Ashkelon

Ashkelon is located 45 minutes drive from Tel – Aviv, an hour from Jerusalem. 45 minutes from Ben – Gurion international Airport and 1 1/2 hours from the Dead Sea.
Ashkelon is considered to be one of the world’s most ancient cities, a cradle of human civilization. Thanks to its special strategic position, on the shores of the Mediterranean, the city played a vital role as a true crossroads between Europe and Africa.

Ashkelon

Ashkelon

Ashkelon, whose name is derived from the root shekel, is first mentioned in the Egyptian “mearot writings” of the 19th century B.C.E.
Its name appears in the hieroglyphics on pottery shards, as “Askala.” During biblical times, Ashkelon was one of the five key Philistine cities along the coastal plain.

When King Shaul fell while fighting the Philistines, David said, “Thy beauty, O’ Israel upon thy high places is slain… Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.” (Samuel II 1:19-20). Ashkelon was also where the mighty Samson slew 30 Philistines and used their outfits to pay off the wager which he lost to their countrymen through their trickery. (Judges 14:19).

Ashkelon

Ashkelon

Modern Ashkelon was established in 1953 by the Jewish South African development company Afridar.

Ashkelon is the northern terminus for the Trans-Israel pipeline, which brings petroleum products from Eilat to an oil terminal at the port. The Ashkelon seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant is the largest in the world. The project was developed as a BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) by a consortium of three international companies: Veolia water, IDE Technologies and Elran. In March 2006, it was voted “Desalination Plant of the Year” in the Global Water Awards.

The ancient site of Ashkelon is now a national park on the city’s southern coast. The walls that encircled the city are still visible, as well as Canaanite earth ramparts. The park contains Byzantine, Crusader and Roman ruins. The largest dog cemetery in the ancient world was discovered in Ashkelon

Great Places to Visit:

  • The Outdoor Museum: Sunday-Friday 09:00-14:00. Afridar Quarter, near the Municipal Cultural Center.
  • Ashkelon Khan and Museum: Hatzmaut Square, Migdal

Great Ashkelon Links

Restaurants in Ashkelon

  • GIL YAHALOM: 101 HaNasi Blvd. Tel: 08-673-5175
  • Subway Sandwiches: Merkaz Nafti

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *