M i g h t y S a m s o n 8 the fact that the Philistine (Palestinian) civilization was much superior to that of their enemies, the Israelites, especially in terms of the advancement in applied sciences, war tactics, and fine arts. In modern times, the Israelis and Americans acknowledged this fact. It is also clear from the archaeological discoveries that the ancient Philistines (Palestinians) had beautifully designed pottery, stylish houses and were well versed in writing in their own language. Research also show that they enjoyed high level of organization in war. Their forces included cavalry and horse-drawn carriages. They were also very skilled in the manufacturing of metal tools.[1] The Bible states in 1 Samuel 13:19-20 “Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel. So whenever the Israelites needed to sharpen their plowshares, picks, axes, or sickles, they had to take them to a Philistine blacksmith.” The Bible clearly insinuates that the Philistines (Palestinians) were guilty of not sharing their technical skills with the Israelites. It is terribly disheartening to see that the cause of the Biblical prejudice against 1- a- Donald Ryan (an archaeologist), (World of the Bible), Alpha Books 2003. b- A. Raban and R.R Stieglitz, (the Sea Peoples and their Contributions to Civilisation) in British Archaeological Reports : 17, 1991,6, pp. 34-42, 91-2. c- Frank Moore Cross and Lawrence E. Stager, The Israel Exploration Journal, 2007. (They were part of the `Harvard University archaeological project in Ashkelon).
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