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PHILISTINE

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 9:36 am
by Slava
Today's Good Word:
• philistine •

Pronunciation: fi-lis-teen • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. One of a non-Semitic people living on the coast of Palestine in the 12-11 centuries BCE who were frequently at odds with the Israelites. 2. A crude, ignorant, uneducated person with no understanding of the finer things in life, an oaf, a clod, a yokel.

Notes: Ignorance or apathy toward culture and intelligence is philistinism and those possessed of it are philistinian or philistinic (the adjectives). Remember to capitalize this word when referring to the original Biblical people. Of course, we would not dignify contemporary philistines with capitalization. Harrumph!

In Play: Save today's Good Word to describe those who are your enemies for their lack of cultural sophistication: "Mom says that philistines are constantly trying to move funds for art and music to the athletic program at school." Modern day philistines are with us all the time and bear watching: "Izzy Badenov is such a philistine he thinks absolute pitch is a perfect strike thrown in baseball and a falsetto is an Italian con artist."

Word History: The original Philistines were a nation of uncertain origin who occupied the southern coast of Palestine and constantly harassed the Israelites. The association of their their name with crudeness and barbarity arose in Jena, Germany in 1689 when a minister chastised the townspeople as Philistines (German Philister) after an angry mob had killed a troublesome student. In his 1869 book, Culture and Anarchy, British author Matthew Arnold adopted the word in this line: "The people who believe most that our greatness and welfare are proved by our being very rich, are just the very people whom we call Philistines." It was Arnold's reference that set the term for English. (Today we thank Chris Berry for helping us deliver this blow against philistinism by suggesting we investigate the word itself.)

Re: PHILISTINE

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 5:30 pm
by Perry Lassiter
The odd thing about our present use is that in Biblical days, the Philistines had the more advanced culture. They already had the secret of using iron to make chariot wheels, which was comparable to a secret weapon, since everyone else was still in the bronze age. Israelite practice was to fight in hill country, where chariots could not function so effectively. Note in the David and Goliath story the armies were on opposite hills.

There are some who believe the Phillistines were the Peleste, related to Phoenicians, who in turn may have come from Crete. And, of course, the Minoan culture was rich indeed.

Re: PHILISTINE

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:42 pm
by jisner2
From Philistine we get the name of the region now called Palestine.

Re: PHILISTINE

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:44 pm
by LukeJavan8
I've studied the Danae people a little. Another Philistine
people to add to those you mention.

Re: PHILISTINE

Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2013 8:46 pm
by LukeJavan8
From Philistine we get the name of the region now called Palestine.

That area has been at war since Abraham fought
Chedolamor early in Genesis, and probably before.

Re: PHILISTINE

Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 3:13 am
by Philip Hudson
I believe I am correct in saying: there was no state of Palestine nor were there Palestinians until Yasir Arafat spoke them into existence in 1988. The were Arabs and are still Arabs.

Re: PHILISTINE

Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 6:42 am
by call_copse
Indeed no STATE of Palestine; however there have been self-proclaimed Palestinians probably since Greek times and before.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Palestine

It's not entirely clear when such nomenclature was used first, but certainly the area was commonly described thusly by Roman times.

Re: PHILISTINE

Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 12:42 pm
by LukeJavan8
When under the control of Britain it was called
the Mandate of Palestine.