{
  "id": "dict_000409",
  "term": "Ashkelon",
  "slug": "ashkelon",
  "letter": "A",
  "entry_type": "biblical_place_name",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Ashkelon was a major Philistine city on the Mediterranean coast of Canaan, often mentioned in connection with Israel’s conflicts and prophetic judgments on the Philistines.",
  "simple_one_line": "A major Philistine coastal city mentioned in Scripture in relation to conflict and judgment.",
  "tooltip_text": "A key Philistine city on the Mediterranean coast, important in Israel’s history and the prophets’ oracles against Philistia.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Philistines",
    "Philistia",
    "Gaza",
    "Ashdod",
    "Ekron",
    "Gath"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Canaan",
    "Joshua",
    "Judges",
    "Samuel",
    "Prophecy",
    "Divine Judgment"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Ashkelon was one of the principal cities of the Philistines, located on the Mediterranean coast. In the Old Testament it appears in historical notices, battle scenes, and prophetic judgments, where it represents Philistine power and the Lord’s rule over the nations.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "A major Philistine city on the Mediterranean coast, named in both historical and prophetic passages.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "A Philistine stronghold on the coast",
    "Appears in Israel’s military and settlement history",
    "Included in prophetic judgments against Philistia",
    "Primarily a place-name, not a theological concept"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Ashkelon was one of the major Philistine cities in the Old Testament. It appears in historical and prophetic texts as an important coastal city associated with Philistine power and later divine judgment.",
  "description_academic_full": "Ashkelon was an important Philistine city located on the Mediterranean coast southwest of Israel. In the Old Testament it is associated with the Philistines, Israel’s recurring enemies during parts of the period of the judges and monarchy, and it appears in both historical references and prophetic announcements of judgment. Scripture uses Ashkelon mainly as a geographic and historical place-name, though its inclusion in prophetic texts also reflects the broader biblical theme that the Lord rules over the nations and judges those who oppose His purposes. Because the term is chiefly a place-name rather than a theological concept, dictionary treatment should remain restrained and text-based.",
  "background_biblical_context": "Ashkelon is named among the Philistine cities in Israel’s conquest-era territorial listings and appears in narratives and songs connected to Philistine conflict. The prophets also mention it as part of oracles against the Philistines, highlighting the city’s standing as a representative Philistine center.",
  "background_historical_context": "Ashkelon was a significant fortified city on the southern Levantine coast with access to trade and seaborne contact. Its location made it strategically important in ancient regional power struggles, especially between coastal peoples and inland Israel.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "In the broader ancient Near Eastern setting, Ashkelon belonged to the Philistine coastal city network. For Israel, such cities symbolized foreign pressure, military threat, and the realities of living among hostile nations while still under God’s sovereign rule.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Joshua 13:3",
    "Judges 1:18",
    "1 Samuel 6:17",
    "2 Samuel 1:20",
    "Jeremiah 25:20",
    "Amos 1:8",
    "Zephaniah 2:4"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "Joshua 19:41",
    "1 Samuel 17:11",
    "1 Kings 2:39",
    "Jeremiah 47:5, 7"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "Hebrew אַשְׁקְלוֹן (Ashqelon), a place-name rendered in Greek as Ἀσκαλών (Askalōn).",
  "theological_significance": "Ashkelon’s theological significance is indirect but real: the city appears in passages that show God’s sovereignty over the nations and His justice in judging Philistine arrogance and violence. It also serves as a reminder that biblical history is not only about Israel but about the Lord’s dealings with surrounding peoples.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a biblical place-name, Ashkelon illustrates how Scripture grounds theological claims in real geography and history. The city is not itself a doctrine, but its mentions help locate God’s covenant dealings within the concrete world of nations, conflict, and judgment.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not treat Ashkelon as a symbol with hidden meanings beyond the text. Its significance comes from its historical role in Israel–Philistine relations and from the prophetic use of the city as part of God’s judgment on Philistia.",
  "major_views_note": "No major interpretive dispute attaches to the identity of Ashkelon as a Philistine coastal city, though scholars may differ on some details of its archaeology and exact historical development.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Ashkelon is a geographic and historical term, not a doctrine and not a theological abstraction. It should not be used to build speculative symbolism or doctrinal claims beyond the plain sense of the passages in which it appears.",
  "practical_significance": "Ashkelon reminds readers that Scripture speaks into real history and places. It also reinforces the biblical theme that God is sovereign over nations, cities, and conflicts, not only over Israel.",
  "meta_description": "Ashkelon was a major Philistine coastal city mentioned in the Old Testament in connection with Israel’s conflicts and God’s judgments on the Philistines.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/ashkelon/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/ashkelon.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}