The Philistines -- often nowadays their equated with Canaanites, despite the fact that the only existence either of them has is in the OT -- seem to have changed, culturally, linguisitically, and probably ethnically, over a period of centuries (who doesn't?), with olive oil presses and Greek pottery styles later on, at least one non-Semitic king name (all 7th c BC).(there's a later edition of the work, although I'm not sure it's still in print, the publisher was acquired)Giving Goliath His Due:The name Goliath, like Achish, is not Semitic, but rather Anatolian (McCarter 1980, 291, Mitchell 1967, 415; Wainwright 1959, 79). Not all agree though; the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (2:524) proposes that Goliath may have been a remnant of one of the aboriginal groups of giants of Palestine who now were in the employ of the Philistines. [1. Naveh (1985, 9, 13 n. 14) states that Ikausu, the name of the king of Ekron in the seventh century b.c., is a non-Semitic name that can be associated with that of the Achish of Gath in David's time. The name in the seventh century has a shin ending that is non-West Semitic.]
New Archaeological Light on the Philistines
by Neal Bierling
foreword by Paul L. Maier
online version
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