Matt Jorgensen, age 15, of Casper, Who., for his question:

WHO WERE THE PHILISTINES?

A Philistine was a member of the group of Aegean people who lived on Crete and other islands in the Aegean Sea in ancient times. These people were driven from their homes by northern tribes who migrated into Greece. The Philistines plundered a number of coastal towns along the eastern Mediterranean as they searched for a new home.

They tried to enter the north of Egypt but Pharaoh Ramses III defeated them. They settled along the coast of Canaan in what is now called the Gaza Strip. The Greeks called this territory and the land east of it Palestine.

As the Philistines attempted to conquer Canaan from the west, the Israelites made a similar attempt from the east. The two groups fought for the land for some time.

The Philistines learned the art of smelting from the Hittites. This gave them a military and economic advantage over the Israelites. When David became king of Israel, he subdued the Philistines.

The word Philistine today means a person who is hostile to the arts.