Philistines This differentiation was also held by the authors of the Septuagint, who translated (rather than transliterated) its base text as "allophuloi" (, "other nations") instead of "philistines" throughout the Books of Judges and Samuel. Throughout the Deuteronomistic history, Philistines are almost always referred to without the definite article, except on 11 occasions. On the basis of the LXX's regular translation into "allophyloi", 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. A few biblical texts, such as the Ark Narrative and stories reflecting the importance
Philistines connect the Philistines to other biblical groups such as Caphtorim and the Cherethites and Pelethites, which have both been identified with Crete which has led to the tradition of an Aegean origin, although this theory has been disputed. In 2016, a large Philistine cemetery was discovered, containing more than 150 dead buried in oval-shaped graves, indicating an Aegean origin, which is yet to be confirmed by genetic testing. The English word Philistine comes from Old French , from Classical Latin , from Late Greek , from Hebrew , "people of Plešt", and there are cognates in Akkadian and Egyptian ;