Shekelesh

The Egyptians actually tell us the name of the groups, they say.

The Shardana or the Sherdan, the Shekelesh, the Ekwesh, the Peleset.

And we've been playing guessing games for 100 years.

The Peleset are probably the biblical Philistines.

But the Shekelesh, the Shardana, they're probably related to Sicily and Sardinia.

But did they come from that area and invade Egypt? Or did they go to those areas in the western Mediterranean after Egypt had defeated them? The Egyptians leave records 30 years apart.

We know they're hit by the Sea Peoples in 1207 and again in 1177 BCE.

But who were these destroyers? The Egyptian records actually give us names, lots of them.

The Peleset, the Cheka, the Shekelesh, the Denyan and the Weshesh.

Sometimes they mention the Sherdan and Lukha.

though these groups seem to have appeared earlier, some even serving as mercenaries in Egyptian armies before turning hostile.

Big problems.

First, who exactly were these sea peoples? The Egyptian texts name various groups.

The Peleset, the Cheka, the Shekelesh, the Denian.

But they never tell us where these people actually came from.

They were coming, forward toward Egypt.

Their confederation was the Peleset, Tjekkeru, Shekelesh, Denyen, and Weshesh, lands united.

Their hearts, confident and trusting, 'Our plans will succeed!'" This is describing an alliance of peoples who attacked the Eastern Mediterranean in the late Bronze Age.

The Bronze Age of the Eastern Mediterranean lasted about 2,000 years.

In this battle, the major enemy is the Libyan force, called Meshwesh.

But several other groups that joined their army are also identified.

The Lukka, Shardana, and Shekelesh are all described as northerners coming from all lands.

Merneptah defeated them, but they would appear yet again in greater force just over 30 years later, as described in the temple of Ramses III.

What we know about these people, the Sea People, mainly comes from the writings of Egyptian pharaohs, like Ramses III, who give the names of the bands of people who are raiding and destroying places.

He says they are Peleset, Tjekker, Shekelesh, Denyana, and Weshesh.

Do we know anything about these people?

[laughs]