Are Philistines the Palestinians?

There’s a lie that just won’t die. You’ve probably heard it, on the news, in classrooms, from protestors waving signs they can’t explain. It goes something like this: “The Palestinians are the descendants of the Philistines. They were there first. The Jews are the colonizers.”

Sounds clever, right? Too bad it’s absolute garbage. Historical, linguistic, and genetic nonsense all wrapped in a shiny little propaganda package. Let’s rip it open.

Do the ancient Philistines have any ties to modern day Palestinians? (Digital art)

First, Who Were the Philistines?

The Philistines show up in the Bible as one of Israel’s most hated enemies. Goliath was a Philistine. So was Delilah. They were a sea people who showed up around the 12th century BC and settled in five main cities: Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Gath, and Ekron. Their origins? Likely from the Aegean region, somewhere near Greece or Crete. They weren’t Arabs. They weren’t native to the land. And they definitely weren’t called “Palestinians.”

The Bible pulls no punches about them. They were violent, idolatrous, and constantly warring with the Israelites. “Then the Philistines gathered to fight against Israel… they encamped at Aphek, while the Israelites camped at Ebenezer.” (1 Samuel 4:1) It’s war after war, pagan god after pagan god. These people weren’t cousins, they were invading colonizers who came by boat.

And then? They vanished. Not figuratively. Literally.

The Assyrians wiped them out. The Babylonians crushed what was left. By the time the Romans showed up centuries later, the Philistines were nothing more than a memory.

THE PLAGUE OF ASHDOD or EPIDEMIC AMONG THE PHILISTINES. The Old Testament scene shows God's destruction of the temple and idol of Dagon. Engraving by Picart after Poussin painting of 1660. (Shutterstock)

Now, Who Are the Palestinians?

Fast forward a couple thousand years.

The Romans crushed the Jewish revolt in 70 AD. They burned the Temple and exiled many Jews. But in 135 AD, after another Jewish revolt, Emperor Hadrian decided to finish the job. He renamed Judea to “Syria Palaestina”- not because of any love for the Philistines, but as a final insult to the Jews. He used the name of their ancient enemies to erase their connection to the land. It was a petty, cruel move. And the name stuck.

But here’s the key: Palestine was never a nation. It was never Arab. It was never Philistine. It was a Roman insult. That’s it.

The Arabs didn’t show up in the region until the 7th century AD, 700 years after Jesus, and almost 2,000 years after the Philistines. When the modern concept of “Palestinian identity” started to emerge in the 20th century, it wasn’t built on Philistine ancestry. It was a political label created in response to Zionism.

Even prominent Arab leaders admitted this.

In 1977, PLO executive committee member Zahir Muhsein said: “The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel.”

Read that again.

This isn’t a people group with ancient ties to the land. This is a political weapon dressed in historical cosplay.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 13.10.2024, Protester at Pro - palestinian protest in front of Amsterdam central train station (Shutterstock)

The Name Game Is a Lie

Saying Palestinians are Philistines because the words sound similar is like saying Britain belongs to Brita water filters. It’s lazy and dishonest.

The languages aren’t related. The religions aren’t related. The cultures aren’t related. You might as well say the Chinese are the original Cherokee.

It’s a con. A myth invented to delegitimize Jewish history. A slick-sounding way to say: “You Jews don’t belong here.”

But the Bible says otherwise.

In Genesis 15, God gives Abraham a covenant: “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.” This isn’t up for debate. It’s not based on politics or public opinion. It’s a divine deed to the land of Israel.

The Jewish claim is spiritual, historical, and archaeological. You can’t say that about the Palestinians. They don’t have ancient cities. They don’t have a line of kings. They don’t have a traceable culture that predates Islam. And they don’t have Goliath.

But What About Gaza?

Ah, Gaza, the favorite word of every clueless activist with a Keffiyeh and a TikTok account.

Yes, the Philistines once ruled Gaza. But that was three thousand years ago, and they were wiped off the map. The only Philistines in Gaza today are in museum exhibits. Gaza has been ruled by Egyptians, Ottomans, Mamluks, British, and now Hamas. At no point did it belong to a Philistine nation.

You want to talk about indigenous rights? Fine. Let’s talk.

Jews have been in Jerusalem for over 3,000 years. There’s archaeological evidence of King David’s palace, of Solomon’s Temple, of Hebrew writing in ancient stones.

Palestinians? They were calling themselves Southern Syrians until the 1960s.

Ancient map of Gaza marked by a red tack. The city on the southern coastal plain of Erez Israel was also called Azzah. (Shutterstock)

This Isn’t Just About History, It’s About Truth

Lies are dangerous. They kill. They justify terror. They tell the world that Jews stole land they’ve lived on for millennia. They give cover to rockets, murder, and genocide.

The myth of “Philistine = Palestinian” is a lazy tool used to erase Jewish legitimacy and rewrite history. It’s time we stop letting it slide.

And Here’s the Hope

Israel isn’t going anywhere. God made that promise.

Amos 9:15 says:“I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them.”

That’s not a political slogan. That’s prophecy.

The nations will rage. The UN will blather. The mobs will scream about “colonizers.” But the truth is stronger than propaganda. Israel lives. The Jewish people live. And the ancient lies of the Philistines, just like their modern-day imitators, will be forgotten.

Because God doesn’t lie. And history doesn’t bend to hashtags.

The Philistines are gone. The Palestinians are not them. And Israel is home, always has been, always will be.

Consider supporting local businesses in Israel here