| Revision as of 00:41, 2 September 2006 view sourceRyulong (talk | contribs)218,132 editsm JS: Reverted vandalism by 89.1.34.242 to last version by Ryulong. Please do not compromise the integrity of pages.← Previous edit | Revision as of 00:43, 2 September 2006 view source 89.1.34.242 (talk)No edit summaryNext edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| fag | |||
| {{Infobox Israel muni | |||
| |name=Ashdod | |||
| |image=AshdodLogo.png | |||
| |imgsize=120 | |||
| |hebname=אשדוד | |||
| |arname= | |||
| |meaning= | |||
| |founded=1956 | |||
| |type=city | |||
| |typefrom=1968 | |||
| |stdHeb= | |||
| |altOffSp= | |||
| |altUnoSp= | |||
| |district=south | |||
| |population=196,900 | |||
| |popyear=2004 | |||
| |area=60,000 | |||
| |areakm=60 | |||
| |mayor=] | |||
| }} | |||
| '''Ashdod''' is a ] in the ] of ]. It is located in the south of the ]. Its jurisdiction is 60,000 ]s (60 km²). It was declared a city in 1968. According to the ] (CBS), Ashdod had a population of 196,900 at the end of 2004. The annual population growth rate is 2.6%. The ratio of women to men is 1,046 to 1,000. | |||
| ], ].]] | |||
| ] | |||
| ==History== | |||
| The beginning of the human settlement in the area of Ashdod is in the ]. During all three ]s there was much human activity, and it is even mentioned in ] documents. At the end of the ] the ] conquered the city and destroyed it. At the beginning of the ] the ] (who are generally thought to have been one of the Sea Peoples) took over Ashdod, and during the years the city prospered and apparently became their ] | |||
| In 950 BCE it was destroyed in the conquering journey of ]; it is uncertain whether the petty king Dagantakala of the ] resided in Ashdod, but the city was rehabilitated after 815BCE. A little afterwards it was conquered by ], who destroyed the city and exiled its residents. ''Asdûdu'' led the revolt of Philistines, Judeans, Edomites, and Moabites against Assyria after expelling the king Akhimeti, whom Sargon had installed instead of his brother ''Azuri''. ] (''Gimtu'') belonged to the kingdom of Ashdod at that time. | |||
| An Assyrian general subjected Ashdod in 711 (cf. Isaiah 20:6), and the usurper, ''Yawani'', fled. ''Mitinti'' was king in the time of ]; ''Akhimilki'' in the reign of ]. ] of Egypt is reported to have besieged the great city Azotus for twenty-nine years (Herodotus, ii. 157); the biblical references to ''the remnant of Ashdod'' (Jeremiah 25:20; cf Zephaniah 2:4) are interpreted as an allusion to this event. | |||
| The city absorbed another blow in 605 BCE, when ] conquered it. In 539 BCE the city had been rehabilitated by the Persians, but was conquered in the wars of ], when its name was changed into '''Izotus'''. | |||
| In the ] (at 4:1, 13:23, etc.), the ''Ashdodites'' seem still to represent the whole nation of the Philistines, so that 13:24, the ''speech of Ashdod'' (which the younger generation of the Jews are described as adopting), would simply be the general Philistine dialect. Winckler ("Gesch. Israels," p. 224) explains the use of that name by the fact that Ashdod was the nearest of the Philistine cities to Jerusalem; yet the simplest explanation seems to remain that Ashdod remained the leader among previously Philistine cities, even into Greek times. | |||
| The city prospered as Izotus under the Hellenist rule, until the ]. During the rebellion ] arrived at its gates, but didn't conquer it. He had left it behind for his brother ], who conquered it in 147 BCE and destroyed the ] of ]. According to Josephus (''Antiquities of the Jews'' 13:15, volume 4), Alexander Jannæus possessed it. Pompey restored its independence in that he reconstructed its walls, though it belonged to the dominion of Herod and Salome (''Antiquities...'' 17:18, volume 9), and Vespasian had to take it by force. | |||
| The statement of Ptolemy and Josephus that it was a maritime city, despite its standing 4 miles from the shore, is explained by the city having controlled a separate shore-edge harbour, which was called ''Azotus by the Sea'' (''Antiquities...'' 13:15, volume 4). This place has been compared with the ''Asdudimmu'' mentioned by Sargon, but the comparison is hardly justified. To the west of the wooded height on which the city stands, traces of the ancient harbourr—now known as ''Minet el-Ḳal'a—can'' still be seen. | |||
| The importance of the city continued until the seventh century, then Ashdod-Sea was established - Azotus Paraliyus - and the importance of Ashdod faded. The ] established shore fortresses in the area, and on Tel-Ashdod an Arabic village was established. | |||
| The location of the village on ] resulted in an increase in its importance during the ] age, when there was in the place a big village called Isdud, and in it a ]. In 1596 CE the population of Ashdod numbered 413 persons. In the beginning of the ] the ''city'' was known as ''Esdūd'' and was an insignificant village, its population numbering 5,000 persons, and its main industries being agriculture and trade. Ultimately the ''city'' became a municipal center for the villages around, and was renamed to Ashdod, and regained its national importance under Jewish dominion after the ]. | |||
| ===Uncorroborated claims by the Bible=== | |||
| <ref>{{JewishEncyclopedia}}</ref> | |||
| According to the bible, during the ] it became, along with all the kingdom of ] a patronage area of the ] under the control of ]. Judah's claim upon Ashdod mentioned in the ] (Joshua 15:46) is to be considered as merely theoretical, as Joshua 13:3 demonstrates. In the ] it is mentioned first (I Samuel 6:17) among the principal Philistine cities; and the Ark of the Lord is brought first to that place as a trophy (1 Samuel 5 and following passages). The capture of the city by King ] shortly after 815 BCE, mentioned within the text of the ] (2 Chronicles 26:6), is usually treated by modern critics as probably unhistorical. | |||
| ==Modern times== | |||
| ], ].]] | |||
| Immediately before the beginning of the ] Egyptian forces took over Isdud, and the city became the northern-most advancement point of the Egyptian forces. Battles were conducted in the area during the war. The city was surrounded during ], and the Egyptian Forces, fearing encirclement, retreated on ], ] and with them the decisive majority if not all of the city's residents. According to the historian ], about 300 residents had flown white flags, but they were expelled to ] almost immediately. | |||
| In 1953, a group of surveyors and designers was sent to the desolate dunes area near the estuary of Lakhish Stream, in order to choose a place to build a new ] in the south of the country (eventually "Eshkol A"). Its workers dwelled in the region settlements - ] and ]. | |||
| On ], ] then ], ], in the name of the governement, gave confirmation for the establishing of Ashdod city. "Ashdod Company Ltd." was established by the end of that year, a daughter-company of City-Builders Company Ltd. - by Oved Ben-Ami and Philipp Klotznik (USA). | |||
| In November 1956 - the first settlers arrived - 22 families of immigrants from ], and a bit later a group of immigrants from Egypt joined them. In July 1957 a concession was given to Ashdod Company Ltd. on an area of 40,000 dunam (40 km²), a distance of 32 km. as the crow flies from Tel Aviv, for the purpose of establishing Ashdod city. | |||
| The building of the Eshkol A power station in Ashdod was completed in 1958, and included 3 units: 2 units of 50 MW, and one unit of 45 MW (with the ability of sea water ]). | |||
| The first local council was appointed in October 1959. ] was appointed on behalf of the ] to the duty of the first ] head. The ] in the city was inaugurated in 1963, and in January 1965 - a contract between Ashdod Company and the General Health Maintenance Organization was signed regarding establishment of a ] with 500 beds on an area of 250 dunams (250,000 m²) - a hospital which has never been established. | |||
| The building of the ] began in April 1961. The port was inaugurated in November 1963, and was run for the first time in November 1965 with the coming of the ] ship "Wiengelgad". | |||
| The explosive growth of the city began in 1991, with the massive arrival of immigrants from the ] and infrastructure development. | |||
| == Economy == | |||
| Ashdod is an important industrial center. The ] is biggest in ], carrying about 60% of cargoes. Various shipping companies offices are also located in the port area. | |||
| Other important industries are Eshkol electrical power station, ] (one of two in the country) & ] terminal. | |||
| Elta - is a part of ]. The ]s, ] and ] are developed in Elta. | |||
| == Transportation == | |||
| For intercity transport, there is ] railroad station located on the ]/] - ] - ] line. | |||
| There is also a central bus station. The lines connecting the city with all main population centers in ] are served by ] and the ]. | |||
| Other transport options include a passenger pier in the ] and the ]. | |||
| {{Start Israel Railways box}} | |||
| {{Israel Railways line|term1=|previous=] Train Station|line=]/] - ] - ]/] Line|next=]Train Station|term2=]|term1=]}} | |||
| {{end box}} | |||
| == Income == | |||
| According to the details of the CBS as for December 2001, the city is ranked in medium-low socio-economocial grading (4 of 10). The percentage of eligibles to matriculatulation certificate of the pupils of the twelveth classes in 2000 was 56.1%. The average salary in 2000 was 4,821 shekels (national average: 6,835 shekels). | |||
| == Mayors == | |||
| * ] was chosen to the council chairmanship in the first municipal elections, in 1961. | |||
| * 1963 - ] | |||
| * 1969 - ] | |||
| * 1983 - ] | |||
| * 1989-2006 - ] | |||
| ] Dynasty]] | |||
| == Chassidic Rebbes == | |||
| The Tolna Rebbe, Pittsburgher Rebbe, Neshchiz, and Melitzer Rebbes reside in Ashdod. | |||
| == Culture and sports== | |||
| ] | |||
| * ] - ] represents the city in ]. | |||
| * ] - ] represents the city in the ]. | |||
| Ashdod ] ] is very famous among the listeners of this kind of music. | |||
| The night life is very diverse and expand through several clubs and bars at the industrial area to occasional parties at the beach side. A video follows it. | |||
| == Sister Cities == | |||
| {{listdev}} | |||
| <!-- section with alphabetical order --> | |||
| {| class="wikitable" | |||
| ! Country | |||
| ! City | |||
| |- | |||
| | {{country|flagcountry|France}} | |||
| | ] | |||
| |- | |||
| | {{country|flagcountry|Argentina}} | |||
| | ] | |||
| |} | |||
| ==Notes== | |||
| <references /> | |||
| == External links == | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Revision as of 00:43, 2 September 2006
fag