ABSTRACT
One of the five Philistine cities mentioned in the Hebrew Bible (the other four are Ashkelon, Ekron, Gath, and Gaza: see Josh. 13: 3; on the Philistines themselves see Appendix A), Ashdod is located about ten miles north of Ashkelon and some two miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea. By ancient standards, Ashdod was a fairly large site, covering over 70 acres (the exact dimensions of the mound are unknown due to cultivation of local fields and modern construction). The city is mentioned 19 times in the Bible, with most references coming from the books of Joshua (11: 22; 13: 3; 15: 46, 47) and 1 Samuel (5: 1, 3, 5, 7; 16: 17). In Joshua (15: 47) we are told that Ashdod, along with “its towns and villages,” were given to Judah. However, both the date and the historical significance of this text are disputed. The latest biblical reference to the city is a derogatory comment found in Zechariah 9: 6, where the inhabitants of Ashdod are referred to as a “mongrel people.”
