{"version":"1.0","type":"video","title":"Ashdod","description":"\"Ashdod was one of the five principal cities of the Philistines in Biblical history. In fact its ancient history by the Mediterranean Sea goes back to at least Canaanite times. \n\n(1 Sam 4-5) The Philistines and Israelites were continually battling with one another during the time of Joshua, the Judges and the early Kingdom. During the Battle of Ebenezer the Philistines defeated Israel and in the process captured the Ark of the Covenant that had been ill advisedly brought from the capital of Shiloh. The triumphant Philistines brought the Ark to Ashdod and placed it in the temple of their god Dagon. The next day when they came into the Temple Dagon had fallen before the Ark of the Covenant. They put him back in place but the following day they found the idol fallen before the Ark. This time his head and hands had been broken off. A plague of tumors broke out among the philistines who began to fear the God of Israels judgment on them. They moved the Ark from Ashdod to Gath and then to Ekron where plague broke out on the people until the Ark was returned to the Children of Israel.\n\nLater during the 1st century Roman era the city was called Azotus. As the early Church was being formed, the Apostle Phillip (Acts 8) was instructed by an angel to follow the road from Jerusalem to Gaza. Upon this road he met an Ethiopian eunuch and explained the Gospel to him baptizing him. Phillip was spirited away after this encounter and was next seen in Ashdod/Azotus where he preached the gospel and made his way north along the coast toward Caesarea.\n\nHistorical Ashdod is now a largely unexcavated archaeological site that contains the remains of Canaanite, Philistine, Israelite, Roman, Byzantine, Crusader and Arab signatures. Modern Ashdod sits 12 miles north of Ashkelon and 33 miles west of Jerusalem. It is Israels fifth largets city and is it’s largest port.\n\"","html":"","width":640,"height":360}