The Avim (עוים) in the Old Testament were a people dwelling in Hazerim, or "the villages" or "encampments" on the south-west corner of the sea-coast (Deuteronomy 2:23). David Rohl surmises that after the Inachids were conquered by Caphtor the Avim, whom he identifies as Aamu, moved to adopt Hathor as patron setting themselves up in lesser Hyksos Egypt as petty rulers such as Yakbim Sekhaenre, Yammu Nubwoserre, Qareh Khawoserre and Ammu Aahotepre. He suggests Ahhotep II who drove the Greater Hyksos Caphtorim out of Egypt was an important descendant of this earlier Palestinian group and became the inspiration behind the legend of Io [1]. Rabbinical tradition equates them with the earlier Philistines of Abimelech who were subdued and driven away by the Caphtorim. A trace of them is afterwards found in Joshua 13:3, where they are called Avites.
This article incorporates text from Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897), a publication now in the public domain.