Ashkelon
Ashkelon is an ancient city mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Coastal Plain in modern-day Israel. Known today as Tel Ashkelon. It appears across 12 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Ashkelon was one of the five great Philistine cities, situated directly on the Mediterranean coast south of Ashdod. It is mentioned in Judges 1:18 as having been taken by the tribe of Judah, though Philistine presence reasserted itself. Most famously, Ashkelon appears in the story of Samson: after the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, Samson killed thirty men of Ashkelon to pay off his wedding bet with a change of garments (Judges 14:19), connecting the city to the early cycles of conflict between Israel and Philistia. In 2 Samuel 1:20, David's elegy over Saul and Jonathan includes the plea, "Tell it not in Gath, proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon," indicating its role as a symbol of Philistine pride and power. The city subsequently drew the attention of the writing prophets: Amos (1:8), Zephaniah (2:4, 7), Zechariah (9:5), and Jeremiah (25:20; 47:5–7) all prophesied its destruction or desolation. These oracles frame Ashkelon as representative of Gentile opposition to God's purposes and subject to his righteous judgment.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Tel Ashkelon, on the Mediterranean coast of modern Israel, is one of the most extensively excavated Philistine cities. The Leon Levy Expedition to Ashkelon (Harvard University) conducted major excavations over several decades, uncovering remains from the Canaanite, Philistine, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman periods. Highlights include a Middle Bronze Age mudbrick city gate — among the oldest arched gateways known — extensive Philistine-period domestic and industrial remains, a Phoenician dog cemetery, and evidence of Babylonian conquest matching Jeremiah 47. The site is a national park in Israel with dramatic coastal scenery. A Roman-period basilica and columns are visible among the excavated areas, illustrating Ashkelon's continuing importance through the classical period.
Verse Appearances (12)
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →