The Avvites of southwest Philistia, (between lower Egypt and Gaza,) are a people and place mentioned in the Bible and related literature. The Talmud (Chullin 60b) notes that the Avvites were the first Philistines. The Midrash Rabbah on Genesis 37:5 (page 298 in the 1961 edition of Maurice Simon's translation) says that these same Philistines were giants.

First mention

Their name is first used in , in a description of the conquests that had taken place in the Land of Israel

Land of Israel

The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...

 before the Israelites entered Canaan

Canaan

Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...

. They were one of seven names for a race of "giants

Nephilim

The Nephilim are the offspring of the "sons of God" and the "daughters of men" in Genesis 6:4, or giants who inhabit Canaan in Numbers 13:33. A similar word with different vowel-sounds is used in Ezekiel 32:27 to refer to dead Philistine warriors....

" in the Bible, who were destroyed.

Deuteronomy 2:20 (That also was accounted a land of giants: giants dwelt therein in old time; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummims;
[21] A people great, and many, and tall, as the Anakims; but the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead:
[22] As he did to the children of Esau, which dwelt in Seir, when he destroyed the Horims from before them; and they succeeded them, and dwelt in their stead even unto this day:
[23] And the Avims which dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Azzah[Gaza], the Caphtorims, which came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them, and dwelt in their stead.)

Second mention

Although the people were "destroyed", the place name is still found in Joshua

Joshua

Joshua , is a minor figure in the Torah, being one of the spies for Israel and in few passages as Moses's assistant. He turns to be the central character in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Joshua...

 13:2-3 where it is included as part of the promised land

Promised land

The Promised Land is a term used to describe the land promised or given by God, according to the Hebrew Bible, to the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob. The promise is firstly made to Abraham and then renewed to his son Isaac, and to Isaac's son Jacob , Abraham's grandson...

 to be conquered by the Israelites:

Joshua 13:2 This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines, and all Geshuri,
[3] From Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted to the Canaanite: five lords of the Philistines; the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Eshkalonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites:

Other Avim or Avites

• There is also a city called "Avim" in the territory of Benjamin, about which nothing further is known.

• There were also "Avites" from "Ava" brought by the king of Assyria
  Assyria
  Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
  
   into Samaria
  Samaria
  Samaria, or the Shomron is a term used for a mountainous region roughly corresponding to the northern part of the West Bank.- Etymology :...
  
   to take the place of the Israelites that were taken captive to other lands. Ava is identified with "Ivah
  Ivah
  Ivah was a city in Assyria, it lies on the Euphrates river between the cities of Sepharvaim and Henah. Meaning: overturning.* 2 Kings 18:34 and 19:13 it is mentioned in a group of cities regarding the Assyrian Gods whose gods did not rescue Samaria.Ivah has also been thought to have been the Ahava...
  
  " by Easton, who located it "on Euphrates, between Sepharvaim
  Sepharvaim
  Sepharvaim - taken by a king of Assyria, probably Sargon II, .It was a double city, and received the common name Sepharvaim, i.e., "the two Sipparas," or "the two booktowns."...
  
   and Henah", and also identifies it with the "Ahava
  Ahava
  Ahava is an Israeli cosmetics company that manufactures skin care products made of mud and mineral-based compounds from the Dead Sea. The company's administrative headquarters are located in Holon but the main manufacturing plant and showroom are in Mitzpe Shalem, an Israeli settlement located on...
  
  " of .