If I were a Palestinian...

[superchunk]

ManusJustus said:

superchunk said: 

haha, you are right and wrong. The reason Palestine in arabic sounds like filistin is because there is no letter 'P' equivalent in the arabic language. so 'P' is usually pronounced with an 'F' sound or 'PH' sound. The Philistine people you are thinking of in the Bible are not Semetic origin as Jews and Arabs are. Biblical philastines are long gong my friend. They were actualy people who originated from phoenician areas.

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

Palestinians as a nation/cultural identity didn't come about until around the late 1800's. However, Arabs have been the majority population in the area since about 300 AD.

Where did you think the word Palestine comes from?

You people have a lot of problems thinking about the progression of population.  The Philistines didnt just disapear, the Jews didnt just disapear, Arabs didnt come into an empty area and populate it all by themselves.  In actuality, modern Palestinians are the decedents of Philistines, Jews, and Arabs.  The Palestinians and their ancestors have been living in Palestine since the beginning of human history.

oh for the love of god.

My minor is in Middle Eastern History. I have take numerous history classes on the region beyond annoyance. Philistines from the bible we greek, pheonician, white. NOT SEMETIC, i.e. not arab or jewish or their ancestors.

The earliest reference to modern Palestine as a cultural identity is in the 1800's. Not romans or anyone else before then. Before that it has always been part of some other empire; roman, persian, arab, and to a lesser extant christian warlords (crusaders). Granted under the Christian, Byzantium rulers it was called Palestinia I and II, but that was purely due to biblical names, not because those living there identified themselves as a separate culture.

When the Romans kicked the Jews out, they did the same thing they always do. They mass moved people from all around their nation. Jews out others in and so on. over the next couple of hundred years Arabs kept moving in as they did throughout the entire region until they were the dominant culture in the 300's, mostly Christian at this time. In the 600's with the rise of Islam the Arab majority revolted the Roman rulers and accepted Islamic rule.

If you don't believe me search any archeological/historical resource you wish. Biblical Philistines and modern Palestinians or (filistinis in arabic) are NOT the same people by any measure. Hell, modern Jews and Palestinians are far closer in lineage than biblical Philistines are to any of them.