Endnote 17 – The Philistines Enter Canaan

It should be pointed out that the Shardana are known to have served as mercenaries in the Egyptian army in the Amarna period (mid-14th century B.C.) and in the reigns of Ramesses II (1279–1213 B.C.) and III. In fact, Shardana mercenaries participated in Ramesses’ battle against the Sea Peoples (Sanders, The Sea Peoples, pp. 120, 125). Conditions for the Shardana mercenaries were much different than those of the Shardana captives:

“I made the infantry and chariotry to dwell [at home] in my time; the Sherdana and Kehek were in their towns, lying the length of their backs; they had no fear, for there was no enemy from Kush [nor] from Syria. Their bows and their weapons were laid up in their magazines, while they were satisfied and drunk with joy. Their wives were with them, their children at their side [for] I was with them as the defense and protection of their limbs” (Papyrus Harris I; Sandars, The Sea Peoples, p. 133).

The employment of Sea Peoples mercenaries in the Egyptian army is quite a different phenomenon, however, than the mass settlements that occurred in Canaan following the battle of Ramesses’ eighth year (Sanders, The Sea Peoples, p. 111).