The Bible In A Year 
1 Samuel – 2 Kings
Week 2 of 8
Readings for the Week
September 24-29, 2018
Theme of the week: The Adventures of David. David is given credit for the book of Psalms, although it is clear that he did not write all of them. This week we will be reading many psalms while we follow David’s trials and triumphs.
- Monday I Samuel chapters 15, 16 & 18 Psalms 40 & 21
- Tuesday 1 Samuel chapters 18, 19, 20 Psalm 28
- Wednesday 1 Samuel chapters 21, 22, 23 & 24 Psalms 23 & 52
- Thursday 1 Samuel chapters 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 & 30 Psalm 99
- Friday 1 Samuel chapter 31, 2 Samuel chapters 1 & 2 Psalms 78 & 124
- Saturday 2 Samuel chapters 3, 4, 5 & 6 Psalms 75, 87, 110, 121, & 132
The Bible In A Year
1 Samuel – 2 Kings
Week 2 of 8
A Framework for Understanding
The Philistines
Where did the Philistine people originate?
• There is not full clarity on the point of origin of the Philistines. It is generally agreed by scholars that the people are not indigenous to the region.
• The Israelite people began “in the land beyond the river” – that is the Euphrates River, and migrated across land to the area we now call “The Middle East.” The Philistines likely originated in Greece, or the islands off its coast. They came across the water, either in migration, or in an Egyptian resettlement plan following the defeat of the Philistines in war against Egypt.
• The Philistines inhabited fortified cities along the Mediterranean Sea. One of the cities was Gaza, therefore the area became known as Gaza, a name which it carries to this day. Gaza was under the rule of Egypt, and still today retains close ties with the people of Egypt.
Why is it important to us today to learn about the Philistines?
• In biblical times, Israel seemed in constant conflict with the Philistines.
• The word “Philistine” – coming from the Greek and interpreted in Latin – becomes Palestine, or Palestinian.
• When the Roman occupation destroyed the temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, in a further effort to disconnect the people from their land, the region’s association with the Israelite people was erased by renaming the area “Palestine.”
Today much of the world’s time and resources are devoted to the on-going war between the Palestinians and the Israelites.