Ashdod

Ashdod ( Hebrew אַשְׁדּוֹד , Standard Hebrew Ašdod; , Tiberian Hebrew ʾAšdôḏ , Arabic إسدود ʾIsdūd ) is a port city in Israel located halfway between Tel Aviv and Gaza , in the Southern District of Israel . The ancient Greeks called it Azotos (in Latin, Azotus) after Alexander's conquest. However, the Azotos in Herodotus ' Histories is Gaza (Gaza was called `Azoh or `Azot or sometimes perhaps `Azzat in ancient Hebrew and Egyptian records). The modern city of Ashdod, established near the ruins of the Palestinian village of Isdud and the Philistine city in 1956 , lies in a plain on an important road and rail axis and is located a short distance from Tel Aviv (35 Km), from Jerusalem and Be'er Sheva (70 Km). It sports the largest and most commercially-active seaport in Israel, after Haifa , and is a focal point of both national and international shipping. A significant engineering achievement, Ashdod Port is one of the few deep-water ports built on the open sea. The port currently handles about 15 million tons of cargo per year. In the city jurisdiction there are over 60,000 dunams (60 km²) and land reserves for a total area of 74,000 dunams (74 km²). Ashdod's master plan divides the city into 17 residential quarters. Most of the city inhabitants find their livelihood in the city and enjoy high standard municipal services. The mild climate and geographic location turn the city into one of the attractive cities in Israel, to the degree that many of the newcomers and citizens of various settlements request to make Ashdod their home. The population growth rate in Ashdod is the highest in Israel. The city which started with 22 families of newcomers currently has 196,000 inhabitants. Approximately 38% of its residents are newcomers from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Ethiopia , France , Latin America and other countries, who have settled in the city during the 1990s . In the last ten years, the city has developed and became the fifth largest city in Israel. With a growth rate of about 9,000 inhabitants per year, the city may number about 225,000 residents in 2005 .

Israel municipality Ashdod ( (audio) ; , إسدود Isdud ), is the fifth-largest city in Israel , located in the Southern District of the country, on the Mediterranean coast , with a population of 210,000. Ashdod is an important regional industrial centre. The Port of Ashdod is Israel's largest port accounting for 60% of the country's imported goods. The first documented settlement in Ashdod dates to the Canaanite culture of 17th century BC , making the city one of the oldest in the world. Ashdod is mentioned thirteen times in the Bible. During its history the city was settled by Philistines , Israelites , Byzantines , Crusaders and Arabs . Modern Ashdod was established in 1956 on the sand hills near the site of the ancient town, and incorporated as a city in 1968, with a land-area of approximately to sq mi . Being a planned city, expansion followed a main development plan , which facilitated traffic and prevented air pollution in the residential areas, despite population growth. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , Ashdod had a population of 209,200 at the end of 2008, the fifth largest city in Israel and had an area of 47,242 dunams (47.242 km ; 18.240 sq mi). Ashdod - Seven levels of excavations (in Hebrew). Events calendar in Israel and Ashdod (in Hebrew). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics . Israel Central Bureau of Statistics . 2009-09-30 .

Israel municipality Ashdod from above Ashdod ( ; ) is the sixth-largest city and the largest port in Israel accounting for 60% of the country's imported goods. Ashdod is located in the Southern District of the country, on the Mediterranean coast where it is situated between Tel Aviv to the north 32 kilometres (20 miles) away, and Ashkelon to the south 20 km (12 mi) away. Jerusalem is 53 km (33 mi) to the east. The city is also an important regional industrial center. Modern Ashdod covers the territory of two ancient twin towns, one inland and one on the coast , which were for most of their history two separate entities, connected by close ties with each other. This article deals with these historic towns, including other ancient nearby sites, and modern Ashdod. The first documented urban settlement at Ashdod dates to the Canaanite culture of the 17th century BCE. Ashdod is mentioned 13 times in the Bible. During its pre-1956 history the city was settled by Philistines , Israelites , Greek colonists coming in the wake of Alexander 's conquests, Romans and Byzantines , Arabs , Crusaders , and Ottoman Turks . Modern Ashdod was established in 1956 on the sand hills near the site of the ancient town, and incorporated as a city in 1968, with a land-area of approximately 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi). Being a planned city , expansion followed a main development plan , which facilitated traffic and prevented air pollution in the residential areas, despite population growth. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , Ashdod had a population of 228,562 in 2024, with an area of 47,242 dunams (47.242 km ; 18.240 sq mi). Ashdod today is home to the largest Moroccan Jewish community in Israel, the largest Karaite Jewish community in Israel, and the largest Georgian Jewish community in the world. Ashdod – Seven levels of excavations (in Hebrew). Events calendar in Israel and Ashdod (in Hebrew). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics .

City in Israel Ashdod ( , ; , , or ; Philistine : 𐤀𐤔𐤃𐤃 ‎, romanized: * ʾašdūd ) is the sixth-largest city in Israel . Located in the country's Southern District , it lies on the Mediterranean coast 32 kilometres (20 miles) south of Tel Aviv and 20 km (12 mi) north of Ashkelon . The city was named after the historical town of Ashdod , located c.6 km southeast, which dates originally to the 17th century BCE as one of the five Philistine city-states . The ruins of Ashdod-Yam also lie on the coast to the southwest of the city center and adjacent to the city's expanding suburbs. Modern Ashdod was established in 1956 on the sand hills 6km northwest of the historical Ashdod, then known as Isdud , a Palestinian town which had been depopulated in 1948. It was incorporated as a city in 1968, with a land-area of approximately 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi). Being a planned city , expansion followed a main development plan , which facilitated traffic and prevented air pollution in the residential areas, despite population growth. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , Ashdod had a population of 228,562 in 2024, with an area of 47,242 dunams (47.242 km ; 18.240 sq mi). Ashdod is today a major Israeli city, and contains the largest port in Israel accounting for 60% of the country's imported goods. Ashdod today is home to the largest Moroccan and Karaite Jewish communities in Israel, and to the largest Georgian Jewish community in the world. It is also an important regional industrial center. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics . Israel and the Palestinian Territories: The Rough Guide . Four kilometres out of town and just west of Route 4, Tel Ashdod was the centre of the village of Isdud - ancient Ashdod - and site of the Philistine port. Get off the bus if you like old mounds, derelict Palestinian homes... Ancient tel, 7 km S. of modern Ashdod within abandoned Arab village of Isdud ...

City in Israel Ashdod ( Hebrew : אשדוד , romanized : ʾašdōḏ , pronounced [ʔaʃˈdod] ; Arabic : أسدود , romanized : ʾasdūd , pronounced [ʔasˈduːd] , or إسدود , ʾisdūd [ʔɪsˈduːd] ; Philistine : 𐤀𐤔𐤃𐤃 ‎, romanized: * ʾašdūd ) is the sixth-largest city in Israel . Located in the country's Southern District , it lies on the Mediterranean coast 32 kilometres (20 miles) south of Tel Aviv and 20 km (12 mi) north of Ashkelon . Ashdod's port is the largest in Israel, handling 60% of the country's imported goods. Modern Ashdod was established in 1956 on the sand hills 6 kilometers northwest of the ancient city of Ashdod , known in modern times by its Arabic name Isdud . Isdud had been depopulated during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War , having had a history spanning approximately 3,700 years. In ancient times, ancient Ashdod developed as an active maritime trade center, with its ports identified at Ashdod-Yam and Tel Mor. In biblical times , it was one of the five principal cities of the Philistines . Ashdod has absorbed extensive Jewish immigration from around the world, resulting in one of the highest percentages of new immigrants in Israel. The city is home to the largest Moroccan and Karaite Jewish communities in Israel, and to the largest Georgian Jewish community in the world. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , Ashdod had a population of 228,562 in 2024, with an area of 47,242 dunams (47.242 km ; 18.240 sq mi). Ashdod was incorporated as a city in 1968, with a land-area of approximately 60 square kilometres (23 sq mi). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics . Ancient tel, 7 km S. of modern Ashdod within abandoned Arab village of Isdud ...