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Easton's Bible Dictionary
stronghold, A Philistine city ( Joshua
15:47 ), about midway between Gaza and Joppa, and 3 miles from the Mediterranean.
It was one of the chief seats of the worship of Dagon ( 1
Samuel 5:5 ). It belonged to the tribe of Judah ( Joshua
15:47 ), but it never came into their actual possession. It was an important
city, as it stood on the highroad from Egypt to Palestine, and hence was strongly
fortified ( 2
Chronicles 26:6 ; Isaiah
20:1 ). Uzziah took it, but fifty years after his death it was taken by the
Assyrians (B.C. 758). According to Sargon's record, it was captured by him in
B.C. 711. The only reference to it in the New Testament, where it is called Azotus,
is in the account of Philip's return from Gaza ( Acts
8:40 ). It is now called Eshdud.
Hitchcock's Dictionary of Bible Names
effusion; inclination; theft
Smith's Bible Dictionary
(a
stronghold)
( Acts
8:40 ) One of the five confederate cities of the Philistines situated about
30 miles from the southern frontier of Palestine, three from the Mediterranean
Sea, and nearly midway between Gaza and Joppa. It was assigned to the tribe of
Judah, ( Joshua
15:47 ) but was never subdued by the Israelites. Its chief importance arose
from its position on the high road from Palestine to Egypt. It is now an insignificant
village, with no memorials of its ancient importance, but is still called Esdud.
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
ash'-dod
('ashdodh; Azotos; modern Esdud):
One
of the five chief cities of the Philistines. The name means stronghold or fortress,
and its strength may be inferred by the fact that Psammetik I, of Egypt, besieged
it for many years (Herodotus says 29). Some of the Anakim were found there in
the days of Joshua (Joshua 11:22), and the inhabitants were too strong for the
Israelites at that time. It was among the towns assigned to Judah, but was not
occupied by her (Joshua 13:3 ; 15:46 , 47). It was still independent in the days
of Samuel, when, after the defeat of the Israelites, the ark was taken to the
house of Dagon in Ashdod (1 Samuel 5:1 , 2). We have no account of its being occupied
even by David, although he defeated the Philistines many times, and we have no
definite knowledge of its coming into the hands of Judah until the time of Uzziah
(2 Chronicles 26:6).
Ashdod, like the other Philistine towns, came under the authority of the Assyrian
monarchs, and we have mention of it in their records. It revolted against Sargon
in 711 BC, and deposed the Assyrian governor, Akhimiti, who had been appointed
by him in 720. Sargon at once dispatched a force to subdue the rebels and the
city was severely punished. This is referred to by Isaiah (Isaiah 20:1). Amos
had prophesied such a calamity some years before (Amos 1:8), and Jeremiah refers
to "the remnant of Ashdod" as though it had continued weak until his day (Jeremiah
25:20). Zephaniah (Zephaniah 2:4) refers to the desolation of Ashdod and Zechariah
to its degraded condition (Zechariah 9:6). It continued to be inhabited, however,
for we find the Jews intermarried with them after the return from Babylon (Nehemiah
13:23 , 24).
In the Maccabean period we are told that Judas and Jonathan both took it and purified
it of idolatry (1 Macc 5:68; 10:84). In these passages it is called Azotus, as
it is also in the New Testament (Acts 8:40). In the 4th century AD it became the
seat of a bishopric. It had been restored in the time of Herod, by the Roman general
Gabinius, and was presented to Salome, the sister of Herod, by the emperor Augustus.
It is now a small village about 18 miles Northeast of Gaza.
Tags:
ashdod, assyria, azotus, bible commentary, bible history, bible reference, bible study, confederate cities, define, esdud, eshdud, fortress,
philistine, stronghold
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