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Ashdod was one of the five major strongholds of the Philistine people. For reference, the five cities are Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron.
It is a city in northern Palestine, where the Anakim, a race of giants, lived during the time of Joshua.
Josh 11:21At that time Joshua went and destroyed the Anakim from the hill country, from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the hill country of Judah, and from all the hill country of Israel. Joshua utterly destroyed them with their cities.Josh 11:22No Anakim were left in the land of the people of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod did some remain.
Later, it was allotted to the tribe of Judah.
Josh 15:46from Ekron even to the sea, all that were by the side of Ashdod, with their villages.
In the time of Samuel, the Philistines captured the ark of God and brought it here, placing it in the temple of Dagon.
1 Sam 5:1When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.1 Sam 5:2Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it up beside Dagon.
After this, God caused a plague of tumors to spread here, and the people of Ashdod sent the ark of the covenant elsewhere.
1 Sam 5:7When the people of Ashdod saw how things were, they said, “The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is hard against us and against Dagon our god.”1 Sam 5:8So they sent and gathered all the lords of the Philistines to them and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?” They replied, “Let the ark of the God of Israel be moved to Gath.” So they moved the ark of the God of Israel there.