28 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Botanical Findings Analysis from Biblical area of Goliath sheds Unprecedented Light on Philistine Ritual Practices

Bar-Ilan University researchers shed “unprecedented light” on Philistine ritual practices, such as the use of psychoactive and medicinal plants, by analyzing plant seeds and fruits from two temple excavation sites in Tell es-Safi/Gath, central Israel.

The enigmatic Philistine culture, which flourished during the Iron Age (ca. 1200-604 BCE), profoundly affected the southern Levant’s cultural history, agronomy, and dietary customs. More than a quarter century of excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath in central Israel, identified as the biblical Gath of the Philistines and the home of Goliath, has provided a unique window into the world of this ancient civilization.

In the systematic excavation project of the temple area in the lower city of Gath, a team from Bar-Ilan University in Israel, led by Prof. Aren Maeir (archaeology) and Prof. Ehud Weiss (archaeobotany), has overseen the reconstruction of the plants used in Philistine rituals. Tel Zafit (Gath of the Philistines) is a national park under the auspices of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.

The new study published in Scientific Reports contributed “valuable new data” on the Philistine way of life, positing a connection to broader Mediterranean and specifically Greek religious traditions, through the practices and plants found in the area.

Dr. Suembikya Frumin, under Prof. Ehud Weiss’s supervision, studied Philistine plant use in their temples as part of her PhD project. Together with Dr. Amit Dagan, Maria Eniukhina, and Prof. Aren Maeir, they delved into the plant assemblages discovered within the temples’ precincts, uncovering a wealth of information regarding the significance of various plant species in Philistine religious rituals. Through meticulous examination and quantitative and qualitative analysis of the types of plants used, the timing of their harvest, modes of offering, and potential symbolic significance, the researchers pieced together a clearer picture of the Philistine approach to spirituality.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Plants from the Philistine temples of Tel es-Safi / Gath. Photo: S. Frumin / Scientific Reports
Plants from the Philistine temples of Tel es-Safi / Gath. Photo: S. Frumin / Scientific Reports

Dr. Suembikya Frumin, manager of the Archaeobotany Laboratory at Bar-Ilan University and the study’s lead researcher, noted, “One of the most significant findings is the identification of earliest known ritual uses of several Mediterranean plants, such as the lilac chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus), crown daisy (Glebionis coronaria), and silvery scabious (Lomelosia argentea). These widespread Mediterranean plants connect Philistines with cultic rituals, mythology and paraphernalia related to early Greek deities, such as Hera, Artemis, Demeter, and Asclepios. In addition, plants with psychoactive and medicinal properties in the Philistine temples reveal their use for cultic activities. The study revealed that the Philistine religion relied on the magic and power of nature, such as running water and seasonality, aspects that influence human health and life.”

Moreover, analysis of the temples’ seeds and fruits provided valuable insights into the timing of rituals, with the importance of the early spring for temple rites, and the date of the final utilization of the temples — and their destruction by Hazael of Aram – which occurred in late summer or early fall. The seasonal aspect of Philistine religious practices underscores their deep connection to the natural worlds and the cycles of agriculture.

Prof. Ehud Weiss, Director the Archaeobotany Laboratory at Bar-Ilan University and co-author of the study, commented, “Our findings challenge previous understandings of Philistine ritual practices and offer a fresh perspective on their cultural practices, and the connections between Philistine culture and broader Mediterranean religious traditions. By examining the plants they used in ritual contexts, we better understand how the Philistines perceived and interacted with the world around them.”

Philistines plant-related iconography. (a) Ceramic cultic jar, Tell Qasile, # 1302, Stratum X, Loci 142; 190: a frieze of plants painted on the upper part of the jar, flower-shape of the vessel, photo of the vessel, its drawing72. (b) Hera (Ephesus-Vienna type). Early first century CE copy of a Greek original (beginning of the fourth century BCE). Naples National Archaeological Museum. Photo: S. Frumin / A. Maeir / Scientific Reports
Philistines plant-related iconography. (a) Ceramic cultic jar, Tell Qasile, # 1302, Stratum X, Loci 142; 190: a frieze of plants painted on the upper part of the jar, flower-shape of the vessel, photo of the vessel, its drawing72. (b) Hera (Ephesus-Vienna type). Early first-century CE copy of a Greek original (beginning of the fourth century BCE). Naples National Archaeological Museum. Photo: S. Frumin / A. Maeir / Scientific Reports

Furthermore, the study proposes intriguing parallels between Philistine and Aegean ceremonial practices. The discovery of loom weights (an apparatus used for fabric production) within Philistine temples, a common feature in Aegean cult locations associated with Hera, further strengthens the hypothesis of cultural exchange and influence between the two regions.

“These findings open up new avenues for research into the cultural and religious interactions between the Philistines and neighboring regions,” added study co-author Prof. Aren Maeir, of Bar-Ilan University’s Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, who has directed the excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath for more than 25 years. “By employing advanced quantitative and qualitative analyses of plant assemblages, we have deepened our understanding of ancient cultic practices and their significance in the broader Mediterranean world.”

The Bar-Ilan University team’s discovery of the spiritual landscape of the Philistines has not only given us priceless historical insights, but it has also served as a reminder of the ongoing ability of archaeological research to both challenge and deepen our understanding of human history.

Bar-Ilan University

Cover Photo: Prof. Aren Maeir

Related Articles

Medieval Weapon Chest Found on Sunken Medieval Flagship Gribshunden

20 April 2024

20 April 2024

An extensive exploration of the wreck of the royal flagship Gribshunden has unearthed a trove of new findings: new insights...

A coin of Queen Fastrada and Charlemagne found – First of its kind

8 May 2023

8 May 2023

A coin purchased by the Charlemagne Center in Aachen, Germany, bears the name of Queen Fastrada. This is the first...

1.8-million-year-old ‘human tooth’ discovered in Georgia

9 September 2022

9 September 2022

An ancient human tooth discovered by archaeologists in Georgia dates back 1.8 million years, firmly establishing the area as the...

Parts of the City of the old city of Ghadames called the pearl of the desert collapsed due to rainfall

28 January 2022

28 January 2022

Some parts of the Old City of Ghadames, located in an oasis about 600km southwest of Tripoli near Libya’s border...

21 Copperplate Inscriptions discovered at Ghanta Matham in India

14 June 2021

14 June 2021

During excavations at Ghanta Matham in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh,  important 21 copper plates for the Mallikarjuna Swami...

Ix Ch’ak Ch’een Becomes the First Female Maya Sovereign Revealed to Rule Cobá

26 October 2025

26 October 2025

A new epigraphic breakthrough has unveiled the identity of Ix Ch’ak Ch’een, a female ruler who governed the ancient Maya...

5,000-Year-Old Matrilineal Society Discovered in China: DNA Unveils Ancient Female-Led Clans

30 July 2025

30 July 2025

In a remarkable study, scientists have uncovered genetic evidence of a rare matrilineal society in Neolithic China, where women determined...

Archaeologists Uncover 8 Graves Dated 6,500 Years Ago in Lausanne, Swiss

30 October 2021

30 October 2021

Archaeologists have unearthed eight prehistoric tombs between 5,500 and 6,500 years old in the Swiss town of Pully. The site...

A new magnetic survey of the ancient Assyrian capital of Khorsabad has revealed a 127-room villa twice the size of the U.S. White House

26 December 2024

26 December 2024

Archaeologists in northern Iraq have conducted an extensive magnetic survey using an exhaustive magnetic survey at Khorsabad, once the ancient...

Divers Uncover Over 1,000 Spanish Coins Worth $1 Million from Florida’s 1715 ‘Treasure Fleet’ Shipwrecks

3 October 2025

3 October 2025

More than three centuries after one of the most devastating maritime disasters of the Americas, divers off Florida’s east coast...

Archaeologists uncovered a kurgan tomb from a previously unknown culture

8 January 2023

8 January 2023

Archaeologists from the Siberian Federal University have unearthed a kurgan tomb and numerous bronze tools and artifacts from a previously...

Using Google Earth and aircraft reconnaissance, archaeologists identify unknown sites and Serbia’s hidden Bronze Age megastructures

17 November 2023

17 November 2023

Using Google Earth and aircraft reconnaissance, archaeologists at University College Dublin identified more than 100 previously unknown sites. Satellite remote...

Oldest Known Tiger Figurine Unearthed in Northern Iran — 5,000 Years Old

21 October 2025

21 October 2025

Archaeologists have identified what may be the world’s oldest depiction of a tiger — a 5,000-year-old ceramic figurine excavated at...

The Colchester Vase: New Analyses Uncover Evidence of Gladiatorial Combat in Roman Britannia

23 February 2025

23 February 2025

The Colchester Vase, dating back to A.D. 160–200, is not just a ceramic artifact; it is considered a unique graphic...

10,000-year-old Settlement Discovered in Turkey’s Şanlıurfa

25 June 2021

25 June 2021

A Neolithic settlement was discovered in the garden of a house in the Sayburç Neighborhood of Şanlıurfa’s Karaköprü district. News...