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Bible Dictionaries
Ashdod
Morrish Bible Dictionary
or One of the five chief cities of the Philistines. It was assigned to Judah, but was not subdued by them, and thus became a thorn in their sides. Numbers 33:55 . It was to this city that the ark was taken by the Philistines, and where Dagon their fish-god fell before it. 1 Samuel 5:1-7 . Uzziah broke down its wall, and built cities near it. 2 Chronicles 26:6 . It was on the high road from Palestine to Egypt which doubtless led Sargon king of Assyria to take it by his general, about B.C. 714. Isaiah 20:1 . Herodotus records that Psammetichus, king of Egypt, besieged it for 29 years. Jeremiah speaks of Ashdod as one of the places which was made to drink of the fury of God. Jeremiah 25:15-20 . The Maccabees destroyed the city, but Gabinius rebuilt it at the time of the conquest of Judaea by the Romans, B.C. 55, and it was afterwards assigned on the death of Herod the Great to his sister Salome. It was situated about 3 miles from the Mediterranean, and midway between Gaza and Joppa. It is now called Esdud, or Esdood, 31 46' N, 34 40' E , and is wretched in the extreme, though lying in a fertile plain. It is called in the N.T. AZOTUS, where Philip was found after baptising the eunuch. Acts 8:40 . Its inhabitants are referred to as ASHDODITES, ASHDOTHITES. Joshua 13:3; Nehemiah 4:7 .
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Morrish, George. Entry for 'Ashdod'. Morrish Bible Dictionary. https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/eng/mbd/a/ashdod.html. 1897.
