Philistine city-states in Palestine exercised political independence between 1175 B.C. and 605 B.C. including Ekron and Gaza, which, curiously enough, are mentioned in the Old Testament.
LOUIS ORLIN -- Professor at University of Michigan
Further re: your request,,,I think your best possibility is to have a look at the evolution of the Hebrew kingshipfrom iits tribal origins, narrated in the books of the Bible (Judges through I Kings, with special attention to I Samuel 8f., where the argumentts pro and con for a king are given, Thereafter. the ultimate victory of Solomon is narrated. You might also take a look at one of the sections in my "Life and Thought in the Ancient Near East" U of Michgan Press, 2007), entitled Civic Background...etc., pp. 159-179. The cuneiform material does not contain the essence of what you want.
All best, and good luck,
Louis Orlin
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BRUCE ROUTLEDGE -- Professor at University of Liverpool
Padi the King of Ekron is deposed by his subjects...apparently at the instigation of Hezekiah King of Judah...Padi is a vassal of the Assyrian King Sennacherib who uses this as a pretext for
campaigning against Judah and Ekron in 701 BC. Not exactly what you want, but
suggests the existence of factions within the city-state of Ekron that could
ally themselves with neighbouring kingdoms against their own king. These events
appear in the Bible 2 Kings 18-22, and repeated in the books of Isaiah and 2
Chronicles. Assyrian versions are in Senncherib's Annals and also the Rasam
cylinder (I think...would have to check but do not have time)...any way
Sennacherib's Palestine Campaign of 701 BC is very easy to find info about.
There might be more...e.g. look at the stories of David as a mercenary of the
king of Gath in I Samuel...not sure if you would find evidence for elite
factions.....
p.s. I don't know of any record of war between individual Philistine
City-States...this would only be in the Bible anyway, which is an antagonistic
perspective.
Cheers,
Bruce Routledge
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