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 were all crushed. They were subsequently absorbed into the Neo-Babylonian Empire and the Achaemenid Empire, and disappeared as a distinct ethnic group by the late 5th century BC. Amos in sets the Philistines / ἀλλοφύλοι at Ashdod and Ekron. In God is quoted asserting that, as he brought Israel from Egypt, he also (in the Hebrew) brought the Philistines from Caphtor. In the Greek this is, instead, bringing the ἀλλόφυλοι from Cappadocia. The following is a list of battles described in the Bible as having occurred between the Israelites and the Philistines: According to Joshua and , the land of