צמחי הפולחן בגת פלשתים - עדות ממקדשי שפת נחל האלה

The Philistine culture (Iron Age, c. 1200-604 BCE) significantly influenced the culture,agriculture, and dietary practices of the Southern Levant. However, our knowledge of the Philistine culture and the pantheon of gods remains inconclusive. In this paper, we haveמintegrated archaeological data with a scrupulous archaeobotanical study of two temples(10th and 9th century BCE) from the Lower City of Tell es-Safi/Gath. An analysis of the assemblage of seeds and fruits in the temples revealed a wealth of new information and understanding regarding the plants used for offerings, the timing of rites, and the last use of the temples. The plant assemblage from the temples provides the earliest ritual use of Vitex agnus-castus, Glebionis coronaria, and Lomelosia argentea. Although common throughout the Mediterranean basin, these plants are only known in the ritual contexts of ancient Greek deities, such as Hera, Artemis, Demeter, and Asclepius. Our results also indicate the connection of the Philistine religion to nature, especially to water and seasonality,which affect human life, health, and activities. In conclusion, the paper offers new insights and hitherto unknown aspects of the Philistine culture and its connections to the cultural world of ancient Greece.