there was a "great highway" that led from Egypt (hugging the Mediterranean Sea up to Tyre .. Philistine lands (fertile Gaza Strip area) laid directly between them .. Egypt also claimed the Sinai Peninsula as a territory as their buffer zone as well as the Philistines claimed the territory of SW Negev as their buffer zone .. after the Assyrians decimated Canaan, Philistines dropped off the map (per-say) and Egypt then claimed the Philistine's territory (SW Negev) as theirs also until 106 AD .. hence "the trip to Egypt" in 3 BC was not as far to get outside of Herod's jurisdiction as many think ..
Exo 13:17 Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by
the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.”
1Sa 6:12 And the cows took
the straight way in the direction of Beth-shemesh; they went
along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right or to the left. And
the lords of the Philistines followed them to the border of Beth-shemesh.
HERE IS ABOUT THE BEST DEFINITION OF WHO THE PHILISTINES WERE ..
AND HOW MANY PEOPLE THEY SHARED CANAAN WITH ..
Gen 10:13
Mizraim became the father of (Lud) the Ludim, (Anam) the Anamim, (Lehab) the Lehabim, (Maphtuh) the Naphtuhim,
Gen 10:14
(Pathrus) the Pathrusim and (Casluh) the Casluhim (
from which came the Philistines) and Caphtorim.
(their name changed 500 years later from Pathrusim to Philistines)
Gen 10:15 Canaan became the father of Sidon, his firstborn, and Heth
Gen 10:16 and (Jebus) the Jebusite, (Amor) the Amorite, (Girgash) the Girgashite,
Gen 10:17 (Hiv) the Hivite, (Ark) the Arkite and (Sin) the Sinite
WHICH MEANS
THE PHILISTINES WERE BORN INTO THAT LAND (not came there) HAVING THE SAME FATHER AS THE EGYPTIANS (Mizra-im), MAKING THEM BLOOD RELATED .. HENCE ALLIES ..
HERE IS ABOUT THE BEST DEFINITION OF WHAT LAND THE PHILISTINES OWNED ..
Jos 13:2 “This is the land that remains:
all the regions of the Philistines and all those of the Geshurites;
Jos 13:3 from the Shihor which is east of Egypt, even as far as the border of Ekron to the north (it is counted as Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines: the Gazite, the Ashdodite, the Ashkelonite, the Gittite, the Ekronite; and the Avvite
Jos 13:4 to the south, all the land of the Canaanite, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians, as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorite;
Jos 13:5 and the land of the Gebalite, and all of Lebanon, toward the east, from Baal-gad below Mount Hermon as far as Lebo-hamath.
also remember, when David cut off Goliath's head, he fixed it on the gate of Jerusalem as a warning to the Philistines if they came east ..
Jdg 16:21 Then the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes; and they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze chains, and he was a grinder in the prison.
2 men killed 1600 men with only an ox poker and a donkeys jawbone .. lol