People of the Sea: The Search for the Philistines

The authors, both archaeologists and historians at universities in Israel, have devoted 30 years to studying the material culture and history of the Philistines, one of the sea people who migrated during the Late Bronze Age and were first known from biblical accounts. The Dothans tell the story of the gradual amassing of evidence from Egyptian monuments and texts, the widely dispersed archaeological finds by various scholars, and their own and other Israelis' fieldwork during World War II. They then take turns describing their excavations at Ashod, one of five Philistine capitals along the coast of Canaan; in Cyprus; in the Gaza strip; and in another Philistine capital city. Through their narratives and descriptions of finds, including the distinctive bi-chrome ware, iron, bronze, and ivory artifacts, and artificial remains, the Dothans reconstruct the life of a people whom the Bible perceived as barbarous, yet whom they have found to be sophisticated city planners with advanced technology who profoundly affected the cultures around them in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age. Written in a direct, engaging style, this is for lay readers as well as scholars.
- Joan W. Gartland, Detroit P.L.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.