Caesar Miniatures H046 Philistine Warriors (Byblical Era)

The Philistines are a people that can almost certainly be included in the Peoples of the Sea, i.e. multi-ethnic groups of people of unexplained origin, which, as a result of their migrations and invasions, led to the destabilization of the political situation in the eastern part of the Mediterranean in the period around the 13th-12th centuries. The seas, probably including the Philistines, were stopped in their journeys by the Egyptian New Kingdom during the reign of Ramses III. This military defeat most likely caused the Philistines to settle in southern Canaan, which is roughly what is southern Israel today. There are many indications that when the Philistines appear in written historical sources, they already had the ability to smelt iron, a skill they acquired either during their journey or after settling in Canaan. The army of the Philistines, after settling in, probably had a small number of war chariots, and the Philistine infantry was probably divided into light and heavy units. The heavy infantry used two javelins (or spears - it is not certain) and a sword. A helmet and light armor served as defensive weapons. The light infantry was usually armed with bows, light spears, swords and - probably - round shields. It is likely that the Philistine warriors were hired by Egypt as a mercenary army for the service of Pharaoh.