Gaza Name Identity and History in Text Archaeology and Population Genetics

This study examines the history and identity of Gaza through a critical comparison of Karl Bernhard Stark's textual and linguistic reconstruction, Flinders Petrie's excavations at Tell el-Ajjul, modern archaeological discoveries, and ancient and modern genomic research. It distinguishes religious and mythological memory from contemporary textual evidence, archaeological context, and population-level genetic affinity. The study concludes that Gaza predates Philistine political control and that its name is attested centuries before Persian rule, although derivation from the Semitic root ʿ-z-z remains phonetically uncertain. Archaeology demonstrates a deep sequence of urban occupation across the Gaza region, but does not establish Tell el-Ajjul as ancient Gaza. The safest designation is a major Canaanite centre of unknown ancient name, with Sharuhen remaining a plausible but unproven identification. The early Philistines emerged through plural maritime migrations followed by rapid integration with local Canaanite populations. Genomic evidence supports regional continuity with admixture among modern Levantine populations, while the absence of a continuous ancient DNA series from Gaza prevents a Gaza-specific ancestry estimate or claims of direct descent from a particular ancient individual.