I like the way that NPR begins its report on a major new archaeological discovery:

“There’s no denying the Philistines have taken some guff over the past, well, thousands of years. After all, they’re one of the Hebrew Bible’s most infamous villains, seed of both Delilah’s treachery and Goliath’s menace — not to mention some ineptness when it comes to slingshots. They’re so reviled, their very name has wriggled into our dictionaries, paired with some less than flattering definitions.”

The story goes on to announce that archaeologists have discovered, for the first time, a Philistine cemetery near the Israeli city of Ashkelon.

Read the complete NPR the story below:

Long Buried By Bad Reputation, Philistines Get New Life With Archaeological Find

Also, while you’re at it, check out these amazing paintings of that infamous Philistine, Goliath, as he is being slain by David. The two paintings depict the exact same scene, except from a different side. These paintings hang in Louvre Museum in Paris.

David kills Goliath--from one side.

David kills Goliath–from one side. (Photo by Doug Peterson)

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David kills Goliath–from the other side. (Photo by Doug Peterson)

 

History by the Slice