Ancient History : People and Places : Who Were the Philistines?

"Most Bible students know the menacing Philistines were the enemies of the Israelites. There were constant struggles for control of the land of Canaan (an older name for Palestine). A study, just a quick study, of the people of Philistia might lead one to conclude that … if they had not always been battling with the nation of Israel, they would have been at war with another group. They liked to fight!!

WHY? Because they could!!

The Philistines were skilled warriors; on land and at sea. In fact, they were once called Sea Peoples. Their navy consisted of fleets of the finest warships during that time, expertly manned by experienced soldier/seamen. As for their army? The infantry, i.e. trained foot soldiers, possessed superior weapons of iron and wielded them masterfully and mercilessly."

Good thing David was good with a slingshot!

Source: Ethiopian or Philistine? Am I a Dog?

Image credit: Gebhard Fugel [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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Ethiopian or Philistine? (O.o) Question prompted by some dialogue in a #DenzelWashington movie. If in the script, instead of saying “Ethiopian”, they called Mr. Washington’s character a “Philistine”, the scene would've made sense to me.
~ Con't reading. https://t.co/8ViPuiHc6k pic.twitter.com/KRi50JvosI

— My Fox Nooze (aka Joie de Vivre Magazine) (@FoxMarks_ATX) November 13, 2019

"SHILOH (not #Jerusalem) was at one time the focal point of Israel's worship, where both the Tabernacle and the #ArkoftheCovenant resided." ~ Con't reading: #AncientIsrael : Memorable Battles in #JewishHistory https://t.co/GBAHphNzeB pic.twitter.com/cEroY3UQM3

— My Fox Nooze (aka Joie de Vivre Magazine) (@FoxMarks_ATX) November 13, 2019

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Ancient History : People and Places : Mark Antony and Antonia Fortress

When you hear the name Mark Antony, do your Cleopatra antennas go up? Mine do. It's because of that old classic movie which starred Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

It was quite spectacular!

Image credit:  Found at Buzzfeed : 15 Things You Might Not Know About The Movie “Cleopatra”

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So! Do you wonder? If Mark Antony slept with Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt, then … he hung out in the right circles. Yes? No?

Eh! Let's just say his circle of friends were "interesting".

• Did you know the Antonia Fortress was named for Mark Antony?

Historical records indicate that it was Mark Antony who persuaded the Roman Senate to make Herod the King of Judea (king of the Jews). To show his appreciation and return the favor, Herod the Great, aka Herod the Builder, built a fortress where Roman soldiers lived and could keep an eye on the Jewish people and sort of “keep the peace”. He named this military stronghold “Antonia Fortress” after his friend, Mark Antony.

Can't show you a picture of the real structure because the fortress was destroyed along with everything else in Jerusalem in A.D. 70.  (Image credit: Jerusalem Model, Antonia Fortress – Wikimedia Commons)

As for Marcus Antonius, he was long gone before that event. He committed suicide, circa 30 B.C.

Some speculate that the Antonia Fortress might have been the place where Pontius Pilate tried Jesus.

Archaeologists Believe They've Found Site of Jesus' Trial 

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Related Links of Interest:

Learn more about: Marcus Antonius

Liz Taylor & Richard Burton on the Set of ‘Cleopatra': Rare Classic Photos- TIME Magazine

 

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Historical Places : Sea of Galilee

Almost everybody has heard of the Sea of Galilee; especially Christians. It would be no surprise if most people who profess to be believers in Jesus Christ have this place on their list of dream travel destinations.  Some of the apostles were fishermen by occupation and they made their living by fishing in the Sea of Galilee. 

But would you believe it? In 2010, fishing was banned in the Sea of Galilee. The Israeli government stated that chronic over-fishing had severely depleted stocks. The ban was to be in effect for 2 years. 

In 2013, they dumped several thousand fish into the lake. The type of fish were tilapia and silver carp which were expected to increase the lake’s biodiversity and clear its waters of toxins. In 2020 it was reported that the lake (sea) had dried up because of a drought; and then it swelled up because the drought was followed by wet winters. Per a report dated April 15, 2022, Israel was going to give the Sea of Galilee an “extreme makeover” by filling the lake with excess output from desalination plants.

Image credit: Fishing in the Sea of Galilee | Israel Inside Out 

It's a technicality but the Sea of Galilee is not really a sea. It's a lake; a freshwater lake. Israel's largest freshwater lake to be precise.  It is also known by the following alternate names:

• Lake Tiberias
• Sea of Tiberias
• Lake of Gennesaret
• Lake Kinneret
• The Kinneret

FUN FACT: In ancient times. there were three (3) types of fish mainly caught by fishermen: sardines; barbels; and musht or tilapia (the 'Galilean tilapia' is known today as “St. Peter’s Fish”).

It's 2022. Fishing is being allowed in the Sea of Galilee. The original St. Peter’s fish in the Sea of Galilee cannot be found anymore. However, there are 18 species of fish indigenous in the Sea, which includes tilapia, sardine, and catfish.

Historical Places : Alternate Names for the Dead Sea

Almost everybody has heard of the Dead Sea. It is the lowest point on earth: 1,294 feet below sea level. Two things come to my mind when this body of water is mentioned: scrolls and salts.

Dead Sea (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

• In 1947, scrolls which were writings of ancient biblical texts were found in a cave around this area.

• These days all the beauty and health experts rave about the wonderful things Dead Sea bath salts can do to your skin.

Have you ever heard this place called by any other name?

It has several alternate names:

Salt Sea

Eastern Sea

Asphalt Sea

Sodomitish Sea

Sea of Lot

Sea of Zoar

Sea of Arabah

Sea of Overwhelming

Last but not least, known simply as the Sea. Who knew?

People bathing in the Dead Sea

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Content also appears at Persona Paper.

Related articles

• Nine of the world's most tranquil places - according to you(telegraph.co.uk)

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Travel and Vacation: Have You Ever Visited the Island of Patmos?

When someone mentions the “island of Patmos”, my first thoughts are of Saint John the Apostle. He was exiled to that island and that’s where he wrote the biblical book of Revelation. 

I never associated anything else with that island until I discovered Katerina Tsigarida.  She is a contemporary architect who restores ancient homes on that island. She has made it a personal mission to preserve traditional Patmian culture and lifestyle. Ms. Tsigarida lives in Thessaloniki, but she and her family regularly spend their summers on the island. If you can’t relocate to live there, Patmos certainly sounds like a wonderful place to vacation. It is said that the volcanic cave where St. John lived and where he wrote the prophetical book still exists. That’s enticement enough for me to want to go there. But I would be interested in also seeing some of the ancient homes this architect has restored.  Wouldn’t you?

• Patmos: The island in Greece where the end of the world began | CNN Travel

• Patmos (BiblePlaces.com)

• History of Patmos - The history of the holy island of Patmos

Fascinating Fact: 

Did you know that in Patmos there is a custom of passing down homeownership through the female line?  (Source)

Greek Revival: How One Architect Is Refurbishing 15th-19th Century Homes https://t.co/beJcSyLZVW via @WSJ

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) May 6, 2020

Patmos (https://t.co/fEEvQ61iOF) https://t.co/1LtPRRKG7F ~ "The book of Revelation explicitly states that it was written while John was on the island of Patmos. This is the only book in the New Testament where the place of writing is given." pic.twitter.com/Pm4yh9fHBb

— My Fox Nooze (aka Joie de Vivre Magazine) (@FoxMarks_ATX) March 7, 2019

Athens
Cruise the Aegean to Mykonos
Discover Ephesus, 1 of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World”
Sail for Patmos
Ancient site of the Colossus of Rhodes
Call at Crete
The volcanic island of Santorini, believed to be the site of the lost Continent of Atlantis #LiveLifeGoTravel pic.twitter.com/c5R6UcvBwa

— Live Life, Go Travel (@LiveLifeGoTrave) March 2, 2019

The Best Things to See and Do in Patmos, Greece via @culturetrip https://t.co/xYBOffedzF #islandOfPatmos #travelandvacation #dreamtraveldestination

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) May 6, 2020

Ancient History : People and Places : Nimrod and the ‘Gate of God’

If you come from a Judaeo-Christian background, then you might be familiar with the story of Babel because you were probably taught about it as a child. If you are unfamiliar with the biblical account, it tells of the time when everyone on earth all spoke the same language but God confused the languages. Why? Because there was a king who was trying to build a tower to reach heaven, where God lives. 

This ambitious and over-reaching endeavor was displeasing and as a punishment, God confused the languages of the people. This lack of communication prevented the laborers from working together and completing the building project. The unfinished structure is often referred to as the tower of Babel and symbolizes human pride and rebellion. The entire account of this event is all of nine (9) verses. You can read it in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 11, verses 1 through 9.

If you believe that Babel existed, then you might also believe that there was a king who angered God.

Now about that king. What was his name?

NIMROD

Scholars are in disagreement as to the identity of Nimrod. Some say he was Sargon the Great. Others say he was an Assyrian king, Tukulti-Ninurta I. Others speculate that he could have been Amenophis III, an Egyptian leader. Yet another group believes that he was Merodach-Baladan, a man who insisted on being king of Babylon, however, he never achieved his ambition.

The biblical record identifies Nimrod as the son of Cush, the grandson of Ham, and the great-grandson of Noah. He is described as “mighty” in two instances: “a mighty one on the earth” and “the mighty hunter before the Lord”. Furthermore, the Bible account states: “And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech and Accad and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.”  Shinar, the land of Southern Mesopotamia, became known as Babylonia.

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Content first published at Blogjob.com on Jun 5, 2017.  Site shut down.

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Other Posts in This Series:

Lydia and Persia

Who Were the Philistines?

Mark Antony and Antonia Fortress

Seven Wonders Plus One (or Two)

The Oxford Guide to People & Places of the Bible

♦  Related Links, Tweets, and Suggested Books and Literature:

What is a Universal Language of Light?

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All Those “ites”

King Nimrod Built 4 Cities: “Babel, Erech, Akkad and Calneh in the land of Shinar” (Mesopotamia) - Virily ~ https://t.co/J6eaA9B8jA via @flipboard @virilycom #ancienthistory #peopleandplaces

— My Fox Nooze (aka Joie de Vivre Magazine) (@FoxMarks_ATX) January 3, 2020

♦ Why didn’t somebody STOP Sargon? ~ https://t.co/KKDWzCOUGL #ancienthistory #peopleandplaces ~ See also a related link: ♦ The Origin of Brutal Regimes ~ https://t.co/l1Qnadv3bL

— My Fox Nooze (aka Joie de Vivre Magazine) (@FoxMarks_ATX) January 3, 2020

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• Lost Languages: The Enigma of the World’s Undeciphered Scripts
• The Ancient Languages of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Aksum
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