Which group is depicted as adversaries of the Israelites in ancient texts?

The Philistines are depicted as adversaries of the Israelites in ancient texts, particularly in the Hebrew Bible. They were a group of people who inhabited the coastal regions of ancient Palestine and were often in conflict with the Israelites. The narratives in texts like the Book of Judges and the First Book of Samuel describe various encounters between the Israelites and the Philistines, including famous stories such as the battle between David and Goliath.

This context highlights the Philistines as a significant rival to the Israelites, representing a consistent source of tension and conflict throughout several key historical periods recounted in biblical literature. Other groups, while they may have interacted with or opposed the Israelites at different historical points, do not have the same level of sustained conflict depicted in the ancient texts as the Philistines.