The Philistines were a group of people who arrived in the Levant during the 12th century B.C. . They were a seafaring, warlike people who migrated from southern Europe or Greece to the east coast of the Aegean Sea. The Philistines were in the land of Canaan before Moses and the Israelites claimed it as their Promised Land from God. The Philistines are known for their biblical conflict with the Israelites. The religious and cultural differences between Israelites and Philistines led to many battles between the two nations. For nearly 200 years, the Philistines harassed and oppressed the Israelites, often invading Israel’s territory. The Old Testament indicates that the Philistines worshiped three gods: Ashtoreth, Dagon, and Baal-Zebub. The Philistines disappear from written record following the conquest of the Levant by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II towards the end of the 7th century BCE, when Ashkelon, Ekron and many other cities from the region were completely destroyed. The Philistine people assimilated into the Persian Empire and lost their identity as a separate culture.