia and Cyprus , in the 12th century BC. The proposed connection between Mycenaean culture and Philistine culture was further documented by finds at the excavation of Ashdod, Ekron, Ashkelon, and more recently Gath, four of

7062-417: The claim of Judah over the Judahite territories that are transferred to the Philistine cities by Sennacherib because of several reasons: it was time when Gerar ( Tel Haror ) had the special importance and fortified Assyrian administration center; there was king of Ashdod , Ahimilki, whose name is similar to that of Abimelech; the Kingdom of Judah could have gotten back parts of Judahite territories while Judah

7169-440: The core of Philistine territory, such as Ashdod , Ashkelon , Gath , and Ekron , show nearly no signs of an intervening event marked by destruction. The same can be said for Aphek where an Egyptian garrison was destroyed, likely in an act of warfare at the end of the 13th century, which was followed by a local Canaanite phase, which was then followed by the peaceful introduction of Philistine pottery. The lack of destruction by

7276-458: The cults of the 'God the Fathers' was incorporated into the Israelite creed during the southern-Palestinian stage of the growth of the Pentateuch tradition." According to Martin Noth, at the Southern Palestinian stage of the growth of the Pentateuch tradition, Isaac became established as one of the biblical patriarchs, but his traditions were receded in the favor of Abraham. Israel Finkelstein and Thomas Römer have proposed that Isaac might be

7383-454: The destruction of the Philistines. Jeremiah 47:4 describes the Philistines as the remnant of the Caphtorim because the latter were mysteriously destroyed, either by divine or man-made means. The following is a list of battles described in the Bible as having occurred between the Israelites and the Philistines: Several theories are given about the origins of the Philistines. The Hebrew Bible mentions in two places that they originate from

7490-405: The discoveries at the Palistin capital Tell Tayinat indicate a Neo-Hittite state, including the names of the kings of Palistin. Singer proposes (based on archaeological finds) that a branch of the Philistines settled in Tell Tayinat and were replaced or assimilated by a new Luwian population who took the Palistin name. Allen Jones (1972 & 1975) suggests that the name Philistine represents

7597-403: The early Hebrew pastoralist experience". The Cambridge Companion to the Bible makes the following comment on the biblical stories of the patriarchs: Yet for all that these stories maintain a distance between their world and that of their time of literary growth and composition, they reflect the political realities of the later periods. Many of the narratives deal with the relationship between

7704-604: The exact place in Europe from where Philistines had migrated to Levant, due to limited number of ancient genomes available for study, "with 20 to 60 per cent similarity to DNA from ancient skeletons from Crete and Iberia and that from modern people living in Sardinia ." Most scholars agree that the Philistines were of Greek origin, and that they came from Crete and the rest of the Aegean Islands or, more generally, from

7811-719: The finds are three small bronze wheels with eight spokes. Such wheels are known to have been used for portable cultic stands in the Aegean region during this period, and it is therefore assumed that this building served cultic functions . Further evidence concerns an inscription in Ekron to PYGN or PYTN, which some have suggested refers to " Potnia ", the title given to an ancient Mycenaean goddess. Excavations in Ashkelon, Ekron, and Gath reveal dog and pig bones which show signs of having been butchered, implying that these animals were part of

7918-578: The five Philistine cities in Canaan. The fifth city is Gaza. Especially notable is the early Philistine pottery, a locally made version of the Aegean Mycenaean Late Helladic IIIC pottery, which is decorated in shades of brown and black. This later developed into the distinctive Philistine pottery of the Iron Age I, with black and red decorations on white slip known as Philistine Bichrome ware . Also of particular interest

8025-399: The future promised by God to Abraham. In verse 19, the author views the release of Isaac from sacrifice as analogous to the resurrection of Jesus , the idea of the sacrifice of Isaac being a prefigurement of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross . Islam considers Isaac ( Arabic : إسحاق , romanized :  Isḥāq ) a prophet , and describes him as the father of the Israelites and

8132-417: The historicity of Patriarchs' narratives as these are the common Semitic names that were used in the later periods as well. Some scholars have described Isaac as "a legendary figure" or "as a figure representing tribal history, or "as a seminomadic leader". The stories of Isaac, like other patriarchal stories of Genesis, are generally believed to have "their origin in folk memories and oral traditions of

8239-564: The interpretation that Ramesses III defeated the Sea Peoples, including Philistines, and settled their captives in fortresses in southern Canaan; another related theory suggests that Philistines invaded and settled the coastal plain for themselves. The soldiers were quite tall and clean-shaven. They wore breastplates and short kilts , and their superior weapons included chariots drawn by two horses. They carried small shields and fought with straight swords and spears. The Rhetorical Stela are less discussed, but are noteworthy in that they mention

8346-472: The land from the Avvites . However, their de-facto control over Canaan appears to have been limited. Joshua 13:3 states that only five cities, Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gath and Ekron, were controlled by Philistine lords. Three of these cities were later overtaken by the Anakim , making them a target for Israelite conquests as seen in Judges 3:3 and 2 Samuel 21:20 . God also directed the Israelites away from

8453-563: The land of the Philistines, called Philistia, was a pentapolis in the southwestern Levant comprising the five city-states of Gaza, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Ekron, and Gath, from Wadi Gaza in the south to the Yarqon River in the north, but with no fixed border to the east. Tell Qasile (a "port city") and Aphek were located on the northern frontier of Philistine territory, and Tell Qasile in particular may have been inhabited by both Philistine and non-Philistine people. The location of Gath

8560-505: The latter stands or kneels on the ground beside the altar. Sometimes Abraham grasps Isaac by the hair. Occasionally the ram is added to the scene and in the later paintings the Hand of God emerges from above. Philistines The Philistines ( Hebrew : פְּלִשְׁתִּים , romanized :  Pəlištīm ; LXX : Koinē Greek : Φυλιστιείμ , romanized:  Phulistieím ; Latin : Philistaei ) were an ancient people who lived on

8667-516: The longest-lived of the three patriarchs. The anglicized name "Isaac" is a transliteration of the Hebrew name יִצְחָק ‎ ( Yīṣḥāq ) which literally means "He laughs/will laugh". Ugaritic texts dating from the 13th century BCE refer to the benevolent smile of the Canaanite deity El . Genesis ascribes the laughter to Isaac's parents, Abraham and Sarah , instead. According to

8774-513: The mid-8th century BC, when Tiglath-Pileser III , the king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire , marched into the region, conquering much of the Levant that was not already under Assyrian rule (including Aram-Damascus and Phoenicia ), and occupying the remaining kingdoms in the area (including Philistia). Decades later, Egypt began agitating its neighbours to rebel against Assyrian rule. A revolt in Israel

8881-408: The modern theory of Philistines having an Aegean origin. In 2016, a large Philistine cemetery was discovered near Ashkelon, containing more than 150 dead buried in oval-shaped graves. A 2019 genetic study found that, while all three Ashkelon populations derive most of their ancestry from the local Semitic -speaking Levantine gene pool, the early Iron Age population was genetically distinct due to

8988-420: The name Peleset/Pulasti and the peoples' supposed Aegean origins, have led many scholars to identify the pwrꜣsꜣtj with the Philistines. Typically "Philistine" artifacts begin appearing in Canaan by the 12th century BC. Pottery of Philistine origin has been found far outside of what would later become the core of Philistia, including at the majority of Iron Age I sites in the Jezreel Valley ; however, because

9095-491: The northern Sinai , though he was unable to capture the Judahite capital, Jerusalem , instead forcing it to pay tribute. As punishment, the rebel nations paid tribute to Assyria, and Sennacherib's annals report that he exacted such tribute from the kings of Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gaza, and Ekron, but Gath is never mentioned, which may indicate that the city was actually destroyed by Sargon II. The Philistines were later occupied by

9202-399: The oldest of the biblical patriarchs at the time of his death, and the only patriarch whose name was not changed. Rabbinic literature also linked Isaac's blindness in old age, as stated in the Bible, to the sacrificial binding: Isaac's eyes went blind because the tears of angels present at the time of his sacrifice fell on Isaac's eyes. The early Christian church continued and developed

9309-462: The presence of Philistine pottery in northern Israel to their role as mercenaries for the Egyptians during the Egyptian military administration of the land in the 12th century BC. This presence may also indicate further expansion of the Philistines to the valley during the 11th century BC, or their trade with the Israelites. There are biblical references to Philistines in the valley during the times of

9416-513: The prophet , forbidding the Israelites from making iron implements of war. According to their chronicles, the Philistines were eventually subjugated by David , before regaining independence in the wake of the United Monarchy 's dissolution, after which there are only sparse references to them. The accuracy of these narratives is a subject of debate among scholars. The Philistines seemed to have generally retained their autonomy, up until

9523-414: The quantity of said pottery finds are light, it is assumed that the Philistines' presence in these areas were not as strong as in their core territory, and that they probably were a minority which had assimilated into the native Canaanite population by the 10th century BC. There is little evidence that the Sea Peoples forcefully injected themselves into the southern Levant; and the cities which would become

9630-886: The region is scarce. The citizens of Ashdod were reported to keep their language but it might have been an Aramaic dialect. In the Book of Genesis , 10:13-14 states, with regard to descendants of Mizraim , in the Table of Nations : "Mizraim begot the Ludim, the Anamim, the Lehabim, the Naphtuhim, the Pathrusim, the Casluhim , and the Caphtorim , whence the Philistines came forth." There

9737-655: The region, in particular, the Israelites . Though the primary source of information about the Philistines is the Hebrew Bible , they are first attested to in reliefs at the Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu , in which they are called the Peleset ( 𓊪𓏲𓂋𓏤𓏤𓐠𓍘𓇋𓍑 ), accepted as cognate with Hebrew Peleshet ; the parallel Assyrian term is Palastu , Pilišti , or Pilistu ( Akkadian : 𒉺𒆷𒀸𒌓 , 𒉿𒇷𒅖𒋾 , and 𒉿𒇷𒅖𒌓 ). They also left behind

9844-453: The sacrifice and was revived. According to many accounts of Aggadah , unlike the Bible, it is Satan who is testing Isaac as an agent of God . Isaac's willingness to follow God's command at the cost of his death has been a model for many Jews who preferred martyrdom to violation of the Jewish law . According to the Jewish tradition, Isaac instituted the afternoon prayer. This tradition

9951-532: The similarities in material culture are only the result of acculturation , during their entire 575 years of existence among Canaanite (Phoenician), Israelite, and perhaps other seafaring peoples. Since 1846, scholars have connected the biblical Philistines with the Egyptian " Peleset " inscriptions. All five of these appear from c. 1150 BC to c. 900 BC just as archaeological references to Kinaḫḫu , or Ka-na-na (Canaan), come to an end; and since 1873 comparisons were drawn between them and to

10058-540: The south coast of Canaan during the Iron Age in a confederation of city-states generally referred to as Philistia . There is compelling evidence to suggest that Philistines originated from a Greek immigrant group from the Aegean . The immigrant group settled in Canaan around 1175 BC during the Late Bronze Age collapse . Over time, they gradually assimilated elements of the indigenous Canaanite societies, while preserving their own unique culture. In 604 BC,

10165-410: The storehouses and granaries each year." Some scholars suggest it is likely that these "strongholds" were fortified towns in southern Canaan, which would eventually become the five cities (the pentapolis) of the Philistines. Israel Finkelstein has suggested that there may be a period of 25–50 years after the sacking of these cities and their reoccupation by the Philistines. It is possible that at first,

10272-543: The theory, to rebuild the coastal towns in Canaan. Papyrus Harris I details the achievements of the reign (1186–1155 BC) of Ramesses III. In the brief description of the outcome of the battles in Year 8 is the description of the fate of some of the conjectured Sea Peoples. Ramesses claims that, having brought the prisoners to Egypt, he "settled them in strongholds, bound in my name. Numerous were their classes, hundreds of thousands strong. I taxed them all, in clothing and grain from

10379-637: The title the Sunday of the Forefathers . Isaac is commemorated in the Catholic Church on 25 March or on 17 December. The New Testament states Isaac was "offered up" by his father Abraham, and that Isaac blessed his sons. Paul contrasted Isaac, symbolizing Christian liberty , with the rejected older son Ishmael, symbolizing slavery; Hagar is associated with the Sinai covenant, while Sarah

10486-400: The way of God: And We bestowed on him Isaac and, as an additional gift, (a grandson), Jacob, and We made righteous men of every one (of them). And We made them leaders, guiding (men) by Our Command, and We sent them inspiration to do good deeds, to establish regular prayers, and to practise regular charity; and they constantly served Us (and Us only). And WE gave him the glad tidings of Isaac,

10593-472: The way to Beersheba , where he made a pact with Abimelech, just like in the day of his father. Isaac grew old and became blind. He called his son Esau and directed him to procure some venison for him, in order to receive Isaac's blessing. While Esau was hunting, Jacob, after listening to his mother's advice, deceived his blind father by misrepresenting himself as Esau and thereby obtained his father's blessing, such that Jacob became Isaac's primary heir and Esau

10700-575: Was a compliant vassal of Assyria under Manasseh . In addition, Finkelstein and Römer proposed that Abraham might be the ancestor worshipped in Hebron, and Jacob might be the ancestor worshipped in Israel, but the earliest tradition of Jacob, the tradition about him and his uncle Laban the Aramean establishing the border between them, might be originated in Gilead. The earliest Christian portrayal of Isaac

10807-739: Was called Palistin . This country extended in the 11th-10th centuries BC from the Amouq Valley in the west to Aleppo in the east down to Mehardeh and Shaizar in the south. Due to the similarity between Palistin and Philistines, Hittitologist John David Hawkins (who translated the Aleppo inscriptions) hypothesizes a connection between the Syro-Hittite Palistin and the Philistines, as do archaeologists Benjamin Sass and Kay Kohlmeyer. Gershon Galil suggests that King David halted

10914-523: Was composed in the period immediately following the death of Ramesses III ( Papyrus Harris I ). The fourth, the Onomasticon of Amenope , is dated to some time between the end of the 12th or early 11th century BC. The inscriptions at Medinet Habu consist of images depicting a coalition of Sea Peoples, among them the Peleset, who are said in the accompanying text to have been defeated by Ramesses III during his Year 8 campaign. In about 1175 BC, Egypt

11021-458: Was crushed by Sargon II in 722 BC, resulting in the kingdom's total destruction. In 712 BC, a Philistine named Iamani ascended to the throne of Ashdod, and organized another failed uprising against Assyria with Egyptian aid. The Assyrian King Sargon II invaded Philistia, which effectively became annexed by Assyria, although the kings of the five cities, including Iamani, were allowed to remain on their thrones as vassals. In his annals concerning

11128-422: Was left in an inferior position. According to Genesis 25:29–34, Esau had previously sold his birthright to Jacob for "bread and stew of lentils". Thereafter, Isaac sent Jacob into Mesopotamia to take a wife of his mother's brother's house. After 20 years working for his uncle Laban , Jacob returned home. He reconciled with his twin brother Esau, then he and Esau buried their father, Isaac, in Hebron after he died at

11235-809: Was so "in a pre-eminent way". The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church consider Isaac as a saint along with other biblical patriarchs . Along with those of other patriarchs and the Old Testament Righteous, his feast day is celebrated in the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Byzantine rite of the Catholic Church on the Second Sunday before Christmas (December 11–17), under

11342-415: Was the news of the intended sacrifice of Isaac. The sacrifice of Isaac is cited in appeals for the mercy of God in later Jewish traditions. The post-biblical Jewish interpretations often elaborate the role of Isaac beyond the biblical description and primarily focus on Abraham's intended sacrifice of Isaac, called the aqedah ("binding"). According to a version of these interpretations, Isaac died in

11449-842: Was threatened with a massive land and sea invasion by the "Sea Peoples," a coalition of foreign enemies which included the Tjeker , the Shekelesh, the Deyen, the Weshesh, the Teresh, the Sherden , and the PRST . They were comprehensively defeated by Ramesses III, who fought them in " Djahy " (the eastern Mediterranean coast) and at "the mouths of the rivers" (the Nile Delta ), recording his victories in

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