Djahi , Djahy or Tjahi ( Egyptian : ḏhj , ḏꜣhy ) was the Egyptian designation for southern Retjenu .
102-654: It ran from approximately Ashkelon in Israel to Lebanon and inland as far as Galilee . It was described as the drainage basin of the Jordan River during the battles with Kadesh of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Dynasties of Egypt . It was the scene of the Battle of Djahy between Rameses III and the Sea Peoples . This article about subjects relating to Ancient Egypt
204-463: A Shi'a Ismaili sect based in India, were used to construct a small marble prayer platform, which is visited by Shi'ite pilgrims from India and Pakistan. A domed structure housing the 13th-century tomb of Sheikh Awad sits atop a hill overlooking Ashkelon's northern beaches. Ashkelon Khan and Museum contains archaeological finds, among them a replica of Ashkelon's Canaanite silver calf, whose discovery
306-704: A base for military activity against the Kingdom of Jerusalem . After the Crusader conquest of Jerusalem in 1099, the six elders of the Karaite Jewish community in Ascalon contributed to the ransoming of captured Jews and holy relics from Jerusalem's new rulers. The Letter of the Karaite elders of Ascalon , which was sent to the Jewish elders of Alexandria , describes their participation in
408-599: A center for mercantile activities. Its name appeared in Phoenician and Punic as ŠQLN ( 𐤔𐤒𐤋𐤍 ) and ʾŠQLN ( 𐤀𐤔𐤒𐤋𐤍 ). Majdal (Arabic) and Migdal (Hebrew) mean 'tower'. The archaeological site of Ascalon , today known as Tel Ashkelon, was the oldest and largest seaport in Canaan , part of the pentapolis (a grouping of five cities) of the Philistines , north of Gaza City and south of Jaffa . The site
510-612: A city plan of streets with workshops and large warehouses by the shore. In these warehouses, many imported vessels and raw materials from the Mediterranean Sea and Ancient Near East were discovered. The origin of these imports is primarily Phoenicia and the Greek regions of Attica , Corinth and Magna Graecia , as well as Cyprus , Egypt and Mesopotamia . Among those findings are luxury items such as aryballoi , black-figure and red-figure pottery , Ionian cups, athenian owl cups and
612-812: A consortium of three international companies: Veolia water, IDE Technologies and Elran. In March 2006, it was voted "Desalination Plant of the Year" in the Global Water Awards. Since 1992, Israel Beer Breweries has been operating in Ashkelon, brewing Carlsberg and Tuborg beer for the Israeli market. The Ashkelon Sports Arena opened in 1999. The "Jewish Eye" is a Jewish world film festival that takes place annually in Ashkelon. The festival marked its seventh year in 2010. The Breeza Music Festival has been held yearly in and around Ashkelon's amphitheatre since 1992. Most of
714-412: A figurine of the ancient Egyptian god Osiris , made of bronze . These were dated to the entire span of the period and attest to Ashkelon's role as a major sea port. A unique discovery in the archaeology of Ashkelon is the large dog cemetery , located within a prime location in the center of the city. Archaeologists excavated over 800 dog burials, dated between early 5th and late 4th centuries BCE. It
816-510: A gate at the top. The city remained loyal to Rome during the Great Revolt , 66–70 CE. The city of Ascalon appears on a fragment of the 6th-century Madaba Map . The bishops of Ascalon whose names are known include Sabinus, who was at the First Council of Nicaea in 325, and his immediate successor, Epiphanius. Auxentius took part in the First Council of Constantinople in 381, Jobinus in
918-519: A large village of 559 Muslim households, making it the 7th-most-populous locality in Palestine after Safad , Jerusalem , Gaza , Nablus , Hebron and Kafr Kanna . An official Ottoman village list of about 1870 showed that Medschdel had a total of 420 houses and a population of 1175, though the population count included men only. In the 1922 census of Palestine , Majdal had a population of 5,064; 33 Christians and 5,031 Muslims , increasing in
1020-540: A later phase, a sanctury right after the entrance to the city. The material culture and especially Egyptian-style pottery showed that Middle Bronze Ashkelon lasted until around 1560 BCE. Ashkelon came under the control of the New Kingdom of Egypt in the time of Thutmose III , following the Battle of Megiddo (1457 BCE). During the Late Bronze Age, its territory stretched across the coastal plain , bordering Gaza to
1122-637: A major Philistine city, and later as a much contested stronghold during the Crusades . Its importance diminished after the Mamluks destroyed its fortifications and port in 1270 in order to prevent any future military and logistical use by the Crusaders . Traces of settlement in the area around Ascalon exist from the 3rd millennium BC , with evidence of city fortifications emerging in the Middle Bronze Age . During
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#17328527137531224-528: A post to his Telegram channel. Once the deadline hit, Hamas launched a barrage of missiles towards Ashkelon. In the early years, the city was primarily inhabited by Mizrahi Jews , who fled to Israel after being expelled from Muslim lands . Today, Mizrahi Jews still constitute the majority of the population. In the early 1950s, many South African Jews settled in Ashkelon, establishing the Afridar neighbourhood. They were followed by an influx of immigrants from
1326-755: A result of the collapsed structure. Southern District Police chief Uri Bar-Lev believed the Grad-model Katyusha rocket was manufactured in Iran . In March 2009, a Qassam rocket hit a school, destroying classrooms and injuring two people. In November 2014, the mayor, Itamar Shimoni , began a policy of discrimination against Arab workers, refusing to allow them to work on city projects to build bomb shelters for children. His discriminatory actions brought criticism from others, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat who likened
1428-673: A role in Phoenician society and religion in that time. Archaeological investigation showed that the city was violently destroyed by fire around 290 BCE, some decades after the conquest of the region by Alexander the Great . This destruction took place during the reign of Ptolemy I Soter , when the Ptolemaic Kingdom consolidated its rule over the Levant. Evidence of this destruction was found in all excavation areas. The structures were found collapsed and burnt. Two hoards of silver coins were found in
1530-513: A sewer under the bathhouse, leading to conjectures that prostitutes had discarded their unwanted newborns there. The remains of a 4th-century Byzantine church with marble slab flooring and glass mosaic walls can be seen in the Barnea Quarter. Remains of a synagogue from this period have also been found. An 11th-century mosque, Maqam al-Imam al-Husayn , a site of pilgrimage for both Sunni and Shia Muslims, which had been built under
1632-790: A small number remained in Ashkelon. Lavon argued that this operation dissipated "the last shred of trust the Arabs had in Israel, the sincerity of the State's declarations on democracy and civil equality, and the last remnant of confidence the Arab workers had in the Histadrut." Acting on an Egyptian complaint, the Egyptian-Israel Mixed Armistice Commission ruled that the Palestinians transferred from Majdal should be returned to Israel, but this
1734-607: A synod held in Lydda in 415, Leontius in both the Robber Council of Ephesus in 449 and the Council of Chalcedon in 451. Bishop Dionysius, who represented Ascalon at a synod in Jerusalem in 536 , was on another occasion called upon to pronounce on the validity of a baptism with sand in waterless desert. He sent the person to be baptized in water. No longer a residential bishopric, Ascalon
1836-515: Is twinned with: Ascalon Ascalon ( Philistine : 𐤀𐤔𐤒𐤋𐤍 , romanized: * ʾAšqalōn ; Hebrew : אַשְׁקְלוֹן , romanized : ʾAšqəlōn ; Koinē Greek : Ἀσκάλων , romanized: Askálōn ; Latin : Ascalon ; Arabic : عَسْقَلَان , romanized : ʿAsqalān ) was an ancient Near East port city on the Mediterranean coast of the southern Levant of high historical significance, including early on as
1938-585: Is a state of war , I know no other definition for it. If it lasts a week or two, we can handle that, but we have no intention of allowing this to become part of our daily routine." In March 2008, 230 buildings and 30 cars were damaged by rocket fire on Ashkelon. On 12 May 2008, a rocket fired from the northern Gazan city of Beit Lahiya hit a shopping mall in southern Ashkelon, causing significant structural damage. According to The Jerusalem Post , four people were seriously injured and 87 were treated for shock . Fifteen people suffered minor to moderate injuries as
2040-553: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Ashkelon Ashkelon or Ashqelon ( / ˈ æ ʃ k ə l ɒ n / ASH -kə-lon ; Hebrew : אַשְׁקְלוֹן , romanized : ʾAšqəlōn , IPA: [ʔaʃkeˈlon] ; Arabic : عَسْقَلَان , romanized : ʿAsqalān ) is a coastal city in the Southern District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, 50 kilometres (30 mi) south of Tel Aviv , and 13 kilometres (8 mi) north of
2142-566: Is believed that these envoys were securing the caravans that carried tribute to the Egyptian king, and that they served as his loyal ambassadors. During the Amarna Period (mid-14th century BCE, mostly during the reign of Akhenaten ), Ashkelon maintained its ties to Egypt. Over a dozen letters inscribed in clay that were found in the Amarna letters are linked to Ashkelon. A petrographic analysis of
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#17328527137532244-595: Is in the Egyptian Execration Texts from the time of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt (20th–19th centuries BCE). These texts were written on red pots, which were broken as part of a cursing ritual against Egypt's enemies. Ashkelon appears three times under the name Asqanu ( ꜥIsqꜥnw), along with three of its rulers ḫꜥykm (or Khalu-Kim), ḫkṯnw and Isinw . These names of Northwest Semitic origin, are identified as Amorites . Scholars have suggested Ashkelon
2346-457: Is known as Ashkelon . Today, Ascalon is a designated archaeological area known as Tel Ashkelon (" Mound of Ascalon") and administered as Ashkelon National Park . Ascalon lies on the Mediterranean coast, 16 km. north of Gaza City and 14 km. south of Ashdod and Ashdod-Yam . Around 15 million years ago , a river flowed from inland to the sea here. It was later covered by fossilized sandstone ridges (kurkar) , formed by sand that
2448-471: Is the site most abundant with Red-Slipped ware , both imported and locally made, which decreases greatly further inland. Imports further included amphorae , elegant bowls and cups, " Samaria ware", and red and cream polished tableware from Phoenicia , together with amphorae and decorated fine-ware from Ionia , Corinth , Cyprus and the Greek islands . The history of Philistine Ashkelon came to an end when
2550-605: Is today listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see . The Muslim conquest of Palestine started in 634. Islamic historian Al-Baladhuri recounts that Ascalon ( ʿAsḳalân in Arabic) was one of the last Byzantine cities in the region to fall. It may have been temporarily occupied by Amr ibn al-As , but definitively surrendered after a siege to Mu'awiya I (who later founded the Umayyad Caliphate ) not long after he captured
2652-487: Is unknown. It has been conjectured that he was the son of Mitinti I. Otherwise it was suggested that he was a usurper, either one who was installed by the Assyrians, or one who usurped the throne on his own behalf, and secured his rule through accepting Assyrian subjugation. Either way, after Rukibu's ascension, Ashkelon resumed paying annual tributes to Assyria. Somewhere towards the end of the 8th century BCE, Sidqa userped
2754-406: The 1931 census to 6,226 (6,166 Muslims and 41 Christians) with 172 in the suburbs (167 Muslims, 4 Christians, and one Jew). In the 1945 statistics Majdal had a population of 9,910; ninety Christians and 9,820 Muslims, with a total (urban and rural) of 43,680 dunams of land, according to an official land and population survey. 2,050 dunams were public land; all the rest was owned by Arabs. of
2856-840: The 19th dynasty recounts the Pharaoh putting down a rebellion at Asqaluna . The settlement is then mentioned eleven times in the Hebrew Bible as ʾAšqəlōn . In the Hellenistic period , Askálōn emerged as the Ancient Greek name for the city, persisting through the Roman period and later Byzantine period . In the Early Islamic period , the Arabic form became ʿAsqalān . The medieval Crusaders called it Ascalon. In modern Hebrew it
2958-572: The Cypro-Minoan script . The ostracon was of local material and dated to 12th to 11th century BC. Five of the jar handles were manufactured in coastal Lebanon, two in Cyprus, and one locally. Fifteen of the handles were found in an Iron I context and the rest in Late Bronze Age context. By 734 BCE, Ashkelon was captured by the Neo-Assyrian Empire , under the reign of Tiglath-Pileser III . Following
3060-582: The Fatimids by Badr al-Jamali and where tradition held that the head of Mohammad's grandson Hussein ibn Ali was buried, was blown up by the IDF under instructions from Moshe Dayan as part of a broader programme to destroy mosques in July 1950. The area was subsequently redeveloped for a local Israeli hospital, Barzilai . After the site was re-identified on the hospital grounds, funds from Mohammed Burhanuddin , leader of
3162-627: The Hebrew Bible presents Ashkelon as one of the five Philistine cities that are constantly warring with the Israelites . The Onomasticon of Amenope , dated to the early 11th century BCE, mentioned Ashkelon along with Gaza and Ashdod as cities of the Philistines. In 2012, an Iron Age IIA Philistine cemetery was discovered outside the city. In 2013, 200 of the cemetery's estimated 1,200 graves were excavated. Seven were stone-built tombs. One ostracon and 18 jar handles were found to be inscribed with
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3264-541: The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). The flourishment of EB I Ashkelon has also been linked to trade relations with Prehistoric Egypt . The site of Afridar was abandoned at the start of the EB II period ( c. 2900 BCE). It was suggested that the cause for the abandonment was a climate change causing increased precipitation, which destroyed the ecological condition that had served the locals for centuries. In
3366-697: The Israeli army in 1950. Situated ten kilometres (6 mi) from Gaza , the hospital has been the target of numerous Qassam rocket attacks, sometimes as many as 140 over one weekend. The hospital plays a vital role in treating wounded soldiers and terror victims. A rocket and missile-proof emergency room opened in February 2018. The city has 19 elementary schools, and nine junior high and high schools. The Ashkelon Academic College opened in 1998, and now hosts thousands of students. Harvard University operates an archaeological summer school program in Ashkelon. Ashkelon
3468-526: The Kingdom of Jerusalem . In July 1101, two years after the battle of Ascalon, Fatimid vizier Al-Afdal Shahanshah launched an offensive from Ascalon to recapture Jaffa . By 7 September, Baldwin I defeated the Fatimid troops, and a year later besieged the city, destroying its rural hinterlands. Ascalon was further isolated by the fall of Acre in 1104, but kept serving as a Fatimid base. In August 1105, Al-Afdal launched yet another failed attack from Ascalon,
3570-634: The Late Bronze Age , Ashkelon was integrated into the Egyptian Empire , before becoming one of the five cities of the Philistine pentapolis following the migration of the Sea Peoples . The city was later destroyed by the Babylonians but was subsequently rebuilt. Ascalon remained a major metropolis throughout antiquity and the early Middle Ages , before becoming a highly contested fortified foothold on
3672-480: The garden city model. Migdal was surrounded by a broad ring of orchards. Barnea developed slowly, but Afridar grew rapidly. The first homes, built in 1951, were inhabited by new Jewish immigrants from South Africa and South America, with some native-born Israelis. The first public housing project for residents of the transit camps, the Southern Hills Project (Hageva'ot Hadromiyot) or Zion Hill (Givat Zion),
3774-568: The power vacuum due to the withdrawal of the Assyrian empire from the West. This is demonstrated by the discovery of multiple Egyptian trade items, such as barrel-jars and tripods made of Nile clay, a jewelry box made of abalone shell together with a necklace of amulets . Egyptian cultic and votive items, statuettes and offering tables were likewise discovered, demonstrating a religious influence as well. According to Herodotus (c.484–c.425 BC),
3876-509: The "ghetto". Moshe Dayan and Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion were in favor of expulsion, while Mapam and the Israeli labor union Histadrut objected. The government offered the Palestinians positive inducements to leave, including a favorable currency exchange, but also caused panic through night-time raids. The first group was deported to the Gaza Strip by truck on 17 August 1950 after an expulsion order had been served. The deportation
3978-461: The Assyrian campaign, Ashkelon, along with other southern Levantine kingdoms, paid tribute to Assyria, and thus became a vassal kingdom. A year later, while the Assyrians were preoccupied fighting Damascus, king Mitinti I of Ashkelon joined Israel , Tyre and Arab tribes in a revolt against Assyrian hegemony. The revolt failed and Mitinti I was killed and replaced by Rukibtu . The identity of Rukibtu
4080-421: The Assyrian campaign. Sidqa himself was exiled with all of his family and was replaced Šarru-lu-dari , the son of Rukibtu, who resumed paying tribute to Assyria. During most of the 7th century BCE, Ashkelon was ruled by Mitinti II , the son of Sidqa, who was a vassal to Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal . Close connections between Ashkelon and Egypt developed in the days of pharaoh Psamtik I , after Egypt filled
4182-532: The Byzantine district capital of Caesarea in c. 640. Mu'awiya turned the town into a fortified garrison, settling cavalry there. During ' Umar 's and ' Uthman 's rule (634–644 and 644–656, respectively), tracts of land in Ascalon were awarded to Muslims. During the Muslim civil war of 680–692 ( Second Fitna ), the south of Syria came under the military rule of Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr 's caliphate. By that time,
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4284-461: The Byzantines reoccupied Asqalan, razed the city and deported its inhabitants. While in the time of Marwan I the region came back to Umayyad hands, the Byzantines either left Ascalon or were forced out only after Marwan's son, Abd al-Malik ( r. 685–705 ) won the civil war. Ascalon enjoyed an era of prosperity after Abd al-Malik rebuilt and fortified it. Despite it not being a good harbor,
4386-488: The Crusader count of Jaffa, Hugh II , rebelled against King Fulk , who accused him of conspiring against his realm, and of intimate relations with his wife. Hugh II rode to Ascalon to seek help, and the Muslim troops were happy to contribute to the internal feud among the Crusader. Troops left Ascalon to Jaffa and raided the Sharon plain , until Fulk's forces repelled them. Later. A year later, Fatimid vizier Ridwan ibn Walakhshi
4488-513: The EB II-III (2900–2500 BCE), the site of Tel Ashkelon served as an important seaport for the trade route between the Old Kingdom of Egypt and Byblos . Excavations at the northern side of the mound revealed a mudbrick structure and numerous olive-oil jars. This port was abandoned with the deurbanization of Canaan during the second half of the 3rd millennium BC (Intermediate Bronze Age). At that time,
4590-531: The Egyptian-ruled Canaanite city, was dated by the site's excavators to c. 1170 BCE. Their earliest pottery, types of structures and inscriptions are similar to the early Greek urbanised centre at Mycenae in mainland Greece , adding evidence to the conclusion that they were one of the " Sea Peoples " that upset cultures throughout the Eastern Mediterranean at that time. In this period,
4692-469: The Fatimids had begun raising an army at Ascalon, ready to raise the siege of Jerusalem. In August, an army of about 10,000 crusaders marched on Ascalon to meet the army being raised. They surprised the Fatimids in battle on 12 August just north of the city of Ascalon. While the crusader army defeated the Fatimid force of around 20,000, the city itself was not captured and remained in Fatimid hands, serving as
4794-501: The Great , who became a client king of the Roman Empire , ruling over Judea and its environs in 30 BCE, had not received Ashkelon, yet he built monumental buildings there: bath houses, elaborate fountains and large colonnades. A discredited tradition suggests Ashkelon was his birthplace. In 6 CE, when a Roman imperial province was set in Judea, overseen by a lower-rank governor, Ashkelon
4896-465: The Phoenician word for "cake" inscribed on it. The cult of the goddess Tanit was present at Ashkelon by that period. The city minted its own coins, with the abbreviation Aleph - Nun referring to its name. The archaeological excavations revealed remains of the Achaemenid (Persian) period in three main locations (Grids 38, 50 and 57). The city features monumental structures constructed of ashlar stone foundations and mudbrick superstructures . It had
4998-431: The United Kingdom . During the 1990s, the city received additional arrivals of Ethiopian Jews and Russian Jews . Ashkelon is the northern terminus for the Trans-Israel pipeline , which brings petroleum products from Eilat to an oil terminal at the port. The Ashkelon seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant is the largest in the world. The project was developed as a BOT ( build–operate–transfer ) by
5100-514: The ancient world was discovered in Ashkelon. A Roman burial tomb two kilometres north of Ashkelon National Park was discovered in 1937. There are two burial tombs, a painted Hellenistic cave and a Roman cave. The Hellenistic cave is decorated with paintings of nymphs, water scenes, mythological figures and animals. In 1986 ruins of 4th- to 6th-century baths were found in Ashkelon. The bathhouses are believed to have been used for prostitution. The remains of nearly 100 mostly male infants were found in
5202-500: The area had been allocated to the Arab state in the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine ; on the eve of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War the inhabitants numbered 10,000 and in October 1948, the city accommodated thousands more Palestinian refugees from nearby villages. The town was conquered by Israeli forces on 5 November 1948, by which time much of the Arab population had fled, leaving some 2,700 inhabitants, of whom 500 were deported by Israeli soldiers in December 1948 and most of
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#17328527137535304-538: The border with the Gaza Strip . The modern city is named after the ancient seaport of Ascalon , which was destroyed in 1270 and whose remains are on the southwestern edge of the modern metropolis. The Israeli city, first known as Migdal, was founded in 1949 approximately 4 km inland from ancient Ascalon at the Palestinian town of al-Majdal (Arabic: الْمِجْدَل , romanized: al-Mijdal ; Hebrew: אֵל־מִגְ׳דַּל , romanized: ʾĒl-Mīǧdal ). Its inhabitants had been exclusively Muslims and Christians and
5406-492: The center of settlement moved to the unwalled rural settlement at Barne'a . Ashkelon was resettled in the Middle Bronze Age on the background of country-wide urban renaissance, linked to the immigration of Amorites people from the north, as well as the revival of trade relations between Middle Kingdom of Egypt and Byblos . It soon become the fortified center of a city-kingdom, as evidenced by both historical records and archaeology. Ashkelon first mention in historical records
5508-413: The city enjoyed its position between Syria and Egypt and their fertile lands. Islamic scholar Yaqut al-Hamawi called it "the Bride of Syria". From the year 712 Ascalon began minting its own copper coins, with the Arabic inscription "Struck in Filastin, Askalan". A son of Caliph Sulayman ( r. 715–717 ), whose family resided in Palestine , was buried in the city. During the Abbasid period ,
5610-411: The city was abandoned by its inhabitants and fell into disuse. The Palestinian village of Al-Jura (El-Jurah) stood northeast of and immediately adjacent to Tel Ashkelon and is documented in Ottoman tax registers. El-Jurah was depopulated during the 1948 war. The Arab village of Majdal was mentioned by historians and tourists at the end of the 15th century. In 1596, Ottoman records showed Majdal to be
5712-408: The city with supplies and maintained its garrison. Ascalon thus became a major Fatimid frontier post. It was subjected to a Crusader blockade, often blocking the land route from Egypt, making it only accessible through the sea. The trade between Ascalon and Crusader Jerusalem resumed by that time, though the inhabitants of Ascalon regularly struggled with shortages in food and supplies. This necessitated
5814-581: The city's temple of Aphrodite ( Derketo ) was the oldest of its kind, imitated even in Cyprus , and he mentions that this temple was pillaged by marauding Scythians during the time of their sway over the Medes (653–625 BCE). By the end of the 7th century BCE, Ashkelon's populated is estimated to have been 10,000–12,000. It had fortifications which integrated and developed the Canaanite ramparts, in addition to an estimated 50 protective towers. Industry in included wine and olive oil production and export and possibly textile weaving. Together with Ashdod , it
5916-426: The clay used in five letters sent by a ruler named Shubandu have supported the hypothesis that he ruled Ashkelon. After Shubandu, Ashkelon was ruled by Yidya . Seven of his letters were identified (letters no. 320–326, 370). In these he expressed his loyalty to the king and assured he will provision the Egyptian troops with bread, beer, oil, grain and cattle. In another letter sent to the king (no. 287) Abdi-Heba ,
6018-412: The coast during the Crusades , when it became the site of two significant Crusader battles: the Battle of Ascalon in 1099, and the Siege of Ascalon in 1153. The Mamluk sultan Baybars ordered the destruction ( slighting ) of the city fortifications and the harbour in 1270 to prevent any further military use, though structures such as the Shrine of Husayn's Head survived. The nearby town of al-Majdal
6120-423: The coastal cities such as Acre , Caesarea Maritima and probably also Ascalon. In 969, the Fatimid general Jawhar captured Syria and Palestine and annexed the territory to the Fatimid Caliphate of North Africa . Ascalon prospered during the ensuing period. Islamic geographer Al-Maqdisi (945 – 991) described Ascalon, admiring its fortifications, garrison, mosque and fruits, but also recounted that its port
6222-498: The combined town. By 1961, Ashkelon was ranked 18th among Israeli urban centers with a population of 24,000. In 2022 the population of Ashkelon was 153,138, making it the third-largest city in Israel's Southern District . The name Ashkelon is probably western Semitic , and might be connected to the triliteral root š-q-l ('to weigh', from a Semitic root ṯ-q-l , akin to Hebrew šāqal ( שָקַל ) or Arabic ṯiql ( ثِقْل ), 'weight', perhaps attesting to its importance as
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#17328527137536324-477: The destruction layers, one of them apparently buried by one of the inhabitants prior to the destruction. It had mostly friendly relations with the Hasmonean kingdom and the Herodian kingdom of Judea , in the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE. In a significant case of an early witch-hunt , during the reign of the Hasmonean queen Salome Alexandra , the court of Simeon ben Shetach sentenced to death eighty women in Ashkelon who had been charged with sorcery . Herod
6426-425: The discrimination to the anti-Semitism experienced by Jews in Europe 70 years earlier. On May 11, 2021, Hamas fired 137 rockets on Ashkelon killing 2 and injuring many others. During the October 2023 Gaza–Israel conflict , Ashkelon was a main target of Hamas missile barrages. On October 10, 2023, Abu Obaida , spokesperson for Hamas, warned all citizens of Ashkelon to evacuate before 5:00 P.M. local time via
6528-801: The dunams, 2,337 were used for citrus and bananas, 2,886 were plantations and irrigable land, 35,442 for cereals, while 1,346 were built-up land. Majdal was known for its weaving industry. The town had around 500 looms in 1909. In 1920 a British Government report estimated that there were 550 cotton looms in the town with an annual output worth 30–40 million francs . But the industry suffered from imports from Europe and by 1927 only 119 weaving establishments remained. The three major fabrics produced were "malak" (silk), 'ikhdari' (bands of red and green) and 'jiljileh' (dark red bands). These were used for festival dresses throughout Southern Palestine. Many other fabrics were produced, some with poetic names such as ji'nneh u nar ("heaven and hell"), nasheq rohoh ("breath of
6630-437: The early periods of sedentation in the Levant , and resumed only during the pre-pottery C phase of the Neolithic ( c. 7000–6400 BCE). Jean Perrot's excavation revealed eight dwelling pits, along with silos and installations, while Garfinkel's excavations revealed numerous pits, hearths and animal bones. During the Early Bronze Age I period (EB I, 3700–2900 BCE), human settlement thrived in Ashkelon. The central site
6732-423: The early stages of the 1948 war , along with the rest of the Gaza region that had been allocated to the Arab State in the United Nations plan. Over the next few months, the town was subjected to Israeli air-raids and shelling. All but about 1,000 of the town's residents were forced to leave by the time it was captured by Israeli forces as a sequel to Operation Yoav on 4 November 1948. General Yigal Allon ordered
6834-426: The expulsion of the remaining Palestinians but the local commanders did not do so and the Arab population soon recovered to more than 2,500 due mostly to refugees slipping back and also due to the transfer of Palestinians from nearby villages. Most of them were elderly, women, or children. During the next year or so, the Palestinians were held in a confined area surrounded by barbed wire, which became commonly known as
6936-405: The failed Babylonian invasion of Egypt. With the Babylonian destruction, the Philistine era was over. After its destruction, Ashkelon remained desolate for seventy years, until the Persian period . Following the Babylonian destruction, Ashkelon was deserted for about 80 years. Shortly after the Achaemenid Empire took over, Ashkelon was rebuilt around 520–510 BCE (based on ceramic evidence). It
7038-439: The founding members of Hamas were born in Mandatory Palestine , outside of the Gaza strip , or have parents who were. Many of them were from villages that were in the vicinity of present-day Ashkelon, including most of the party's leaders: On 1–2 March 2008, rockets fired by Hamas from the Gaza Strip (some of them Grad rockets ) hit Ashkelon, wounding seven, and causing property damage . Mayor Roni Mahatzri stated that "This
7140-447: The immigrant camps, on the lands of the depopulated Palestinian village al-Jura , entrepreneur Zvi Segal , one of the signatories of Israel's Declaration of Independence, established the upscale Barnea neighborhood. A large tract of land south of Barnea was handed over to the trusteeship of the South African Zionist Federation, which established the neighborhood of Afridar. Plans for the city were drawn up in South Africa according to
7242-422: The last major Fatimid stronghold for over half a century. Negotiations over Jerusalem between the crusaders and the Fatimids, who had recently gained control of the city from the Seljuks, broke down in May 1099 during the final stages of the First Crusade . This led to the siege and eventual capture of Jerusalem on 15 July. The remnants of the Fatimid army retreated to Ascalon. After negotiations ended in May,
7344-576: The last of the Philistine cities to hold out against Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II . By the month of Kislev 604 BCE, the city was burnt, destroyed and its king Aga' taken into exile. Its destruction came one year after the Assyrian-Egyptian defeat in the battle of Carchemish . Concern over the strong Egyptian influence on Ashkelon, and possibly its direct rule, are possbibly what brought Nebuchadnezzar II to reduce Ashkelon to rubble, ahead of
7446-519: The most serious of his campaigns using both naval and ground forces. The Franks won the land battle and it has been recounted that when they encountered the Fatimid fleet in Jaffa, they threw the head of the defeated governor of Ascalon on board of the Egyptian ships, to inform them of the Crusader victory. After the Fatimid defeat in 1105, they no longer posed immediate threat to the Crusaders. And yet, Ascalon
7548-522: The musical performances are free. Israel Lacrosse operates substantial youth lacrosse programs in the city and recently hosted the Turkey men's national team in Israel's first home international in 2013. Ashkelon and environs is served by the Barzilai Medical Center , established in 1961. It was built in place of Hussein ibn Ali 's 11th-century mosque, a center of Muslim pilgrimages, destroyed by
7650-548: The name comes from the Northwest Semitic and possibly Canaanite root Ṯ-Q-L, meaning "to weigh", which is also the root of " Shekel ". The settlement is first mentioned in the Egyptian Execration Texts from the 18th-19th centuries BC as Asqalānu . In the Amarna letters ( c. 1350 BC), there are seven letters to and from King Yidya of Ašqaluna and the Egyptian pharaoh . The Merneptah Stele (c. 1208 BC) of
7752-426: The new town, increasing the Jewish population to 2,500 within six months. These early immigrants were mostly from Yemen , North Africa , and Europe . In 1949, the town was renamed Migdal Gaza, and then Migdal Gad. Soon afterwards it became Migdal Ashkelon. The city began to expand as the population grew. In 1951, the neighborhood of Afridar was established for Jewish immigrants from South Africa , and in 1953 it
7854-600: The power center of the caliphate shifted from Syria to Iraq. An inscription found by Charles Clermont-Ganneau in the 19th century indicates that the Abbasid caliph al-Mahdi ordered the construction of a mosque with a minaret in Asqalan in 772. Towards the end of the 9th century Abbasid rule in Syria dwindled. By 878 it was effectively under the rule of the Tulunids of Egypt, who developed
7956-491: The provisions from Egypt on several occasions each year. According to William of Tyre , the entire civilian population of the city was included in the Fatimid army registers. Fatimid ruler Al-Hafiz dispatched between 300 and 600 horesmen to protect Ascalon. Each company had 100 troops and was commanded by an Emir . A general was put in charge of all companies. They were paid 100 dinars for each emir, and 30 dinars for every horsemen. The Fatimids then used it to launch raids into
8058-434: The ransom effort and the ordeals suffered by many of the freed captives. In 1100, Ascalon was among the Fatimid coastal cities (along with Arsuf , Caesarea and Acre ) that paid tribute to the crusaders, as part of a short truce. In 1101, Caesarea and Arsuf were captured by the Crusaders, and their people fled to Ascalon. To protect the influx of Islamic population, military reinforcements were sent from Egypt, who provided
8160-456: The rest were deported by 1950. Today, the city's population is almost entirely Jewish. Migdal, as it was called in Hebrew, was initially repopulated by Jewish immigrants and demobilized soldiers. It was subsequently renamed multiple times, first as Migdal Gaza, Migdal Gad and Migdal Ashkelon, until in 1953 the coastal neighborhood of Afridar was incorporated and the name Ashkelon was adopted for
8262-440: The ruler of Jerusalem , accuses Yidya, as well as the rulers of Lachish and Gezer of provisioning the ʿApiru , who were adversaries of the Egyptian empire. In another letter, Yidya is asked to send glass ingots to Egypt. The Merneptah Stele from c. 1208 BCE, commemorates the victory of Merneptah against the rebellious Ashkelon, Gezer , Yenoam and the Israelites ". The founding of Philistine Ashkelon, on top of
8364-419: The soul") and abu mitayn ("father of two hundred"). In addition to agriculture, residents practiced animal husbandry which formed was an important source of income for the town. In 1943, they owned 354 heads of cattle , 168 sheep over a year old, 170 goats over a year old, 65 camels , 17 horses , 39 mules , 447 donkeys , 2966 fowls , and 808 pigeons . Majdal was occupied by the Egyptian army in
8466-502: The south, Lachish and Gezer to the east and Gezer to the north. The ties between Ashkelon and Egypt in the late 15h century are documented in Papyrus Hermitage 1116A, which is dated to the time of Amenhotep II (1427–1401 BCE). It includes list compiled by an Egyptian official detailing rations of breed and beer, that were provided to envoys of noble chariot warriors ( Maryannu ) from 12 Canaanite cities, including Ashkelon. It
8568-647: The throne, and joined the rebellion instigated by king Hezekiah of Judah , along with other Levantine kings. Together, they deposed king Padi of Ekron who remained loyal to Assyria. The rebellion, which was launched shortly after Sennacherib 's was suppressed during his third campaign In 701 BCE, as described in the Taylor Prism . At that time, Ashkelon controlled several cities in the Yarkon River basin (near modern Tel Aviv , including Beth Dagon , Jaffa , Beneberak and Azor ). These were seized and sacked during
8670-583: Was "rediscovered", prompting Badr to order the construction of a new mosque and mashhad (shrine or mausoleum) to hold the relic, known as the Shrine of Husayn's Head . According to another source, the shrine was built in 1098 by the Fatimid vizier al-Afdal Shahanshah . During the Crusades , Ascalon was an important city due to its location near the coast and between the Crusader States and Egypt. It remained
8772-563: Was an important city during the Roman , Byzantine and Early Islamic periods , and particularly during the period of the Crusades , due to its location near the coast and between the Crusader states and Egypt. The Battle of Ascalon was the last action of the First Crusade . In 1270, the Mamluk sultan Baybars ordered the fortifications and harbour at the site to be destroyed. As a result of it,
8874-478: Was approved by Ben-Gurion and Dayan over the objections of Pinhas Lavon , secretary-general of the Histadrut, who envisioned the town as a productive example of equal opportunity. By October 1950, twenty Palestinian families remained, most of whom later moved to Lydda or Gaza. According to Israeli records, in total 2,333 Palestinians were transferred to the Gaza Strip, 60 to Jordan, 302 to other towns in Israel, and
8976-630: Was built in 1952. Under a plan signed in October 2015, seven new neighborhoods comprising 32,000 housing units, a new stretch of highway, and three new highway interchanges will be built, turning Ashkelon into the sixth-largest city in Israel. The ancient site of Ascalon is now administered as the Ashkelon National Park . The walls that encircled the city are still visible, as well as Canaanite earth ramparts. The park contains mainly Roman, Byzantine, and Crusader ruins. The largest dog cemetery in
9078-483: Was conducted in the 1950s under the supervision of Jean Perrot and in 1997-1998 under the supervision of Yosef Garfinkel . The earliest traces of human activity include some 460 microlithic tools dated to the Epipalaeolithic period ( c. 23,000 to c. 10,000 BCE). These come along wide evidence for hunter-gatherer exploitation in the southern coastal plain in that time. This activity come to hiatus during
9180-523: Was conquered by the Seljuks . Fatimid rule over Ascalon was nevertheless loosened, with the governor often exercising a greater latitude of authority over the city than the nominal authority of the Egyptian caliphate. In 1091, a couple of years after a campaign by grand vizier Badr al-Jamali to reestablish Fatimid control over the region, the head of Husayn ibn Ali (a grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad )
9282-579: Was deemed impregnable, and its proximities to Egyptian ports made it a primary concern for their Crusader army, as it continued to serve from time to time as base for small-scale incursions. In 1124 Tyre fell to the Crusaders, making Ascalon the last Fatimid stronghold on the Levantine coast. Baldwin II of Jerusalem led an attack against Ascalon in 1125, that repelled by the Muslims, who continued their incursions. In 1134,
9384-412: Was established in the same period. Ottoman tax records attest the existence of the village of Al-Jura adjacent to citadel walls from at least 1596. That residual settlement survived until its depopulation in 1948 . The modern Israeli city of Ashkelon takes its name from the ancient city. Ascalon has been known by many variations of the same basic name over the millennia. It is speculated that
9486-583: Was in Afridar, situated between two long and wide kurkar ridges. This area had unique ecological conditions, offering an abundance of goundwater, fertile soils and varied flora and fauna. Two other settlements existed at Tel Ashkelon itself, and in the Barnea neighborhood of modern Ashkelon. The site of Afridar is one of the most extensive and most excavated settlements of the EB I period, with over two dozen dig sites, excavated by
9588-565: Was incorporated into the city. The current name Ashkelon was adopted and the town was granted local council status in 1953. In 1955, Ashkelon had more than 16,000 residents. By 1961, Ashkelon ranked 18th among Israeli urban centers with a population of 24,000. This grew to 43,000 in 1972 and 53,000 in 1983. In 2005, the population was more than 106,000. In 1949 and 1950, three immigrant transit camps ( ma'abarot ) were established alongside Majdal (renamed Migdal) for Jewish refugees from Arab countries , Romania and Poland. Northwest of Migdal and
9690-417: Was moved directly to the higher jurisdiction of the governor of Syria province . Roman era fortifications, faced with stone, followed the same footprint as the earlier Canaanite settlement, forming a vast semicircle protecting the settlement on the land side. On the sea it was defended by a high natural bluff. A roadway more than six metres (20 ft) in width ascended the rampart from the harbor and entered
9792-416: Was not done. Majdal was granted to Israel in the 1949 Armistice Agreements . Re-population of the recently vacated Arab dwellings by Jews had been official policy since at least December 1948, but the process began slowly. The Israeli national plan of June 1949 designated al-Majdal as the site for a regional urban center of 20,000 people. From July 1949, new immigrants and demobilized soldiers moved to
9894-433: Was one of many Levantine city-states established by Amorites in the early second millennium BCE. The most distinctive feature of the site of Ashkelon is its fortifications, consisting of free-standing earthen ramparts which were erected as early as around 1800 BCE. In the excavations of the northern slope of the ramparts, archaeologists detected five phases of construction including city gates, moats , guard towers and in
9996-560: Was one of the first coastal sites to be established the by Phoenicians , and in Ashkelon's case, by Tyre . The Periplus of Pseudo-Scylax from the mid-4th century, the final decades of the Achaemenid rule, calls it "Ashkelon, the city of Tyre's people". Many inscriptions in the Phoenician language were found across the site, including ostraca bearing Phoenician names from the late 6th to late 4th centuries BCE, and one East Greek vase with
10098-404: Was reported on the front page of The New York Times . The Outdoor Museum near the municipal cultural center displays two Roman burial coffins made of marble depicting battle and hunting scenes, and famous mythological scenes. The Ashkelon Marina, located between Delila and Bar Kochba beaches, offers a shipyard and repair services. Ashkeluna is a water-slide park on Ashkelon beach. Most of
10200-488: Was suggested that the inhabitants of Ashkelon viewed the dogs as sacred animals. The dogs were given special treatment in their burial, with each being interred in a shallow pit and their bones were always found in the same position. The dogs of the Canaan Dog breed, were both male and female, the majority were puppies but also matures. It is evident they died of natural causes, without human intervention or epidemic. Dogs played
10302-472: Was unsafe. A similar description was given by Persian scholar Nasir Khusraw who visited Palestine in 1047. The absence of a port was recounted also by later scholars such as Izz al-Din ibn Shaddad (1217–1285) and Abulfeda (1273 – 1331). It was cited as one of the reason why Ascalon was one of the last coastal cities to stand against the Crusaders . In the 1070s, along with a few other coastal towns in Palestine, it remained in Fatimid hands when most of Syria
10404-545: Was washed to the shores from the Nile Delta . The river became an underground water source , which was later exploited by Ascalon's residents for the constructions of wells. The oldest well found at Ascalon dates around 1000 BCE. The remains of prehistoric activity and settlement at Ashkelon were revealed in salvage excavations prior to urban development in the Afridar and Marina neighborhoods of modern Ashkelon, some 1.5 kilometres (1 mi) north of Tel Ashkelon. The fieldwork
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