powered by FreeFind	Ashkelon 63 pictures     2.10 minutes HQ video Old Ashkelon is located on the old Sea Route (Derekh HaYam), connecting Egypt and Syria. For that reason, Ashkelon was a major trade center, both by sea and by land. Ashkelon An abundance of sweet water (about sixty wells in the territories of the national park), a moderate climate, and a yielding soil, made Ashkelon into a developed agricultural region. For all that, Ashkelon became a major town, and remained as such thousands of years. The geographer Mukadassi, wrote a description of Ashkelon in the year 985 B. C.: "Ashkelon is a major town located near the sea. Since 1985, an archeological team has been excavating in Ashkelon Barrow, headed by Lawrence Steiger of Harvard University. Ashkelon: History The source of the name "Ashkelon" is probably the word "shekel", referring to a weight unit, a perfectly fitting name for a port and trade city. Traces from the Neolithic Age indicate that the settling an Ashkelon began about ten thousand years ago. In the Middle Canaanite Age (1550-2000 B. C.), Ashkelon became a town by all means. It was 3609 feet long (1100m), and 1969 feet (600m) wide; its area was about six hundred acres. It was surrounded by a huge rampart, that may also be seen in present days. The Maranfatakh relieves of Karkakh, Egypt, show that during the late Canaanite Age (1200-1550 B. C.), Ashkelon was a fortified city, under Egyptian control. However, few traces have been discovered so far. Traces of fortifications from that time have not been discovered. During the First Israelite Period (1000-1200 B. C.), Ashkelon was one of the first Philistine cities. The town is mentioned in David's Lamentation, mourning the deaths of Saul and Jonathan: "…" (Samuel II, 1:20). Ashkelon is also related to the misdeeds of Samson, who beat 30 Philistines and took away their clothes in order to reward his wife's friends, who solved the riddle he asked them (Judges 14). During the Second Israelite period (586-1000 B. C.), a Philistine town still existed in Ashkelon. There are evidences in the Bible, as well as in other written sources that the town played a role in the struggle against the Assyrian Kingdom; Sedaka, the ruler of Ashkelon, joined Izikaiah King of Judah in his uprising in 701 B. C. King Sankahrieb, in turn, invaded Ashkelon and appointed a ruler replacing him. The Babylonian king Nebukhadnetzar (sp) came to Ashkelon in 604 B. C., exiled the Philistine king Agha, and destroyed the town. Traces discovered in Ashkelon Barrow confirm that Ashkelon was indeed a Philistine city, smaller than the former Canaanite city. During the Persian Period (332-586 B. C.), Ashkelon prospered as a trade center, sponsored by the port city Tyre (located in present day Lebanon). Traces of the excavations indicate that the Pheonicians settled in the city; a graveyard was discovered in the southwestern part of the national park, where there were about thousands of dog graves. It was a Phoenician custom, based on the belief that burying dogs may cure. During the Hellenistic Period (324-37 B. C.) Ashkelon became an independent town, and remained as such even during the Hashmonean rule, as the coins discovered in the excavations reflect. During Roman times (37 B. C. - 324 A. D.), Ashkelon was at the zenith of its prosperity, being a regional trade center. The city was 1100 meters long, and 600 meters wide (its area was about 600 acres). The city wall was built during the late Roman times on the ancient rampart (from the Middle Canaanite Age). The wall was still standing erect even at later times. Around the town were villages and farms, growing oats, dates, grapevines, and vegetables. A unique species of onion- scallion- is still bearing the name of Ashkelon in present days. During the Byzantine Period (324-638 A. D.) Ashkelon was a central wine trade center, which was marketed and exported to Europe by its port. A partial description of Ashkelon of Byzantine times may be found in Midbha's Map (a mosaic dated from the sixth century A. D., that was found in Midbha, Eastern Trans-Jordan), which shows part of the northeastern part of Asheklon- Jerusalem Gate, with two towers on its side, a lot, a public structure, and the intersection of the two main streets (vertically- Cardo Street; horizontally- Dacomanos Street). The Jewish Community in Ashkelon It is known that the Jewish community settled in Ashkelon a few decades before the Great Uprising against the Romans (66-71 A. D.). According to Flavius' writings, 2500 Jews were killed in Ashkelon during the Uprising. There is no clear idea as to when the Jewish settlement in Ashkelon was renewed. The traces indicate that during the Byzantine period, from the 4th -7th centuries A. D., the Jewish community existed in town. Among the traces that indicate a Jewish settlement in Ashkelon are two dedication inscriptions in a synagogue- one engraved in a stone column, and the other is engraved on a stone grate. Also, a stone grate from a synagogue was found, without inscription, but with a seven-branched candelabrum, a ram's horn (Shofar), and a palm frond (Lulav). Two additional inscriptions, apparently from the synagogue structure itself, are an inscription of the list of 24 Priest (Kohanim) posts, a base of a marble column, which was part of a synagogue dated from the fourth century A. D. The inscriptions on it are of a seven-branched candelabrum (Menorah), a ram's horn (Shofar), and a citron. None of these traces are seen in the national park area. The Muslims conquered Ashkelon in the seventh century A. D.. From the end of the 11th century on, Ashkelon was holding a special meaning for the Muslims, because of a memorial monument (a mashad), where, according to tradition, Hussein Ibn Ali's (Mohammad's son) was kept. Ibn Ali's grave is in Karabla Ashkelon Barrow During the Middle Canaanite Age, Ashkelon was a major port city, whose citizens were farmers and exported to Mediterranean countries products such as wine, olive oil, henna (dye in Arabic), sheep, and cattle. In front, the Canaanite town rampart may be seen. It is a huge earth mound, with a wall towering above it. That wall surrounded the settlement during the Middle Canaanite Age (1550-2000 B. C.). The rampart was about 2200m long, 15m tall. The Canaanite city gate, is the world's most ancient arched gate, which was built around 1850 B. C. (during the Middle Canaanite Age). Those coming to town, entered through that arched gate, which formed an arched passageway. The fortifications of Canaanite Asheklon included a rampart, a wall, a moat, and a gate. Another important trace, which may be quite difficult to find, is the Canaanite Temple of Ashkelon. A little temple was found out of the town's gate, on the path leading down to the shore. In the temple, a small sculpture of a calf was discovered. The figurine, 10.5cm tall, was found in an earthenware box, and it is made of bronze, covered with silver. The calf is a symbol representing the Baal, the Canaanite god, and apparently, the temple was where town residents worshiped him. Currently, the figurine is exhibited in Israel Museum of Jerusalem. A duplicate of it is exhibited in the Museum of Ashkelon. The ancient port of Ashkelon has not been discovered. The researchers believe that the Baal Temple was on the route leading to the port, which made it possible for those boarding boats, or those off the boats- back home- to pray, or thank their god for making their trip a safe, successful one. The Roman Basilica Traces of a column structure from Roman times (the third century A. D.) may be found in the center of the national park. That structure was the town's Basilica, a courtyard surrounded by rows of columns and wings on each side, whose floor and walls were made of marble. The Basilica is 110m long, 35m wide. It was the building where the public affairs of town were held; where the residents did their business, and met for social gatherings. That was also the place were shows were held, drilling exercises, and religious ceremonies. South of the Basilica There was a half-circular hall south of the Basilica, which had rows of seats, which was probably the place where the town council and the court (Bulletarion-sp.) assembled. The statues of the Basilica, which were discovered in the excavations, were marble statues which decorated the hall entrance, and are currently exhibited in the hall itself. Statue of Nica The Roman Goddess of Victory, winged, and holding a bouquet in her hand, is standing on the globe carried by Atlas. There is another statue of Nica, holding a palm branch. Statue of Isis An Egyptian goddess, appearing in this statue as Ticha, town's goddess of luck. She is wearing a crown and holding a priest of Sarpis, the Egyptian god. The Well of Antillia The well is located north of the Basilica (across the road). It is a device used for drawing water out of the well, operated by an animal- either a camel or a donkey. The animal is moving a vertical beam, with cog wheels attached to it. A crock, or a wooden box would be tied to the wheels, used for drawing the water out of the well. The passed through an eaves trough into a pool, and were then flowing in irrigation channels (from which no traces were found), to the fields. That well, and other ones were used by the farmers of the Arab village Jura (east of the national park), which was located there during the Ottoman Empire. This well has been partially preserved. Santa Maria Viridis Church The traces of Santa Maria Viridis Church may be seen beside the wall (on the eastern side of the national park). It was built during the Byzantine period, in the fifth century A. D. The church was occupied part of the Early Muslim Period (638-1099 A. D.), until it was destroyed by livid mob of Muslim and Jews in 938 A. D. Its ruins remained until it was rebuilt by the Crusaders after 1153 A. D. The church was built as a basilica, with six granite columns, used to support a balcony, and an inclined roof. The building was re-innovated during the Crusader period, so that it had four columns and an arched ceiling. Traces of mural paints were found on the wall, showing four saints, holding scriptures written in Greek. The Walls of Ashkelon Found on the eastern and the southern side of the national park. The wall of today used to be the wall of the Muslim Ashkelon. It was built by the Fatimian Muslims in the middle of the 12th. century A. D, as a fortified area due to the Crusader threat. The wall was built on a huge rampart, as was the wall of the Roman and Byzantian Ashkelon. Upon conquering the town, the Crusaders bolstered the wall, and even rebuilt parts of it, just as they did with the other buildings in town. They also built a castle on the southwestern part of town. There are four gates in the wall (which existed in the Byzantian wall as well), named according to their direction: Sea Gate, Ghaza Gate, Jerusalem Gate, and Jaffa Gate. The Shore and the Ancient Port The shore and the ancient port are in the southwestern side of the national park, under the Dolphin Parking Lot. Along the shore, there are segments of the Muslim city wall, (Fatimian), as well as the Crusader city wall. The latest research proves that the ancient port was not constructed. That is, the vessels were anchored a few meters away from the shore, using gravel shoals and underwater exposed rocks in for a stronger hold of the anchors. The goods and the sailormen reached the land in little boats sailing back and forth from sea to shore. However, in order to bring the vessels to land, for repairments and storage, lifting devices and portable sliding sourfaces were used. An Excavation Zone in the Middle of the Site Back to Israel Index