the cities of the philistines and palestine.
The Philistines and the Caphtorim descended from Casluhim, the son of Mizraim, who peopled Egypt; and their country is perhaps called the isle or country of Caphtor—(Jer. xlvii. 4.) Their territory was allotted to the Hebrews; but they neglecting to take possession of it, the Philistines were made a severe and lasting scourge to them.—(Josh. xiii. 2, 3; xv. 45—47; Judg. iii. 1—3.) The country lying along the Mediterranean coast, between Joppa and Gaza, was inhabited by the Philistines, and was hence called Palestina; but in Ex. xv. 14, and in Isa. xiv 29—31, it seems to denote the whole of Judea, as the word Palestine does in its modern acceptation.
Ashdod, a fortified city of the Philistines, lying in the lot of Judah, and called by the Greeks, and known in the New Testament, by the name of Azitus.—(Acts viii. 40.) It was situated on the Mediterranean, between Askelon and Ekron, 15 or 20 miles north of Gaza. Here was the temple of Dagon, in which the Philistines placed the ark. The city was more than once captured.—(2 Chron. xxvi. 6; Isa. xx. 1.)
Aphek. (1 Sam. iv. 1 — 11.) A city on the borders of Judah and Benjamin, east of Jerusalem, where the Israelites were defeated by the Philistines, and the ark taken from them. This place is supposed to be the same which is elsewhere called Aphekah.—(Josh. xv. 53.)
Askelon. (2 Sam. i. 20.) One of the "fenced cities" of the Philistines. It was situated on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean, 12 miles south of Gaza. It was a noble seaport, and was the birth-place of Herod the Great. After the death of Joshua, it fell into the hands of the tribe of Judah.—(Judg. i. 18.) At a short distance to the north is a small village called Scalona, evidently a corruption of the ancient name.
Ekron. (Josh, xv 45.) A city of the Philistines, lying north west of Gath and north of Ashdod, assigned by Joshua originally to the tribe of Judah, (Judg. i. 18,) but afterwards said to belong to the tribe of Dan.—(Josh. xix. 43.) Neither tribe seems to have been in actual possession of the place.—(Judg. i. 34, 35; 1 Sam.
