Ashkelon

A tour of the archaeological remains found in Ashkelon indicates the many peoples that in turn controlled this ancient city. Archaeological finds have included hieroglyphic writings, columns of ancient synagogues, and a statue of the Greek goddess of victory standing on a globe of the world supported by Atlas. These artifacts represent only some of the periods of Ashkelon's interesting history; it has also been under Babylonian, Crusader, Muslim and Ottoman control.

The city, then known as Asqana, is first mentioned in writings from the 20th-19th centuries b.c.e., 4000 years ago. Though the city was loyal to Egypt at that time, it is recorded that Abdihiba, the ruler of Jerusalem, complained to Pharaoh that the people of Ashkelon helped the Habiru, Egypt's enemy. It was in the 13th-century b.c.e. that an open rebellion occurred against Ramses II, and in the 12th-century b.c.e. that the Philistines took the city from the Egyptians.

There are several references in the Bible relating to Ashkelon in this period. In the Book of Judges it is mentioned that the Judeans took the city, and Ashkelon is mentioned as well in connection with the story of Samson. The Assyrians then followed, only to have the Egyptians regain control. After that Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian troops subdued the city. A letter in Aramaic from this period has been found; in it Adon, probably the king of Ashkelon, pleads for help, stating that the Babylonian king has reached Aphek.

The Persians who became masters of the city in the 4th-century b.c.e. were ousted by the Greeks. During the Roman period Ashkelon was considered a "free and allied city," and in the Jewish Wars (66 c.e.) the people of Ashkelon fought and defeated the Jews. In the talmudic period which followed, Jews lived in Ashkelon, as the remains of a synagogue of that period show. Talmudic sources also mention Ashkelon's orchards and a fair held there. In the Byzantine period the city was a center of paganism, whose population worshipped a fish-goddess, Derceto, whose image was a mermaid.

In the Crusader period Ashkelon was a refuge for Jews escaping from Jerusalem, and the Jewish community ransomed captives and bought ritual objects from the looted synagogues in Jerusalem. The great Jewish traveler of the 12th century, Benjamin of Tudela, described it as a "large and beautiful city." When the Muslims replaced the Christians in the 12th century the Jews moved to Jerusalem. Modern Ashkelon is located two miles northeast of the ancient ruins. During the War of Independence the Israeli army gained control of the area and shortly thereafter a Jewish development town known as Migdal-Ashkelon was founded. In 1955 Ashkelon was given city status. The city has excellent beaches, and tourism and recreation are a main source of income for its 73,000 residents. The area of ancient Ashkelon, including the archaeological finds, has been converted into a national park.

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