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101-595: Today the Shfela is largely rural with many farms, but the cities of Ashdod , Ashkelon , Rehovot , Beit Shemesh , and Kiryat Gat roughly surround it. The Bible assigned land in the Shfela to the tribes of Judah and Dan . The Shfela is mentioned many times in the Hebrew Bible . In the King James Version , its name tends to be translated as 'vale' or 'valley'. The Shfela was the site of many biblical battles. During

202-565: A NIS 220 million grant from the MOT to improve public transportation and decrease private car use. by opening exclusive bus lanes along the main boulevards of the city, establishing a BRT system, smart bus stops equipped with touch screens and paving cycling and pedestrians-only lanes. In August 2019, the initial stage of the program, which was named 'Reway' was completed — with bus lanes established in Menachem Begin and Herzl boulevards. In early 2022,

303-456: A chamber in between). At the center of the upper city is a large rectangular enclosure with spacious rooms on the south, equivalent to similar enclosures found at royal cities such as Samaria , Lachish , and Ramat Rachel . On the southern slope, outside the city, there are Iron Age rock-cut tombs. The site, according to Garfinkel, has "a town plan characteristic of the Kingdom of Judah that

404-600: A home for 600 young musicians in different fields. The Corinne Mamane Museum of Philistine Culture is worldwide the only museum dedicated to this topic. It reopened in 2014 with a new interactive exhibition. The Museum displays significant Philistine artifacts form each of the five cities in the Philistine pentapolis. The Ashdod Museum of Art, located in the MonArt center (see above at "Music and performing arts"), has 12 galleries and two exhibition halls. In an architectural echo of

505-663: A large number of immigrants from the United States , United Kingdom , France , Argentina , and South Africa . Many of the 60,000 Marathi -speaking Bene Israel from Maharashtra , India who moved to Israel also settled there. Ashdod also receives a significant amount of internal migration, especially from the Gush Dan region. Over 95% of Ashdod's population is Jewish, over 30% of Ashdod's population are Haredi . The Haredi population has been growing in Ashdod, and Haredi children make up

606-574: A nature reserve. In addition, the Port of Ashdod is undergoing a massive expansion program. The Ashdod-Nitzanim sand dune nature reserve is a 20-kilometer (12-mile) stretch of sand dunes on the southern outskirts of Ashdod. Ashdod has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers, and cool, rainy winters. As a seaside town, the humidity tends to be high many times year round, and rain occurs mainly from November to March. In winter, temperatures seldom drop below 5 °C (41 °F) and are more likely to be in

707-554: A part of Israel Aircraft Industries where radar equipment, electronic warfare systems, and ELINT are developed. Historically each neighborhood of Ashdod had its own commercial center. In 1990, however, when the mall shopping culture developed in Israel, the main commercial activity in Ashdod moved to malls. The first mall to open in Ashdod was the Forum Center in the industrial zone. Restaurants, bars and night clubs were opened in

808-739: A result of the Bar Kokhba revolt (132–136). It flourished again in the Byzantine period and was the scene of one of the major battles during the Muslim conquest of the Levant of the 7th century. Ashdod Ashdod ( Hebrew : אַשְׁדּוֹד , romanized :  ʾašdōḏ , pronounced [ʔaʃˈdod] ; Arabic : أسدود , romanized :  ʾasdūd , pronounced [ʔasˈduːd] , or إسدود , ʾisdūd [ʔɪsˈduːd] ; Philistine : 𐤀𐤔𐤃𐤃 ‎, romanized: * ʾašdūd )

909-459: A single finger print, or sometimes two or three, were found. Marking jar handles is characteristic of the Kingdom of Judah and it seems this practice has already begun in the early Iron Age IIA." Area "A" extended 5×5 metres and consists of two major layers: Hellenistic above, and Iron Age II below. Area "B" contains four squares, about 2.5 metres deep from top-soil to bedrock, and also features both Hellenistic and Iron Age layers. Surveys on

1010-467: A solid basis for identifying the site as biblical Sha'arayim ("two gates" in Hebrew). Also in 2017, citing publications from 2012 and 2015, Garfinkel lowered the chronology of Khirbet Qeiyafa (Stratum IV) to ca. 1000–975 BCE, considering the site as belonging to Early Iron Age IIA (ca. 1000–930 BCE). Discoveries at Khirbet Qeiyafa are significant to the debate on archaeological evidence and historicity of

1111-458: A structure believed to be King David's palace in the Judean Shephelah . The archaeological team uncovered two large buildings dated to the tenth century BCE, one a large palatial structure and the other a pillared store room with hundreds of stamped storage vessels. The claim that the larger structure may be one of King David's palaces led to significant media coverage, while skeptics accused

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1212-422: A summit, Qeiyafa could be assumed to emulate Jerusalem." Saas concludes. The site consists of a lower city of about 10 hectares and an upper city of about 3 hectares (7.4 acres) surrounded by a massive defensive wall ranging from 2–4 metres (6 ft 7 in – 13 ft 1 in) tall. The walls are built in the same manner as the walls of Hazor and Gezer , formed by a casemate (a pair of walls with

1313-584: Is Maccabi Ashdod . The men squad plays in First League , Israel's First tier league, and the women squad Maccabi Bnot Ashdod plays in top division. Khirbet Qeiyafa 31°41′47″N 34°57′26″E  /  31.69639°N 34.95722°E  / 31.69639; 34.95722 Khirbet Qeiyafa ( Arabic : خِرْبَة قِيَافَة , romanized :  Khirbat Qiyāfa ), also known as Elah Fortress and in Hebrew as Horbat Qayafa ( Hebrew : חוֹרְבָת קַייָאפַה ),

1414-471: Is a result of mixed marriages. About 100 families are affiliated with the Pittsburg Hasidic group, established there in 1969 by Grand Rabbi Avraham Abba Leifer and continued today by his son, Grand Rabbi Mordechai Yissachar Ber Leifer . Ashdod has many synagogues serving different streams of Judaism. The city is also home to the world's largest Karaite community, about five thousand strong. There

1515-511: Is also a Scandinavian Seamen Protestant church , established by Norwegian Righteous Among the Nations pastor Per Faye-Hansen . Ashdod was declared a city in 1968. The Ashdod City Council has twenty-five elected members, one of whom is the mayor. The mayor serves a five-year term and appoints six deputies. The current mayor of Ashdod, Yehiel Lasri , was last elected in 2008 after Zvi Zilker has been in office continuously since 1989. Within

1616-460: Is also known from other sites, e.g., Beit Shemesh , Tell en-Nasbeh , Tell Beit Mirsim and Beersheba . A casemate wall was built at all of these sites and the city’s houses next to it incorporated the casemates as one of the dwelling's rooms. This model is not known from any Canaanite, Philistine or Kingdom of Israel site." The site is massively fortified, "including the use of stones that weigh up to eight tons apiece." "500 jar handles bearing

1717-476: Is based on their conclusions that the site dates to the early Iron IIA , ca. 1025–975 BCE, a range which includes the biblical date for the biblical Kingdom of David. Others suggest it might represent either a North Israelite , Philistine , or Canaanite fortress, a claim rejected by the archaeological team that excavated the site. The team's conclusion that Khirbet Qeiyafa was a fortress of King David has been criticised by some scholars. Garfinkel (2017) changed

1818-484: Is in Givat Washington , in proximity to Ashdod. Assuta Ashdod Medical Center , Ashdod's only general hospital, serves the city and the surrounding area. It is a 300-bed hospital, and its "bomb shelter" design with thick concrete walls offers sufficient protection so as to keep operating without having to transfer patients during a time of war. It is also a university hospital affiliated with Ben-Gurion University of

1919-413: Is located near Ad Halom Junction. The station was upgraded in 2003 when a new terminal building was built. The station building is modern, but proper road access to it was only organized on September 23, 2008, when a new road to the station was opened. There is also heavy freight traffic in the area. Port of Ashdod has its own railway spur line as well as a special terminal for potash brought from

2020-545: Is on the northern ridge, overlooking several valleys with a clear view of the Judaean Mountains . Behind it to the northeast is Tel Yarmuth . From the topography, archaeologists believe this was the location of the cities of Adullam, Sokho, Azekah, and Yarmuth cited in Joshua 15:35 . These valleys formed the border between Philistia and Judea. The site of Khirbet Qeiyafa was surveyed in the 1860s by Victor Guérin who reported

2121-471: Is one of only two in the country. The heavy industry zone located south of the Lachish River was once the main industrial center in Ashdod. Recently, however, leisure facilities have moved into the area. There is still some industry here, however, such as a Teva Pharmaceutical Industries plant, construction components producer Ashtrom , and Solbar a soybean oil producer. Ashdod is also home to Elta ,

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2222-521: Is one poorly executed inscription of seven letters. Indeed, the city state of Gath, like all other Philistine city states (Ashkelon, Ashdod, Eqron) and all the Canaanite Late Bronze Age city states, managed their administration without the use of writing. On the other hand, the rise of a nation state required the intensification of social, administrative and economic networks and increased the need for communication". In 2010, Gershon Galil of

2323-459: Is part of the wider south Judean anticlinorium -a regional formation characterised by upward folding. Typical to the Shfela are the Senonian - Eocene chalky formations. The soft Eocene chalk is known locally as kirton , which tends to build a harder upper calcrete crust ( nari ), so that in the past people quarried the kirton while leaving the nari layer in place as a ceiling. Apart from using

2424-531: Is subdivided into two parts: the western "Low Shephelah", which starts at an altitude of ca. 150 metres above sea level and rises to no more than ca. 200 metres above the Coastal Plain, and the eastern "High Shephelah" rising to altitudes between 250 and 450 metres above sea level. In the upper part the valleys descending from the Judean Mountains are deeper, and they broaden once they reach the lower part where

2525-503: Is the sixth-largest city in Israel . Located in the country's Southern District , it lies on the Mediterranean coast 32 kilometres (20 miles) south of Tel Aviv and 20 km (12 mi) north of Ashkelon . Ashdod's port is the largest in Israel, handling 60% of the country's imported goods. Ashdod has a history spanning approximately 3,700 years. In biblical times , it was one of

2626-615: Is the site of an ancient fortress city overlooking the Valley of Elah and dated to the first half of the 10th century BCE. The ruins of the fortress were uncovered in 2007, near the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh , 30 km (20 mi) from Jerusalem . It covers nearly 2.3 ha (6 acres) and is encircled by a 700-meter-long (2,300 ft) city wall constructed of field stones, some weighing up to eight tons . Excavations at site continued in subsequent years. A number of archaeologists, mainly

2727-480: The Bar Kokhba revolt , hollowed out hills were connected to form elaborate bunker systems for the combat with the Romans. The Shfela consists of fertile rolling hills . Topographically, it represents the transition from the higher and more rugged Jerusalem and Hebron Mountains , whose foothills it forms, and the Coastal Plain. About 60 km (35 miles) long in north–south direction and only 13 km (8 miles) wide, it

2828-511: The Elah Fortress was suggested by Foundation Stone directors David Willner and Barnea Levi Selavan at a meeting with Garfinkel and Ganor in early 2008. Garfinkel accepted the idea and excavation t-shirts with that name were produced for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The name derives from the location of the site on the northern bank of Nahal Elah, one of six brooks that flow from the Judean mountains to

2929-560: The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , Ashdod had a population of 226,827 in 2022, with an area of 47,242 dunams (47.242 km ; 18.240 sq mi). Three stone tools dating from the Neolithic era were discovered, but no other evidence of a Stone Age settlement in Ashdod was found, suggesting that the tools were deposited there in a later period. The historical town of Ashdod (today referred to as Tel Ashdod / Isdud ),

3030-606: The Israeli Ministry of Interior . In 1961, Ashdod was a town of 4,600. The Magistrates' Court in the city was inaugurated in 1963. The building of the port of Ashdod began in April 1961. The port was inaugurated in November 1963, and was first utilized in November 1965, with the coming of the Swedish ship "Wiengelgad". The city expanded gradually, with the construction of two quarters in

3131-473: The Jerusalem Central Bus Station . The Sea Mall, a three-story mall near the government offices, has a climbing wall and movie theater . Star Center doubled in size in 2007. In 2013, Ashdod had 500 schools employing 3,500 teachers. The student population was 55,000. The city's education budget was NIS 418 million shekels. Lycée français Guivat-Washington, a French international high school,

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3232-561: The Maghreb over the centuries, and has left its mark on the cante flamenco , the flamenco singing style, perhaps better known in the West. The orchestra was awarded the Israel Prize in 2006. Ashdod also has one of the biggest open theaters in Israel - Amphi Ashdod that can hosts more than 6,400 guests. The Amphi hosts Ashdod's international art festival "Méditerranée" . The MonArt Centre for

3333-443: The Port of Ashdod . The traffic at this gateway is constantly growing, especially due to cruise ship activities. The other sea gateway is Blue Marina . According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , Ashdod had a population of about 226,827 at the end of 2022, making it the sixth largest city in Israel. The annual population growth rate is 2.6% and the ratio of women to men is 1,046 to 1,000. The population age distribution

3434-514: The Sodom area and exported abroad. A new central bus station opened in 1996. It serves as the terminus both for inter- and intracity lines. The central bus station is attached to the City Mall. Intercity bus lines connect the city with most population centers in central and southern Israel . Following is the list of bus companies serving routes at the central bus station: There is a passenger pier in

3535-617: The University of Haifa identified Khirbet Qeiyafa as the "Neta'im" of 1 Chronicles 4:23 , due to its proximity to Khirbet Ğudrayathe (biblical Gederah ). The inhabitants of both cities were said to be "potters" and "in the King's service", a description that is consistent with the archeological discoveries at that site. Yehuda Dagan of the Israel Antiquities Authority also disagrees with the identification as Sha'arayim. Dagan believes

3636-466: The freeway section of Highway 4 further south, by removing the traffic light at this junction, and also added grade separation with the railway. The other main road in the area is Highway 41 which served the city from the start of its modern history. This road runs from west to east towards Gedera and it is the main transport link to the port of Ashdod and the industrial zones, and connects to Highway 4 with an interchange. In late 2012, Ashdod won

3737-548: The rainy season . The southern part is made up of loess , while north of Ashkelon consists of clay . The Shfela has a temperate Mediterranean to semi-arid climate . A series of east–west valleys cuts the Shfelah into districts. From north to south, they are: the Valley of Ayalon , Sorek Valley , Valley of Elah , Guvrin Valley, Valley of Lachish , and Valley of Adorayim . The biblical towns established there guarded settlements of

3838-464: The 1960s, followed by four more in the 1970s and two more in the 1980s. In 1972, the population was 40,300, and this grew to 65,700 by 1983. Large-scale growth of the city began in 1991, with the massive arrival of immigrants from the Soviet Union and Ethiopia and infrastructure development. From 1990 to 2001 the city accepted more than 100,000 new inhabitants, a 150% growth. Five more quarters of

3939-695: The 1990s and documented the visible remains. The site raised curiosity in 2005 when Saar Ganor discovered impressive Iron Age structures under the remnants. Excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa began in 2007, directed by Yosef Garfinkel of the Hebrew University and Saar Ganor of the Israel Antiquities Authority , and continued in 2008. Nearly 600 square metres (6,500 sq ft) of an Iron Age IIA city were unearthed. Based on pottery styles and nighteen burned olive pits tested for carbon-14 at Oxford University , Garfinkel and Ganor have dated

4040-696: The Arts, which includes a ballet school, a music center and the Ashdod Museum of Art, is a performing arts center which comprises different galleries, art schools, studios and events. The ambitious architectural complex has been inaugurated in 2003. Theatre and concerts are hosted in several cultural venues; the most important are performed at the Ashdod Performing Arts Center , a new 938-seat concert hall of distinct elegance and originality designed by Israeli architect Haim Dotan and inaugurated in 2012 in

4141-674: The Bronze Age, gradually gaining in importance through the Iron Age. In the Byzantine period the port town overshadowed in importance the city further inland: the bishops of Azotos present at the council of 325 and the council of Jerusalem in 536 seem to have resided in Azotos Paralios rather than in Azotos Mesogeios. The prominence of Hellenised, then Christian Azotus continued until the 7th century, when it came under Muslim rule. The city

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4242-539: The Elah Fortress faces west with a path down to the road leading to the sea, and was thus named "Gath Gate" or "Sea Gate." The 23-dunam (5.7-acre) site is surrounded by a casement wall and fortifications. Garfinkel suggests that it was a Judean city with 500–600 inhabitants during the reign of David and Solomon . Based on pottery finds at Qeiyafa and Gath, archaeologists believe the sites belonged to two distinct ethnic groups. "The finds have not yet established who

4343-641: The Hellenistic period. In the Byzantine period , a luxurious land villa was built on top of the Iron Age II palace and cut the older structure in two. The meaning of the Arabic name of the site, Khirbet Qeiyafa , is uncertain. Scholars suggest it may mean "the place with a wide view." In 1881, Palmer thought that Kh. Kîâfa meant "the ruin of tracking foot-steps". The modern Hebrew name , מבצר האלה ‎, or

4444-608: The Louvre, the entrance to the museum is through a glass pyramid. In 2003 the internal spaces of the museum were redesigned by the architects Eyal Weizman , Rafi Segal and Manuel Herz . Ashdod's football team, F.C. Ironi Ashdod represents the city in the Israeli Premier League . The club is known for its successful football school. It is also home to Hapoel Ashdod F.C. , which plays in Liga Alef . The city's top basketball team

4545-546: The Negev . The hospital opened in 2017. Prior to the opening of the hospital, Ashdod did not have a general hospital, and residents in need of hospitalization had to travel to Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot or Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon . There are public and private clinics operating in the city. A special clinic run by Hatzalah operates at times when all other clinics in

4646-405: The ancient Philistine retreat route, after their defeat in the battle at the Valley of Elah ( 1 Samuel 17:52 ), more likely identifies Sha'arayim with the remains of Khirbet esh-Shari'a. Dagan proposes that Khirbet Qeiyafa be identified with biblical Adithaim ( Joshua 15:36 ). Nadav Na'aman of Tel Aviv University doubts that Sha'arayim means "two gates" at all, citing multiple scholarly opinions that

4747-421: The archaeologists of sensationalism. Aren Maeir , an archaeologist at Bar Ilan University , pointed out that existence of King David's monarchy is still unproven and some scholars believe the buildings could be Philistine or Canaanite. The massive structure located on a hill in the center of the city was decorated with alabaster imported from Egypt. On one side it offered a view of the two city gates, Ashdod and

4848-542: The area. Today, the Forum center is mainly used for offices. Lev Ashdod Mall, which opened in 1993, has been enlarged and upgraded since then. Ashdod Mall, billed at the time as the city's largest shopping mall, has also been redesigned since its opening in 1995. City Mall, Ashdod was opened in a combined building with the central bus station in 1996, following the examples of the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station and

4949-490: The biblical account of the United Monarchy at the beginning of Iron Age II. Nadav Na’aman and Ido Koch held that the ruins were Canaanite, based on strong similarities with the nearby Canaanite excavations at Beit Shemesh. Finkelstein and Alexander Fantalkin, maintained that the site shows affiliations with a North Israelite entity saying that "There is no evidence for arguing that Jerusalem, Hebron and Khirbet Qeiyafa were

5050-707: The buildings dedicated only to religious rituals. This may suggest that the rooms did not belong to these two cultures. According to Garfinkel the decorations of cultic rooms lack any human figurines. He suggested "that the population of Khirbet Qeiyafa observed at least two biblical bans, on pork and on graven images, and thus practiced a different cult than that of the Canaanites or the Philistines." Three small portable shrines were also discovered. The smaller shrines are boxes shaped with different decorations showing impressive architectonic and decorative styles. Garfinkel suggested

5151-420: The chronology of Khirbet Qeiyafa to ca. 1000–975 BCE. There is a continued debate on the period based on ceramic finds and radiocarbon results. Pottery points to either Late Iron Age I or Iron Age IIa. The site was resettled during the late Persian and early Hellenistic periods, until it became deserted once again around 260 BCE. The top layer of the fortress shows that the fortifications were renewed in

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5252-485: The city are closed. Ashdod is located on the historic Via Maris . Highway 4 was developed following this route along the southern sea shore of Israel; it serves as the main connection to the north, towards the Tel Aviv metropolitan area , and to the south, towards Ashkelon . Ad Halom junction was planned as the main entrance to the city from the east. Ashdod Interchange was opened in 2009. The interchange continues

5353-646: The city council there are various factions representing different population groups. The headquarters of the Ashdod Municipality and the mayor's office are at city hall. This new municipal building is located in the main culture and business area. Ashdod is home to the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra , which performs Andalusian classical music . It is an Arabic music style that originates from Moorish Iberia or Al-Andalus , has been jealously preserved in its original form by Arab and Jewish musicians of

5454-499: The city into seventeen neighborhoods of ten to fifteen thousand people. Wide avenues between the neighborhoods make traffic flow relatively freely inside the city. Each neighborhood has access to its own commercial center, urban park , and health and education infrastructure. The original plan also called for a business and administrative center , built in the mid-1990s, when the city population grew rapidly more than doubling in ten years. Three industrial zones were placed adjacent to

5555-459: The city wall similar to the features found by Garfinkel and Ganor in the western gate, and stated that it was a second gate. This claim was challenged. In November, with volunteers from the Bnai Akiva youth organization, the area was cleared and an excavation and reconstruction organized by Garfinkel and Ganor "yielded" the existence of that second gate. It was thought that the identification provided

5656-580: The city was known as Azotus . It was later incorporated into the Hasmonean kingdom . During the 1st century BCE, Pompey removed the city from Judean rule and annexed it to the Roman province of Syria . Ashdod was a bishopric under Byzantine rule , but its importance gradually slipped and by the Middle Ages it was a village. Ashdod-Yam, later known as Azotos Paralios, appears to have been first settled in

5757-459: The city was not Philistine comes from the private houses that abut the city wall, an arrangement that was not used in Philistine cities. There is also evidence of equipment for baking flat bread and hundreds of bones from goats, cattle, sheep, and fish. Significantly, no pig bones have been uncovered, suggesting that the city was not Philistine or Canaanite. Nadav Na'aman of Tel Aviv University nevertheless associates it with Philistine Gath, citing

5858-476: The city were completed, and a business district was built. In the 2000s, three more quarters and the marina districts were completed. Ashdod was one of six cities that won the 2012 Education Prize awarded by the Israel Ministry of Education. The modern city of Ashdod city was built outside the historic settlement site, on virgin sands. The development followed a main development plan . The planners divided

5959-464: The city's cultural center. Ashdod plays host to many national and international music festivals, including the annual Super Jazz Ashdod Festival managed by Leonid Ptashka . The ACADMA conservatory is a professional educational institute for music and performance studies based in Ashdod. Operated under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, the institute was established in 1966, and serves as

6060-414: The coastal plain. The Elah Fortress lies just inside a north-south ridge of hills separating Philistia and Gath to the west from Judea to the east. The ridge also includes the site currently identified as Tel Azekah . Past this ridge is a series of connecting valleys between two parallel groups of hills. Tel Sokho lies on the southern ridge with the tell of Adullam behind it. The Elah Fortress

6161-489: The dating, ethnic and political affiliation of Khirbet Qeiyafa as well as the language of the ostracon. "A dating in the Iron I–II transition, the mid 10th century, assuming the alphabet has just begun its move out of Philistia then could just make a Jerusalem link and Judahite Hebrew language possible for the ostracon. On such a background Qeiyafa may even be considered Davidic. With the oval plan of its casemate wall crowning

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6262-697: The decline of Philistia. During the decline and ultimate destruction of Judah by the Neo-Assyrian Empire and the Neo-Babylonian Empire , the region was taken over gradually by the Edomites and it became the core of what was known in Greek as Idumea. The Shephela flourished during the Hellenistic period, was strongly affected by the First Jewish–Roman War (66–70) and was largely depopulated of Jews as

6363-466: The existence of a biblical parallel regarding the existence of such shrines ( 2 Samuel 6 ). One of the shrines is decorated with two pillars and a lion. According to Garfinkel, the style and the decoration of these cultic objects are very similar to the Biblical description of some features of Solomon's Temple . On July 18, 2013, the Israel Antiquities Authority issued a press release about the discovery of

6464-488: The extracted rock, they also utilised the generated underground hollows for different purposes (refuge, burial, storage etc.). One of the major characteristics is hills formed of marl -covered soft chalk , as opposed to the Judean Hills which are made of hard chalk and dolomite . The valleys and lower areas contain soil with a high sand content, as well as large tracts of fertile areas. Seasonal swamps can develop during

6565-522: The five principal cities of the Philistines . The city's name was later preserved in the Arab town of Isdud , which was depopulated during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War . In ancient times, Ashdod developed as an active maritime trade center, with its ports identified at Ashdod-Yam and Tel Mor. The remains of the ancient city and later settlements are located at Tel Ashdod . Modern Ashdod was established in 1956 on

6666-414: The former Soviet Union who immigrated to Israel in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union settled in Ashdod. Recent demographic figures suggest that about 32% of the city's population are new immigrants, 85% of whom are originally from the former Soviet Union. During the 1990s the city absorbed a large number of Beta Israel immigrants from Ethiopia , and in more recent years Ashdod absorbed

6767-422: The government granted a 24 square kilometres (9 square miles), approximately 32 kilometres (20 mi) from Tel Aviv, to the Ashdod Company Ltd., for building the modern city of Ashdod. The building of the Eshkol A power station in Ashdod was completed in 1958 and included 3 units: 2 units of 50 megawatt, and one unit of 45 megawatt (with sea water desalination capabilities). The city's development

6868-404: The interior and took advantage of trade passing along this route. Ayalon was the primary access corridor to Jerusalem along the ascent of Horon . Caves are a major feature of the southern part of the Shfela, many of them bell-shaped such as those in Beit Guvrin . Archaeological surveys in the Shephelah have found evidence of habitation during the Late Bronze period. During the early Iron Age,

6969-432: The largest port in Israel , handling about 60% of Israel's port cargo. It was mainly upgraded in recent years and will be able to provide berths for Panamax ships. Various shipping companies offices are also located in the port area which also is home to an Eshkol A power station and coal terminal. The Northern industrial zone is located on Highway 41 and includes various industry including an oil refinery , which

7070-452: The ma'gal (מעגל) or "circular camp" of the Israelites which is mentioned in the story of David and Goliath ( 1 Samuel 17:20 ) was described this way because it fitted the circular shape of the nearby Khirbet Qeiyafa. Levin argues that the story of David and Goliath is set decades before Khirbet Qeiyafa was built and so the reference to Israel's encampment at the ma'gal probably does "not represent any particular historical event at all". But when

7171-545: The main centres of 10th century Judah. ... Between the two possibilities for the territorial affiliation of Khirbet Qeiyafa with a highlands polity—Judah or an early north Israelite entity—the latter seems to us the more attractive one. In 2015 Finkelstein and Piasetsky specifically criticised the previous statistical treatment of radio-carbon dating at Khirbet Qeiyafa and also whether it was prudent to ignore results from neighboring sites. Archeologists, Yosef Garfinkel, Mitka R. Golub, Haggai Misgav, and Saar Ganor rejected in 2019

7272-402: The majority in the city's schools. The rapidly increasing Haredi population has caused some social and community tensions, particularly regarding the city's character, Mayor Lasri levying fines against retail stores if they are open on Shabbat, and growing community tensions with secular Russian Jews. Despite this, the city is generally secular, although most of the non-Jewish population

7373-416: The mayor of Ashdod since 2008. The city is a member of the Forum of 15 cities. Since its establishment, Ashdod has absorbed extensive Jewish immigration from around the world, resulting in one of the highest percentages of new immigrants in Israel. The city is home to the largest Moroccan and Karaite Jewish communities in Israel, and to the largest Georgian Jewish community in the world. According to

7474-421: The necessity for further excavations as well as evidence from Bet Shemesh whose inhabitants also avoided eating pork, yet were associated with Ekron. Na'aman proposed identification with the Philistine city of Gob, whereas Garfinkel wrote that the site may actually point to the biblical Azekah, owing to its proximity to Socho and the valley of Elah that separated the two sites. Yigal Levin has proposed that

7575-547: The population of what has been widely believed to be a Canaanite enclave between the rising centres of both coastal Philistia and the Israelite/Judahite highlands, went into decline, though a string of settlements survived on the eastern edge. In the Iron Age IIA–B, population growth resumed and by the 8th century BCE it was densely populated, not so much by natural growth but as a result of incoming settlers, beginning with

7676-407: The port in the northern part of the city, taking into account the prevailing southern winds which take air pollution away from the city. The plan had its problems, however, including asymmetric growth of upscale and poorer neighborhoods and the long-time lack of a main business and administrative center. The city was planned for a maximum of 250,000 inhabitants, and an additional area in the south

7777-448: The possibility that Khirbet Qeiyafa could be associated with the Philistines. They wrote: "The idea that in this chronological phase the knowledge of writing should be associated with the Philistine city state of Gath can now be rejected. While the various sites in Judah present an impressive assemblage of inscriptions, all we have from the intensive twenty-year excavations at Tell es-Safi (Gath)

7878-436: The presence of a village on the hilltop. In 1875, British surveyors noted only stone heaps at Kh. Kiafa . In 1932, Dimitri Baramki , reported the site to hold a 35 square metres (380 sq ft) watchtower associated with Khirbet Quleidiya (Horvat Qolad), 200 metres (660 ft) east. The site was mostly neglected in the 20th century and not mentioned by leading scholars. Yehuda Dagan conducted more intense surveys in

7979-457: The range of 10–15 °C (50–59 °F), while in summer the average is 27 °C (81 °F). The average annual rainfall is 510 mm (20.1 in). Ashdod is one of the most important industrial centers in Israel. All industrial activities in the city are located in northern areas such as the port area, the northern industrial zone, and around the Lachish River. The port of Ashdod is

8080-438: The residents were," says Aren Maeir , a Bar Ilan University archaeologist digging at Gath. "It will become more clear if, for example, evidence of the local diet is found. Excavations have shown that Philistines ate dogs and pigs, while Israelites did not. The nature of the ceramic shards found at the site suggest residents might have been neither Israelites nor Philistines but members of a third, forgotten people." Evidence that

8181-447: The riverbeds create larger spaces between the hills. Where they reach the Shfela, the rivers can flow over substantial distances along the border between the mountains and the hills, forming longitudinal valleys. Passage between the east–west and north–south valleys has dictated the communication routes throughout history. In geological terms, the Shfela is a syncline , i.e. it formed as a basin whose rock layers were folded downwards, but

8282-496: The sand hills, 6 kilometers northwest of the ancient site. It was incorporated as a city in 1968, with a land-area of approximately 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi). Being a planned city , expansion followed a main development plan , which facilitated traffic and prevented air pollution in the residential areas, despite population growth. Alongside the port, the city hosts additional national infrastructure, making it an important industrial center. Dr. Yehiel Lasri has been

8383-505: The second stage was completed too — adding bus lanes on Jabotinsky boulevard, commencing operation of the Reway control center and opening the Bnei Brit bus terminal at north. The passenger railway connection to Ashdod opened in 1992 after the renovation of the historical railway to Egypt . Ashdod railway station is on Israel Railways ' Binyamina / Netanya – Tel Aviv – Ashkelon line and it

8484-484: The short-lived settlement at Khirbet Qeiyafa . The overall estimated numbers for inhabitants range from 50,000 to 100,000, over numerous sites such as Tel Lachish , Azekah , Tel Burna , Tel Zayit , Khirbet el-Qom , Tel Erani , Tel Harasim and Tel Nagila. This colonization, together with the inhabitants of the Canaanite enclave, identified with the highland Israelite/Judahite culture, and its expansion coincides with

8585-399: The site to 1050–970 BCE, although Israel Finkelstein contends evidence points to habitation between 1050 and 915 BCE. The initial excavation by Ganor and Garfinkel took place from August 12 to 26, 2007 on behalf of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Institute of Archaeology. In their preliminary report at the annual ASOR conference on November 15, they presented a theory that the site

8686-538: The story was composed centuries later, the round structure of Khirbet Qeiyafa "would still have been visible and known to the author of 1 Samuel 17 ", who "guessed its function, and worked it into his story". Garfinkel and his colleagues have suggested that the identification with the ma'gal is unconvincing as the term is used to refer to a military camp/outpost, whereas Khirbet Qeiyafa was a fortified city. Benyamin Saas, Professor of Archaeology at Tel Aviv university, analyzed

8787-459: The suffix -ayim in ancient place names is not the dual suffix used for ordinary words. The fortifications at Khirbet Qeiyafa predate those of contemporary Lachish , Beersheba , Arad , and Timnah . All these sites have yielded pottery dated to early Iron Age II. The parallel valley to the north, mentioned in Samuel I, runs from the Philistine city of Ekron to Tel Beit Shemesh . The city gate of

8888-513: The surface have also revealed sherds from the early and middle Bronze Ages, as well as from the Persian, Roman, Byzantine, early Islamic, Mameluke and Ottoman periods. The Hellenistic/upper portion of the wall was built with small rocks atop the Iron-II lower portion, consisting of big boulders in a casemate design. Part of a structure identified as a city gate was uncovered, and some of the rocks where

8989-399: The two excavators, Yosef Garfinkel and Saar Ganor , have claimed that it might be one of two biblical cities, either Sha'arayim , whose name they interpret as "Two Gates", because of the two gates discovered on the site, or Neta'im ; and that the large structure at the center is an administrative building dating to the reign of King David , where he might have lodged at some point. This

9090-419: The wall meets this gate are estimated to weigh 3 to 5 tons . The lower phase was built of especially large stones, 1–3 meters long, and the heaviest of them weigh 3–5 tons. Atop these stones is a thin wall, c. 1.5 meters thick; small and medium size fieldstones were used in its construction. These two fortification phases rise to a height of 2–3 meters and standout at a distance, evidence of the great effort that

9191-419: Was NIS 4,821 compared to the national average of NIS 6,835. Ashdod has seen much of its growth as the result of absorption of immigrants . The first settlers were Jewish immigrants from Morocco and Egypt . In the 1960s Ashdod accepted a large number of immigrants from Romania , followed by a large number from Georgia (then part of the Soviet Union ) in the 1970s. More than 60,000 Russian Jews from

9292-424: Was c. 6 km southeast of the center of the modern town. It dates to the 17th century BCE, and was a prominent Philistine city, one of the five Philistine city-states . The coastal site of Ashdod-Yam , today southwest of the modern city, was a separate city for most of its history. The first documented urban settlement at Tel Ashdod / Isdud dates to the 17th century BCE, when it was a fortified Canaanite city. It

9393-714: Was destroyed at the end of the Late Bronze Age . During the Iron Age , it was a prominent Philistine city, one of the five Philistine city-states . It is mentioned 13 times in the Hebrew Bible . After being captured by Uzziah , it was briefly ruled by the Kingdom of Judah before it was taken by the Assyrians . During the Persian period , Nehemiah condemned the returning Jews for intermarrying Ashdod's residents. Under Hellenistic rule ,

9494-632: Was destroyed due to fears that they might again be used by Crusader invasions from the sea. Isdud was to be part of the Arab Palestinian state according to the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine , but Egyptians defending Isdud withdrew in late 1948, causing most of Isdud's roughly 5,000 residents to flee. The 300 townspeople who remained were driven southwards by the Israel Defense Forces . The modern city of Ashdod

9595-415: Was founded in 1956. On May 1, 1956, then finance minister Levi Eshkol approved the establishment of the city of Ashdod. "Ashdod Company Ltd.", a daughter company of City-Builders Company Ltd., was created for that purpose by Oved Ben-Ami and Philip Klutznick . The first settlers, 22 families from Morocco , arrived in November 1956, followed by a small influx of immigrants from Egypt . In July 1957,

9696-517: Was invested in fortifying the place. In 2012 an inscription in Canaanite alphabetic script was found on the shoulder of a ceramic jar. The inscription read "ʾIšbaʿal [/Ishbaal/Eshbaal] son of Beda" and was dated to the late 11th or 10th century BCE (Iron Age IIA). In May 2012 archeologists announced the discovery of three large rooms that were likely used as cultic shrines. While the Canaanites and Philistine practiced their cults in separate temples and shrines, they did not have separate rooms within

9797-517: Was made possible by the large investment of industrialist Israel Rogosin who opened his main Israeli factory in the city of Ashdod on August 9, 1960. Three of the high schools he funded were also built in Ashdod. The Main boulevard in Ashdod is named in his honour as a founder of the city. The first local council was appointed in October 1959. Dov Gur was appointed the first local council head on behalf of

9898-507: Was recorded as 19.7% under the age of 10, 15.7% from age 10 to 19, 14.9% from 20 to 29, 19.1% from 30 to 44, 19.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% were 65 or older. The population of Ashdod is significantly younger than the Israeli average because of the large number of young couples living in the city. The city is ranked medium-low in socio-economic grading, with a rating of 4 out of 10. 56.1% of 12th grade students in Ashdod were eligible for matriculation certificates in 2000. The average salary in 2000

9999-798: Was represented at the Council of Chalcedon by Heraclius of Azotus. A coastal fort " Minat al-Qal'a " (lit. "the port with the castle" in Arabic ) was erected by the Umayyad Caliph Abd al-Malik , the builder of the Dome of the Rock , at or near the former Azotus Paralios, which was later reconstructed by the Fatimids and Crusaders. The port city stops being mentioned during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods, making it likely that it

10100-457: Was reserved for further development. In 2012, a plan to build an industrial zone on part of the Ashdod Sand Dune was approved. The plan calls for a hi-tech industrial park, events halls, and coffee shops to be built adjacent to the train station. It will cover 400 dunams (0.4 km ; 0.2 sq mi), including 130 dunams of built-up space, with the rest of the area being preserved as

10201-517: Was the Biblical Azekah , which until then had been exclusively associated with Tell Zakariya . In 2015 a plan to build a neighborhood on the site was cancelled, to enable the archaeological dig to go forward. In 2017, Garfinkel claimed that Joseph Silver, the chief funder of the excavation, while walking around the exterior of the city wall in the SE part with Garfinkel and Ganor, identified features in

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