Prof. Aren M. Maeir - Whatever happened to the Philistines?!

Our guest, Aren Maeir is an American-born Israeli archaeologist and professor at Bar Ilan University. He is director of the Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project.
He has participated in, and directed, numerous archaeological excavations in Israel, including at the following sites: Jerusalem, Hazor, Yoqneam, Tell Qasile, Beth-Shean, and since 1996, at Tell es-Safi/Gath. He is married to Adina (née Hartman), and they have three sons and three grandchildren.
His expertise lies in the Bronze and Iron Age cultures of the Eastern Mediterranean, with special emphasis on those of the Ancient Levant. Among the topics that he has studied are: ancient trade; metallurgy; pottery production and provenance; scientific applications in archaeology; archaeological survey; the archaeology of Jerusalem; the Middle Bronze Age of the Levant; chronology of the 2nd Millennium BCE; the Sea Peoples and the Philistines; relations between Egypt and the Levant; ancient weapons and warfare; ancient cult and religion.
Since 1996 he has directed the Ackerman Family Bar-Ilan University Expedition to Gath, excavating the ancient site of Tell es-Safi, which is identified as Canaanite and Philistine Gath (one of the five cities of the Philistines mentioned in the Bible, the home of Goliath). Over the years, he has written and edited, close to 20 volumes and published around 300 papers.
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#jewishpeople
#history
#ancient
#archeology
#bible
#religion
#lecture
#jewish
#judaism
#historyfacts
#ted
#lecture
#interview
#academia
#kedem

[@funhistory]

It's refreshing to watch a substantive interview, where the guest is asked relevant questions & allowed to answer in detail rather than short sound-bites. Thank you, Mr. Tseitlin! 😀

[@KEDEMChannel]

Thank you very much!

[@mordi2537]

Thank you

[@ablewindsor1459]

Yup very few do that anymore,. Others Joe Rogan, Glenn Beck. California Insiders. Can you think of ANY others ?

[@margaretgoodheart4167]

@@ablewindsor1459 The Duran and George Galloway, Dr. John Campbell....but you're right, not many.

[@ablewindsor1459]

@@margaretgoodheart4167 🥂

[@puccini4530]

Excellent. Lucid, and informative. Thank you.

[@KEDEMChannel]

Glad that you liked it, thank you!

[@arenmaeir]

Apologies for a little blooper at the end, where for some unexplained reason (temporary insanity?), I mention "Cincinnati" as a name of a Native American tribe...:-(

[@yrebrac]

Ha you're forgiven. Also thanks for sharing this and your other appearances. It's a privilege to learn directly from the people studying our shared past

[@hglundahl]

I was going to comment

[@Achill101]

I was wondering if I needed to learn something about the Cincinnati tribe ;-) Thank you for the correction.

[@elmersbalm5219]

Thanks for the comprehensive channel. Bloopers are fun

[@PrometheanRising]

The Romans are not amused.

[@mogh2603]

I am Palestinian, I like this content, scientific and objective 👍👍

[@KEDEMChannel]

Happy to hear that!

[@mogh2603]

@@KEDEMChannel respect 😊

[@hglundahl]

If you are Palestinian, your genetic continuity is with Jews, Samarians and Galilaeans 2000 years ago, the part that became Christian. Some of them later became Muslims under, shall we say _some_ pressure from an invader.

[@mogh2603]

@@hglundahl hi Hans, I agree,partially however, you assume that ALL modern-day Jews are descendants of Biblical Jews, which is not accurate, at some point in late first century AD up to 10% of Roman empire population adopted Judaism, so modern-day Jews cannot be exclusively descending from Israrlites of Canaan, this is evident even by simple external looks, Iraqi and Morrocan Jews are typical Semites, however, a European Jew with blond hair and blue eyes is hardly Semitic looking. I support the notion that Biblical Israelites were a Canaanite subgroup,I believe modern day Palestinians are genetically descendants of the same Canaanite gene pool, that underwent the gradual conversion from Paganism/Judaism into Christianity and later into Islam. Off course with significant elements of genes from invader/trader communities, like Arabs, Egyptian, and European Crusaders.

[@hglundahl]

@@mogh2603 _"you assume that ALL modern-day Jews are descendants of Biblical Jews"_ I assume, first of all, all Mitsrahi Jews are so - they and Persian Jews would be the closest relatives of Palestinians. The division happened when the ancestors of Mitsrahi Jews preferred what's now known as Judaism, denying Jesus was the Messiah, while the ancestors of Palestinians are those that chose Christianity. _"at some point in late first century AD up to 10% of Roman empire population adopted Judaism, so modern-day Jews cannot be exclusively descending from Israrlites of Canaan,"_ Descending from Israelites of Canaan and descending exclusively from them are two different things. The question is more or less admixture. Or closer and further off. Mitsrahis and Palestinians would primarily descend from the Semitic population 2000 years ago in Palestine. Much of the admixture would be from Edom, Moab, Ammon - now known as Jordan. Similarily, Jordanians would primarily descend from Edom, Moab and Ammon, but much of the admixture would be from Judaea, Samaria and Galilaea. _"however, a European Jew with blond hair and blue eyes is hardly Semitic looking."_ Not so sure of that. King David was not dark haired and a Palestinian Mufti of Jerusalem looked pretty European. _"I support"_ I support basically the same things, except Israelites being a Canaanean subgroup only gradually converting from Paganism. _"Off course with significant elements of genes from invader/trader communities, like Arabs, Egyptian, and European Crusaders."_ Indeed, but at no time did they full scale replace all the indigenous people or even become a new majority.

[@matthewstewart5113]

Thank you, Kedem and Professor Aren Maeir. Professor Maeir brought up an interesting Idea. Visiting the museums, would be very interesting having a professor explaining what we are seeing as we as the viewer are watching. Thank you again.

[@KEDEMChannel]

That's a great idea! Thank you 🙏

[@nathankorn9727]

An excellent and a very informative interview.

[@KEDEMChannel]

Many thanks!

[@ricardomartins3015]

Very good! Aren is THE expert.

[@KEDEMChannel]

Thank you 🙏

[@craigcollings5568]

Seems to be, yes.

[@margaretgoodheart4167]

Curiosity made me watch, and I enjoyed and benefited more than expected. Thank you host and guest. It was amusing to hear Dr. Aren say that whether biblical or pharoic, historic records will reflect the ideology of the recorder or the effect the person wanted to have on the reader. Ahh, propaganda is always with us.

[@KEDEMChannel]

Thank you 🙏

[@notanemoprog]

Great scholar and a very interesting topic another superb video from Kedem channel!

[@KEDEMChannel]

Many thanks!

[@alisyed9240]

Very informative. Would have been great if explained through a map and/or names of the immigrating groups flashed on the map.

[@KEDEMChannel]

Great suggestion, we will implement lit in our next videos, thank you!

[@helenamcginty4920]

Ah. As a European who is also steeped in Greek myths and reading about Mycenae, visited Cyprus, and grew up learning about Mesopotamia and the Romans etc. My minds eye knew where all these places were/are. But not everyone has a minds eye, as I recently learned, so yes maps would be brilliant. Besides maps are amazing anyway.

[@qcarr]

Great interview, lots of new information for me. Thank you!

[@KEDEMChannel]

Our pleasure!

[@stevenv6463]

Great discussion. Thanks for making this available.

[@priser24]

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@KEDEMChannel]

Thanks for watching!

[@josephphoenix1376]

Excellent Episode 👍

[@KEDEMChannel]

Thank you 🙏

[@banto1]

Goliath Beer! Another item the "locals" can claim we culturally appropriated...

[@kenmcclellan]

At about 1:45, he is spot-on! It is the destruction of the prior age that has empowered Mycenae against Troy and Joshua against the Philistines. The walls came down and the people perished.

[@KEDEMChannel]

Yes, just a slight correction: Jushua is not fighting the Philistines according to the Biblical account, but rather the Canaanites. It is also fit the historical records that the clash between the Philistines and the Israelites only happened around the middle of the 12th century BCE after the Israelites first settlements were already established (we have c-14 dated layers pointing to such clash in ancient Shiloh, for example)

[@Achill101]

Thank you for an enjoyable and informative video. Two remarks: - I thought Neobabylonians normally exiled only the upper class and kept the lower class in the land to work the land. Then the DNA of lower class Philistines might still be around in the southern Levant. - Goliath Beer, yeah! Drink and feel strong as Goliath ;-) But was there hops in the original, and if not, would it suit modern tastes?

[@KEDEMChannel]

Thank you! There was probably a difference between the neo-Assyrians and the neo-Babylonians with regards to the exiling mechanism, but I don’t think that you are wrong: the remaining Philistines eventually fully assimilated into the local population, so traces of their DNA certainly survived in the Levant

[@hippopotamus6765]

Really enjoyed listening to this discussion. The subject was well explained and I learned about stuff that I had not previously been aware of.

[@KEDEMChannel]

Glad it was helpful!

[@wetalksports1128]

Thank you Alex its Moshe, You are going to leave a big mark. I believe it.

[@AlexTseitlin]

Thank you 🙏

[@ianbeddowes5362]

The whole idea of the Jews (or Hebrews) being the descendants of 12 inter-related tribes, or in the case of the Jews alone descendants of only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin is an ideological construct not based on real history. Modern Palestinians, in fact are AT LEAST as much the descendants of the ancient Jews as modern Jews. Difference is culture and religion have become the dividing factor. If we want genetic purity we need to go to isolated communities in the highlands of New Guinea or the Amazon, not at all in the lands between the two ancient early cenres of civilization, Mesopotamis amd Egypt where there has been trade and interaction for milennia.

[@Andy_Babb]

I don’t believe the Bible is a history book by any means and I’m not religious… but I do absolutely think that a number of tribes making up a larger society of people in the Middle East is really not that challenging of a concept. Haven’t genetics already proven this with the findings of the Ethiopian Jews? (Not rhetorical lol I’m actually asking)

[@bartversteege2910]

top....real info

[@KEDEMChannel]

Glad you think so!

[@eswn1816]

About Samson: Yes, he was an Israelite, but he was not of Judah... He was of the tribe of Dan. 🙏

[@KEDEMChannel]

According to the Biblical account you are right, thanks for the comment.

[@nattyw495]

Very interesting and informative and expanded my knowledge thank you very much..

[@KEDEMChannel]

Glad it was helpful!

[@EylonU]

It apears that the city of Gat was quite a cosmopolitan city. Much like Tel Aviv wants to be.

[@TheLincolnrailsplitt]

Thanks

[@KEDEMChannel]

Welcome 🙏

[@SionTJobbins]

Why would people settle in Israel? It's a barren land, mostly (or, is more barren than Anatolia etc). Why would they cross the sea to settle in a land which was probably less fruitful than their own?

[@eswn1816]

Ancient Israel was not just a desert. It was the end of the famous "crescent" of the early civilizations. The Bible describes it as a land of milk and honey. It was fruitful and had livestock.

[@SionTJobbins]

@@eswn1816 I understand tis, but, is the claim of land of milk and honey backed up by archeological facts - was there more rainfall at that time. And is LM&H in relation to the very arid Sinai and Hejas? Tht is, Canaan may be better than Sinai but was it better and more fruitful than Anatolia, Greece etc?

[@Achill101]

@@SionTJobbins - from what I've read, it seems the northern kingdom of Israel had enough rainfall most years but not always (see also story of Elijah), while Judah was drier. . . . The agriculture in Israel was more olives and wine (and horses) than grain that was better to grow in Egypt or Assyria.

[@katew.9402]

Great interview! I love the idea of the Goliath beer 🙂

[@KEDEMChannel]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks 🙏

[@dovbarleib3256]

There were Philistines in SW Canaan hundreds of yrs before the Bronze Age Collapse. They went extinct with Senncharib's Conquest in 650bce, but they came before Avraham arrived.

[@arenmaeir]

1) The mention of Philistines in the context of the biblical patriarchal narratives is a clear anachronism. Clear archaeological evidence for the Philistines appears ONLY during the LB/Iron Age transition (ca. 1200 BCE). Even if one accepts and earlier dating for the Patriarchs (say MB or LB; and all evidence points to later dates for this), there is simply no evidence of the Philistine reaching Canaan during this earlier periods; 2) The Philistines definitely didn't become "extinct" with Sennacherib's conquest in "650 bce". Sennacherib was dead for a few decades at that time, and in any case, the last Philistine cities were destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar in 604 BCE. May I respectfully suggest that if you want to respond, please check your facts before hand.

[@cosimodirondo972]

According to Trude Dothan, doyen of Philistine culture, they invaded the southern coast of the land in the 2nd half of the 12th Century BCE. This is 600 years after the 18th Century BCE Avraham.

[@parrotraiser6541]

wnjoyable, but I'd like a translation of the host's T-shirt.

[@KEDEMChannel]

On the t-short is written coming to the professors 💪☝️

[@parrotraiser6541]

@@KEDEMChannel Thanks.

[@mogbaba]

Any such research about the origin of Ashjenaziis? I heard they are from the Caucasus!

[@donc7349]

"We find that the early Iron Age population was genetically distinct due to a European-related admixture. This genetic signal is no longer detectible in the later Iron Age population." Published in Science by Feldman et al. 2019. Ancient DNA sheds light on the genetic origins of early Iron Age Philistines

[@jonrettich4579]

Isn’t all of this really indicated in the Bible, with surprising foreign interactions obviously taken for granted. How about Uriah the Hittite shouldn’t that be an enemy not a serving officer? If the Peleset that invaded Egypt were forcibly settled in a border region as a defense they could have been welcomed but dominated the city like the Praetorian or Varangian Guards. And that safety promoted trade and expansion. Wasn’t Philistine DNA found highly Aegean Greek in percentage? Wasn’t Goliath’s described armor found exactly in Greece at Dendra? I presume it helps people to put in proper perspective what might be misunderstood. I think Cossack development roughly similar

[@lanre007]

Am left confused. A race of mixed people. But where did the ingredients of the mixture come from? If the Philistines have Greek within , where did it come from?

[@andrewlankford9634]

I think the last time I saw them, they were guest starring in infomercials.

[@thomascbartlett5106]

Very interesting and informative. In one point, though, it appears that the speaker thinks Cincinnati, like Manhattan, is the name of a Native American people, which is not true. The city Cincinnati, OH is named for the Society of Cincinnati, who were members of Washington's officer corps during the US War of Independence.

[@thomascbartlett5106]

This occurs at about 33:30 in the video.

[@arenmaeir]

@@thomascbartlett5106 You are right about this and I apologized for this blooper in the first comment...mea culpa...

[@benrokh]

Love your channel and the interviews you do. Quite a treasure trove of information! But in this video, a few of the arguments made by Prof. Maeir made me raise an eyebrow. The first is that there are no evidence for a naval battle in the nile delta after 3 millennia - is that really a surprise given the terrain? Is there any evidence of the Merneptah battle which also took place in that area? The second is the mention of no destruction in the area where the Philistines were resettled - why would they settle in a desolate area? And\or why would they destryo an area before settling it? The third is the claim of the Philistines as being an amalgamation of peoples based on material culture. By the same logic, one could expect a significant greek population in 10th century Norway. And being resettled at an already occupied area, even as a ruling elite, could also produce the aforementioned material culture mix.

[@Achill101]

About no layer of destruction in Philistine cities: If the original inhabitants would have defended their city, chances were high that the taking of the city would leave a layer of destruction, black ashes from burning houses and other wooden objects. That there was none increases the probability that the "sea people" were settled there peacefully, maybe by the Pharaoh to decrease their pressure on Egypt and increase the number if taxpayers around Gath. Other cities of the time of the Bronze Age Collapse show such layers of destruction, but often limited to the palace sectors.

[@benrokh]

Sure, a pitched battle can leave a layer of destruction. But only in the case that the city is left in ruin. If, on the other hand, the city is cleaned up and rebuilt immediately after, such a layer would never have a chance to form. Then there is also the possibility of a siege or surrender, both of which would also negate the formation of such a layer.

[@Achill101]

@@benrokh - even if it would have been a short battle inside the settlement, archeologist might find traces of it, like the mentioned ashes or broken pottery. The other indication of violent takeover and replacement is a break in the cultural traditions, of pottery, tools, etc. Maybe archeologist have found more of an addition of Greek(?) traditions than a replacement in Philistine cities. . . . Wide ash layers have been found in many cities during the Bronze Age collapse, indicating destruction. Absence if such a layer doesn't prove absence of fight but lowers its probability. . . . Meir is famous for digging in Gath that succumbed to the Arameans after a long siege and was burned down, resulting in an ash layer of that time. (The siege is proven by the siege trench dug around Gath.)

[@benrokh]

Could you provide an example of such a layer in a city that was immediately reoccupied? The cultural continuity argument makes a lot more sense, and as your "maybe" points out would be a great topic to expand upon in future videos.

[@Achill101]

@@benrokh - can archeologists distinguish between immediatly reoccupied and occupied after 20 or 40y by people from the same culture, and how would they do it?

[@THEsotetoldal]

While most of the nations have built their histories on often shaky evidence, I don't understand why Israel is going out of its way to reconsider its own, the most precise history ever written.

[@bill9989]

Because these are scientists seeking the truth. The Bible isn't history and it is easily revealed that it isn't. So that poses the question; "what is the history?" and that's what they are attempting to reveal. In a way, the Bible has been an impediment that other nations didn't have to overcome.

[@VSP4591]

Yes, interesting video. The Philistines were a somehow mysterious people. From the Old Testament we learn that they spoke without translation with the Hebrew people and some marriages between them took place. This is a very surprising fact taking into account the interdictions for marriages for the Hebrews at that time.

[@MrBerto800]

I want to taste that biblical beer! Please commercialize and produce it. and inform us of the company name. 😅

[@arenmaeir]

We are working on it!

[@billysmith6284]

It’s interesting he says prior to 1180 bc ish the biblical Philistines didn’t exist.. I wonder exactly how that affects the exodus timeline.

[@KEDEMChannel]

We already have the name of “Israel Stele” where Israel is mentioned at 1,209. It is indeed interesting to compare with “ולא נחם אלוהים.. דרך ארץ פלישתים״ as part of the Exodus story

[@Achill101]

That the Philistines didn't exist before 1180BC is also one piece of evidence that the Abraham story is not about a historical Abraham.

[@billysmith6284]

@@Achill101 you go from disputed timeline to never existed..

[@fordprefect5304]

@@billysmith6284 Your call [Genesis 26] Now there was a famine in the land, besides the former famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Gerar, to King Abimelech of the Philistines. [Genesis 26:8] And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife. *The Philistines aka the sea people do not exist before 1177BCE*

[@billysmith6284]

@@fordprefect5304 that makes all the timelines I’ve seen wrong by centuries.. interesting.

[@Offa7a]

Where does Israel fit into this !!

[@helenamcginty4920]

I have long come to look on the bible, both old and new testaments, as being only partially useful as historical evidence. But have been struck by the comment by several of the learned guests on this channel that "the bible doesnt know about" pre iron age/ Hasmonean history as uncovered by archaeologists.

[@roigedalia4532]

תעשה גם בעברית?

[@KEDEMChannel]

כן, נעלה בהמשך בערוץ בעברית

[@shannonmcstormy5021]

What various groups of humans were doing 4,000 or even 1,000 years ago shouldn't have any relevance regarding modern geopolitical topics/situations/conflicts (paraphrasing The NY Times). That said, something has to change. Does Israel really want to be entangled in this same mess 100 years from now? (To be clear, I'm widely regarded as being a Jewish ally, but these questions remain): What's the end game? If Israel could wave a magic wand and the world would be changed, what would they want to have happen with the Palestinian people living in Israel?

[@KEDEMChannel]

It is a political question 😊 we deal with history

[@noamsalzstein7570]

חדש? מזל טוב!🇧🇷

[@KEDEMChannel]

Yes, this is our brand new channel in English. Thank you!

[@ryansharp9222]

They had global warming way back then? They didn’t have cars.

[@MH3GL]

Great observation 👌 There were no cars or factories when the glaciers began to recede at the end of the last ice age either. Global warming / climate change isn't being caused by your vehicle. It is happening, but there's nothing you can do about it. Or, I should say, there's nothing you can do to stop it.

[@anthonylemkendorf3114]

Sense Göbeklitepe - I’ve come to realize the importance of questioning everything Archeologists believe and hold dear..

[@arenmaeir]

I sense the influence of Graham Hancock...

[@grammaticopedanticus9727]

The good doctor is a fine scholar, historian, and archeologist, but I regret his persistent use of ‘comprised’ for ‘composed.’ Picky, picky me Sorry

[@kevinwolfe371]

⭐ p̾r̾o̾m̾o̾s̾m̾

[@crimony3054]

The Philistines? They were utterly slewed.

[@sableindian]

So, this expert doesn't know that Nebuchadnezzar totally destroyed the Philistines in 604 BC and there are no Philistines today. Someone needs to tell them. Apologies needed too.

[@TheRaskol78]

The Philistines sound like a Grateful Dead crowd that settled down.

[@Pepsiguy]

11:11 blasphemy

[@deafprophet]

Meier, why?

[@arthurb8924]

They became the Palestinians....

[@p.a.andrews7772]

IT'S ONLY A MYTH AND NOTHING ELSE !

[@margaretgoodheart4167]

And sometimes a metaphor

[@brucetucker4847]

if it's _only_ a myth, how is it that archaeologists are excavating the cities mentioned and finding things that confirm at least the setting?

[@RealUvane]

Just like Abraham the Amorites was El(Saturn/Cronos/Hephaestus) worshippers, Mainly found in the Aegean ocean Etruscan type Tyrrean cultures, that converted to the Judean culture (from Aetiopia to Zargos) that worship the black sheep Mars (and Prometheus aka lucifer). Mars is the only monotheistic spirit and is also the spirit of violence. Mars is known as Ares (who he greeks hated) Ammon, Bael, Khnum, Seth, Typhon, Adad, Hades, Mitras and Shem. Saul lived in a city called Scythopolis by the Romans and the Scythians also venerated saturn (Papeus) and Thera(Ashera) . Isra is an arabic name meaning night time journey. That’s because they observed Saturn journey in the night sky. This is the star of Saturn 🔯 and Immanu El was his “son” he sent to guide humanity away from Mars’ violence.

[@RealUvane]

The symbols of Mars (Shem) are fire, iron, gold, eagle, falcon, lion(-man).

[@RealUvane]

And Hephaestus El, the god of metallurgy, rides a donkey. Thera holds palm leaves. Saturn is the original agricultural god. He also is a time keeper, stone builder and the supreme weather god, which means he knows how to control the weather.

[@RealUvane]

Saturn was called Enlil/Elil by the original babylonians who also were real Isra Elites( most probably descendants of Berber Tyrreanians). The kippa is a Saturn symbol. Also brimmed hats. And the scythe of course. Elohim comes from El and includes Thera Ashera, Mercury Eshmun, Jupiter Jove, Orion Marduk and his dog of wisdom Isis Sirius, Elves… “Why, Eloi, have you forsaken me?” Yashua Adonai was definitely not Judean.

[@Brassblitz]

Supposably this guy is an expert. But I supposbe correct pronunciation isn't a critical skill in archeology and I shouldn't judge someone based on the way things are supposb'd to be pronounced.

[@dannywhite7147]

The became the democratic party.

[@jasonmuniz-contreras6630]

Syria Palaestina

[@anonymous-sy8ev]

The professor is getting his dogma challenged and you can tell it's triggering him. Don't let archeology and real history get in the way of your beliefs

[@andywong9847]

Archeological evidence is not real history? This is new theory to me. Please elaborate.

[@anonymous-sy8ev]

@@andywong9847 Archeology is real history, that's what my comment says and means

[@MH3GL]

​@@anonymous-sy8ev actually, your comment is backwards. If that is what you intended, it should have said "Don't let your beliefs get in the way of archaeology and real history."

[@anonymous-sy8ev]

@@MH3GL Except that I was using irony and being sarcastic. The way you wrote it would have been if I were giving advice.

[@mikebates8402]

They became Mormons.

[@pennypothoneypot634mimmahappun]

Therefore My natural Foe is : Spanish Portuguese Mexican Sea People Pirates MIXED RACE Greek Balkans Mediterranean Half Celts Half Muslims Africa `s And Arab's Half Population India horrible Philistines.

[@busterbiloxi3833]

interviweer has a comical Hollywood Muscovite accent.

[@KEDEMChannel]

😊true, authentic iconic Russian accent 🙏