Ashdod
Ashdod MonArt Arts Centre.
Coat of arms of Ashdod
Hebrew	אַשְׁדּוֹד
Founded in	1956
Government	City (from 1968)
District	South
Population	204,200 (2006)
Jurisdiction	47,242[1] dunams (47. The following list of Israeli cities is based on the current index of the There are six main administrative districts of Israel, known in Hebrew as mehozot (מחוזות singular mahoz) and fifteen The South District (מחוז הדרום Mehoz HaDarom) is one of Israel 's six administrative districts, and is the largest in terms of land area as well A dunam or dönüm, dunum, donum is a unit of Area used in the Ottoman Empire and still used in various standardized versions 2 km²)
Mayor	Zvi Zilker

Ashdod (Hebrew: אַשְׁדּוֹד‎; Arabic: إسدود‎, Isdud), located in the South District of Israel, on the Mediterranean Sea coast, is a city of over 200,000 people located approximately 70 kilometers (43 mi) from Jerusalem and Beer Sheba. Eng' Zvi Zilker (צבי צילקר Tzvi Tzilker, born 1933) is current mayor of the city of Ashdod in Israel. Arabic (ar الْعَرَبيّة (informally ar عَرَبيْ) in terms of the number of speakers is the largest living member of the Semitic language The South District (מחוז הדרום Mehoz HaDarom) is one of Israel 's six administrative districts, and is the largest in terms of land area as well For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. The Israeli Coastal Plain (מישור החוף Mishor HaHof) is the narrow Coastal plain along Israel's Mediterranean Sea coast which houses 70% of Jerusalem (יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, he-Latn Yerushaláyim; Arabic: ar القُدس, ar-Latn al-Quds) is the Beersheba (בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע Be'er Sheva, بئر السبع, Birüssebi is the largest City in the Negev desert of southern Ashdod is an important regional industrial center. The Port of Ashdod is Israel's largest port accounting for sixty percent of the country's imported goods. The Port of Ashdod is Israel 's main cargo Port, processing approximately 60% of Israeli marine cargo.

The first documented settlement in Ashdod dates to the Canaanite culture of 17th century BC,^[2] making the city one of the most ancient in the world. Canaanites redirects here For the 1940s social and political movement in Israel, see Canaanites (movement. Ashdod is mentioned thirteen times in the Bible. During the history the city was settled by Philistines, Israelites, Byzantines, Crusaders and Arabs. The Philistines ( Hebrew פלשתים plishtim) (see "other uses" below were a people who inhabited the southern coast of Canaan, See also History of ancient Israel and Judah According to the Bible, the Israelites were the dominant group living in the Land of Israel. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding ^[3]

Modern Ashdod was established in 1956 on the sand hills near the archeological site, and incorporated as a city in 1968, with a land-area of approximately 60 square kilometers (23. 2 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. The development plan is an aspect of Town and country planning in the Sri Lanka comprising a set of documents which set out the Local Authorities policies Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of Chemicals Particulate matter, or Biological materials that cause harm or discomfort According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, Ashdod had a population of 204,200 at the end of 2006, the fifth largest city in Israel. The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (הלשכה המרכזית לסטטיסטיקה HaLishka HaMerkazit LeStatistika) abbreviated CBS, is an Israeli ^[4]

History

Ancient settlement

Ashdod in the early 19th century.

Human settlement in Ashdod dates from the Paleolithic Age. The term Paleolithic (or Palaeolithic) (from Greek παλαιός palaios, " Old " and λίθος Lithos, "stone" ^[2] Ashdod is mentioned in Ugaritic documents, the language of the ancient Canaanites. The Ugaritic language, discovered by French archaeologists in 1928 is known only in the form of writings found in the lost city of Ugarit, near the modern Canaanites redirects here For the 1940s social and political movement in Israel, see Canaanites (movement. At the end of the 13th century BCE the Sea Peoples conquered and destroyed the city. The Sea Peoples is the term used for a confederacy of seafaring raiders of the second millennium BC who sailed into the eastern shores of the Mediterranean, caused political By the beginning of the 12th century BCE the Philistines, generally thought to have been one of the Sea Peoples, ruled the city. The Philistines ( Hebrew פלשתים plishtim) (see "other uses" below were a people who inhabited the southern coast of Canaan, During their reign, the city prospered and was a member of union of five Philistine city states. ^[5]

In 950 BCE Ashdod was destroyed during Pharaoh Siamun's conquest of the region. Neterkheperre or Netjerkheperre-setepenamun Siamun was the sixth Pharaoh of Egypt during the Twenty-first dynasty. The city was not rebuilt until at least 815 BCE. Around 715 BCE, it was conquered by Sargon II,^[6] who destroyed the city and exiled its residents. Sargon II ( Akkadian Šarru-kinu "legitimate king" reigned 722 – 705 BC was an Assyrian king Jewish inhabitants of Ashdod were resettled in Media after their failed uprising attempt against Assyrian dominance. The Medes were an ancient Iranian people who lived in the northwestern portions of present-day Iran. The records indicate that 27,290 Jews were forced to settle in Ecbatana (Hamadan) and Susa in South West Persia. Hamedān or Hamadān ( Persian: همدان, Old Persian: Hagmatana Hebrew: המזיין Ancient Greek: Ecbatana) Susa ( Biblical שושן ( Shushan) also Greek: Σοῦσα Transliterated as Sousa; Latin Susa) The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia ^[7] Asdûdu led the revolt of Philistines, Judeans, Edomites, and Moabites against Assyria after expulsion of king Akhimeti, whom Sargon had installed instead of his brother Azuri. Gath (Gimtu) belonged to the kingdom of Ashdod at that time. Gat or Gath (גת Winepress) was a common place name in ancient Israel and the surrounding regions ^[8]

An Assyrian general Tartan gained control of Ashdod in 711,^[9][10] and forced the "usurper" Yamani to flee. Early history The most Neolithic site in Assyria is at Tell Hassuna, the center of the Hassuna culture Mitinti was king at the time of Sennacherib, and Akhimilki in the reign of Esarhaddon. Sennacherib ( Akkadian Sîn-ahhe-eriba "(moon god Sîn has replaced (lost brothers for me" was the son of Sargon II, whom he Esarhaddon (Greek and Biblical form Akkadian Aššur-ahhe-iddina " Ashur has given a brother to me" was a king of Assyria who reigned Psammetichus 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 Nebuchadnezzar conquered it. ^[3] In 539 BCE the city was rebuilt by the Persians, but was conquered in the wars of Alexander of Macedon. Alexander of Macedon may refer to Alexander I of Macedon (d 454 BC ruled from 498-454 BC Alexander II of Macedon (d (Nehemiah 13:23)

According to the Book of Nehemiah, the Ashdodites seem to represent the whole nation of the Philistines in the sixth century BCE,^[11] the speech of Ashdod (which the younger generation of the Jews are described as adopting) would simply be the general Philistine dialect. The Book of Nehemiah is a book of the Hebrew Bible, historically regarded as a continuation of the Book of Ezra, and is sometimes called the second book Hugo Winckler explains the use of that name by the fact that Ashdod was the nearest of the Philistine cities to Jerusalem. Hugo Winckler ( July 4, 1863, Gräfenhainchen, Saxony &mdash April 19, 1913, Berlin) was a German ^[12]

The city prospered as Izotus under the Hellenistic rule, until the Hasmonean Revolt. This article focuses on the cultural aspects of the Hellenistic age for the historical aspects see Hellenistic period. The Maccabean Revolt was a Jewish revolt against Seleucidic and Syrian rulers taking place in the second century before Christ During the rebellion Judas Maccabeus arrived at its gates, but did not conquer it. Judas Maccabeus (or Judah Maccabee, also spelled Machabeus or Maccabaeus Hebrew: יהודה המכבי, Yehudah HaMakabi, Judah the Hammer He left it for his brother Jonathan, who conquered it in 147 BCE and destroyed the Temple of Dagon. Jonathan Maccabaeus was leader of the Hasmonean Dynasty of Judea from 161 to 143 BCE A temple (from the Latin word Templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities such as prayer and sacrifice or analogous rites Dagon was a major northwest Semitic god reportedly of grain and agriculture ^[13] According to Josephus (Antiquities of the Jews 13:15, volume 4), Alexander Jannæus possessed it. Josephus (AD 37 – c 100 also known as Yosef Ben Matityahu (Joseph son of Matthias and after he became a Roman citizen, as Titus Flavius Josephus Antiquities of the Jews ( Antiquitates Judaicae in Latin) was a work published by the important Jewish historian Flavius Josephus about the Alexander Jannaeus (also known as Alexander Jannai/Yannai) king of Judea from (103 BCE to 76 BCE son of John Hyrcanus, inherited the throne from his Pompey restored its independence by reconstructing its city walls, though it belonged to the dominion of Herod and Salome (Antiquities. Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, commonly known as Pompey /'pɑmpi/ Pompey the Great or Pompey the Triumvir ( Classical Latin abbreviation See also List of cities with defensive walls A defensive wall is a Fortification used to defend a city or settlement from potential aggressors Herod (הוֹרְדוֹס Horodos, Greek: Herōdes) also known as Herod I or Herod the Great (73 BC – 4 BC in Jericho SALOME (pronounced in English using the French sah-loh-may is the Open Source Integration Platform for Numerical Simulation . . 17:18, volume 9), and Vespasian had to later take it by force. Titus Flavius Vespasianus, commonly known as Vespasian ( November 17 9 &ndash June 23 79) was a Roman Emperor who

Ashdod-Sea Fortress, Israel. Ashdod-Yam is an Iron Age archaeological site on the Mediterranean coast of Israel in southern part of the modern city of Ashdod and about Gate

Despite its location four miles (6 km) from the coast, both Ptolemy and Josephus described it as a maritime city. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( Greek: Klaúdios Ptolemaîos; after 83 &ndash ca This curious description may refer to Ashdod's control of a separate shore-edge harbor, called Azotus Paraliyus,^[14] or Ashdod-Sea (Antiquities. Ashdod-Yam is an Iron Age archaeological site on the Mediterranean coast of Israel in southern part of the modern city of Ashdod and about . . 13:15, volume 4). The city's prominence continued until the seventh century, when a citadel was built in Azotus Paraliyus as a stronghold against the Byzantine navy. Kal'at Al Mina is Fatimid Citadel in Ashdod-Sea site on the southern coast of modern city of Ashdod. The Byzantine navy comprised the naval forces of the Byzantine Empire. To the west of the wooded height on which the city stands, traces of the ancient harbor—now known as Minet el-Ḳal'a—can still be seen.

The Fatimids established a shore fortress and a village on the Tell of Ashdod. Tell, tel or tall (تلّ tall, and תֵּל tel) meaning "hill" or "mound" is a type of archaeological The location of the village on Via Maris enhanced the city's importance during the Ottoman rule. Via Maris is the modern name for an ancient Trade route, dating from the early Bronze Age, linking Egypt with the northern empires of Syria, The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish In 1596 CE, the population of Ashdod numbered about 413. ^[15] At the beginning of the twentieth century the village was known as Esdūd, with a population of about five thousand, specializing in agriculture and trade. ^[16]

Biblical references

Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665), French. The Plague of Ashdod, 1630. Oil on canvas, 148 x 198 cm. Musée du Louvre, Paris, France, Giraudon/Bridgeman Art Library.

According to the Bible, during the 10th century BCE Ashdod became, along with all the kingdom of Philistia a patronage area of the Kingdom of Israel under the control of King David. The Philistines ( Hebrew פלשתים plishtim) (see "other uses" below were a people who inhabited the southern coast of Canaan, The Kingdom of Israel ( ( KJV Israel in Samaria) was one of the successor states to the older United Monarchy (also often called the 'Kingdom of Israel' David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible Judah's claim upon Ashdod is mentioned in the Book of Joshua (Joshua 15:46). The Book of Joshua ( Hebrew: Sefer Y'hoshua ספר יהושע is the sixth book in both the Hebrew Tanakh and the Old Testament of the Christian

In the Book of Samuel Ashdod is mentioned (I Samuel 6:17) among the principal Philistine cities. The Books of Samuel ( Hebrew: Sefer Sh'muel ספר שמואל are part of the Tanakh (part of Judaism 's Hebrew Bible) and also of After capturing the Ark of the covenant from the Israelites, the Philistines took it to Ashdod, where it was placed in the temple of Dagon. The Philistine captivity of the Ark was an episode in the history of the Israelites in which the Ark of the covenant was in the possession of the Philistines The Ark of the Covenant (אָרוֹן הָבְרִית ʔārōn hāb’rīθ, Modern aron habrit) is described in the Bible as a sacred container wherein Dagon was a major northwest Semitic god reportedly of grain and agriculture The next morning Dagon was found prostrate, bowed down, before it; on being restored to his place, he was on the following morning again found prostrate and broken. The people of Ashdod were smitten with boils; a plague of mice was sent over the land (1 Samuel 6:5). ^[17]

In the Book of Isaiah an Assyrian general named Tartan, sent by Sargon, gained control of Ashdod in 711. The Book of Isaiah ( Hebrew: Sefer Y'sha'yah ספר ישעיה is a book of the Bible traditionally attributed to the Prophet Isaiah, who lived Early history The most Neolithic site in Assyria is at Tell Hassuna, the center of the Hassuna culture (Isaiah 20:1)

The capture of the city by King Uzziah shortly after 815 BCE is mentioned within the text of the Book of Chronicles (2 Chronicles 26:6) and in the Book of Zechariah (Zechariah 9:6), speaking of the false Jews. Uzziah of Judah (עֻזִּיָּהוּ also known as Azariah, was the king of the ancient Kingdom of Judah, and one of Amaziah 's sons whom the people The Books of Chronicles ( Hebrew Divrei Hayyamim, דברי הימים Greek Paraleipomêna) are part of the Hebrew Bible (Jewish The Book of Zechariah is a book of the Bible Old Testament and Jewish Tanakh attributed to the Prophet Zechariah.

The Book of Acts refers to Azotus (the Hellenistic name of Ashdod) as the place to which Philip the evangelist walked after the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:40). The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament.

Modern times

Ashdod in 1957.

View of Begin blvd. (מְנַחֵם בְּגִין Mieczysław Biegun Менахем Вольфович Бегин 16 August 1913 – 9 March 1992 was the sixth prime minister of the State of Israel

Beach in Ashdod

Neighborhood 15. Mediterranean style buildings.

During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the Egyptian Army took over Isdud on May 29, 1948, and the town became the northern-most advancement point of the Egyptian forces. The Egyptian Army is the largest service branch within the Egyptian military establishment. Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian defeats the Sassanid army in the Battle of Ctesiphon, under the walls of the Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Egyptian and Israeli forces clashed in the surrounding area, with the Egyptians being unable to hold the Ad Halom bridge over the Lachish River. Ad Halom (עד הלום is an area around the eastern entrance to the city of Ashdod, Israel. Israeli forces surrounded the town during Operation Yoav, and shelled and bombed it from the air. Operation Yoav (also called Operation Ten Plagues or Operation Yo'av) was an Israeli military operation carried out from 15 October - 22 ^[18] Fearing encirclement, Egyptian forces retreated on October 28, 1948 with a majority of the town's residents. Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[19]

In 1953, surveyors and designers arrived at the desolate dunes near the mouth of Lachish River to choose a site to build a new power station in the south of the country (eventually "Eshkol A"). A power station (also referred to as generating station, power plant or powerhouse) is an industrial facility for the generation of The Eshkol Power Station is a Power station supplying electrical power to the Shephelah region in Israel. Its workers lived in the regional settlements Rehovot and Gedera. Gedera, or Gdera (גְּדֵרָה is a town ( local council) in the Center District of Israel.

On May 1, 1956, then finance minister Levi Eshkol approved the establishment of the city of Ashdod. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Finance Ministers of Israel, 1948-present 1948 - 1952 Eliezer Kaplan 1952 - 1963 Levi Eshkol (לֵוִי אֶשְׁכּוֹל born Levi Školnik (לֵוִי שׁקוֹלנִיק on 25 October 1895, died 26 February 1969) "Ashdod Company Ltd. ", a daughter company of City-Builders Company Ltd. , was created for that purpose by Oved Ben-Ami and Philipp Klotznik. The first settlers, twenty-two families of immigrants from Morocco arrived in November 1956,^[20] and a group of immigrants from Egypt joined them. Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community Before the founding of Israel in 1948, there were about 250000 Jews in the country but fewer Egyptian Jews constitute perhaps the oldest Jewish community outside Israel in the world In July 1957, the government granted a 24 square kilometers concession, approximately 32 kilometers from Tel Aviv, to the Ashdod Company Ltd. , for building the modern city of Ashdod. ^[20]

The building of the Eshkol A power station in Ashdod was completed in 1958 and included 3 units: 2 units of 50 megawatt, and one unit of 45 megawatt (with sea water desalination capabilities). The Eshkol Power Station is a Power station supplying electrical power to the Shephelah region in Israel. Desalination, desalinization, or desalinisation refers to any of several processes that remove excess salt and other Minerals from Water

The first local council was appointed in October 1959. Local councils (מועצה מקומית moetza mekomit) are one of the three types of Local government found in Israel, with the other two being Dov Gur was appointed the first local council head on behalf of the Israeli Ministry of Interior. The Ministry of Interior in the State of Israel is one of Government offices that is responsible for local rule Citizenship and residency, ^[21] The Magistrates' Court in the city was inaugurated in 1963. A magistrates' court or court of petty sessions, formerly known as a police court, is the lowest level of court in England and Wales and In January 1965, Ashdod Company and Clalit, the country's largest health maintenance organization, signed a contract to build a 500 beds hospital, which has yet to be established. Clalit (כללית lit General) is one of Israel's leading Health maintenance organizations It was founded in 1911 by a group of 150 immigrants desiring a mutual "HMO" redirects here For other uses see HMO (disambiguation. The building of the port of Ashdod began in April 1961. The Port of Ashdod is Israel 's main cargo Port, processing approximately 60% of Israeli marine cargo. The port was inaugurated in November 1963, and was first utilized in November 1965, with the coming of the Swedish ship "Wiengelgad". "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. ^[20]

In 1964 the Ponevezher Rov, Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman established the Ponevezh development, the first Haredi neighborhood in Ashdod. Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman (1886-1969 יוסף שלמה כהנמן was an Orthodox Jewish Rabbi and Rosh yeshiva of the Ponevezh yeshiva. Ponevezh Yeshiva, often pronounced Ponevitch Yeshiva, ( ישיבת פוניבז) is a world renowned Yeshiva located in Bnei Brak, Israel Haredi or Chareidi Judaism is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. In 1978 a joint Belz-Ger estate was established in Neighborhood 3 (Rova Gimel). Belz is a Hasidic dynasty named for the town of Belz, a small town in Western Ukraine. Ger, or Gur (or Gerrer when used as an adjective is a Hasidic dynasty originating from Ger the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria The Lev Simcha Talmud Torah in Ashdod is the largest cheder in Israel. Talmud Torah schools were created in the Jewish world both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of public primary School for boys of modest backgrounds A Cheder (alternatively Cheider, in Hebrew חדר, meaning "room" is a traditional elementary school teaching the basics of Judaism Today, the Tolna Rebbe, Pittsburgher Rebbe, Neshchiz, and Melitzer Rebbes reside in Ashdod. Pittsburg Israel is a Hasidic dynasty lead by Grand Rabbi Mordechai Yissachar Ber Leifer of Pittsburg and concentrated in Ashdod, a city on the Mediterranean Grand Rabbi Naftali Asher Yeshayahu Moscowitz is the Melitzer Rebbe of Ashdod, Israel and author of the Peiros Hailan halachic discourses on

The explosive growth of the city began in 1991, with the massive arrival of immigrants from the Soviet Union and infrastructure development. Aliyah ( refers to Jewish Immigration to the Land of Israel (and since its establishment in 1948 the State of Israel) From 1990 to 2001 the city accepted more than 100,000 new inhabitants, a 150% growth. ^[22]

Planned city

The modern city of Ashdod city was built outside the historic settlement site, on virgin sands. The development followed a main development plan. The development plan is an aspect of Town and country planning in the Sri Lanka comprising a set of documents which set out the Local Authorities policies ^[23] The planners divided the city into seventeen neighborhoods of ten to fifteen thousand people. Wide avenues between the neighborhoods make traffic flow relatively freely inside the city. Each neighborhood has easy access to its own commercial center, urban park, and health and education infrastructure. An urban park, also known as a municipal park (North America or a public park or open space (United Kingdom is a Park in cities and other The original plan also called for a business and administrative center, built in the mid-1990s, when the city population grew rapidly more than doubling in ten years. A central business district ( CBD) is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city ^[22]

Three industrial zones were placed adjacent to the port in the northern part of the city, taking into account the prevailing southern winds which take air pollution away from the city. Industrial district was initially introduced as a term to describe an area where workers of a monolithic Heavy industry ( Ship-building, Coal mining, Air pollution is the human introduction into the atmosphere of Chemicals Particulate matter, or Biological materials that cause harm or discomfort ^[23] The plan had its problems, however, including asymmetric growth of upscale and poorer neighborhoods and the long-time lack of a main business and administrative center. ^[24]

The city was planned for a maximum of 250,000 inhabitants, and an additional area in the south was reserved for further development. ^[23] The southern border of the city was proclaimed a national nature reserve, Ashdod Nitzanim Sand Dune Park, which makes future city growth problematic, with the last of the seventeen neighborhoods of the development plan now under construction. nature reserve ( natural reserve, nature preserve, natural preserve) is a Protected area of importance for Wildlife, flora Ashdod Nitzanim Sand Dune Park is a Psammosere ecosystem located close to the city of Ashdod on the Israeli Coastal Plain near the Mediterranean

Climate

Ashdod has a mediterranean climate with hot summers, pleasant spring and fall, and cool, rainy winters. Humidity tends to be high all year round, and rain occurs mainly from November to March. In winter, temperatures seldom drop below 5°C and are more likely to be in the region of 10° to 15°C, while in summer the average is 27°C. The average annual rainfall is 510 millimeters. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International

Economy

Industry

The Laser Light Tower in the city center

Sea mall main entrance

Ashdod is one of the most important industrial centers in Israel. The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (הלשכה המרכזית לסטטיסטיקה HaLishka HaMerkazit LeStatistika) abbreviated CBS, is an Israeli All industrial activities in the city are located in northern areas such as the port area, the northern industrial zone, and around the Lachish River. The port of Ashdod is the largest port in Israel, handling about sixty percent of Israel's port cargo. The Port of Ashdod is Israel 's main cargo Port, processing approximately 60% of Israeli marine cargo. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. It was mainly upgraded in recent years and will be able to provide berths for Panamax ships. " Panamax " ships are of the maximum dimensions that will fit through the locks of the Panama Canal. ^[27][28] Various shipping companies offices are also located in the port area which also is home to a Eshkol A power station and coal terminal. The Eshkol Power Station is a Power station supplying electrical power to the Shephelah region in Israel.

The Northern industrial zone is located on Highway 41 and includes various industry including an oil refinery, which is one of only two in the country. Highway 41 is a Highway in south-central Israel. It connects Gedera in the east with Ashdod in the west An oil refinery is an industrial Process plant where Crude oil is processed and refined into more useful Petroleum products, such as Gasoline The heavy industry zone located south of the Lachish River was once the main industrial center in Ashdod. Recently, however, leisure facilities have moved into the area. There is still some industry here, however, such as a Teva Pharmaceutical Industries plant, construction components producer Ashtrom, and Solbar a soybean oil producer. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (טבע תעשיות פרמצבטיות בע"מ is an international Pharmaceutical company headquartered in Petah Tikva Ashdod is also home to Elta, a part of Israel Aircraft Industries where radar equipment, electronic warfare systems, and ELINT are developed. ELTA Systems LTD an Israeli provider of defense products and services specializing in Radar, C4ISTAR, RF, SIGINT and EW Israel Aerospace Industries ( Hebrew: התעשייה האווירית לישראל ha-ta`aSiyyâh ha-'awîrît lë-yiSrâ'êl) or IAI (תע"א ta`a' Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships Electronic warfare ( EW) is the use of the Electromagnetic spectrum to effectively deny the use of this medium by an adversary while optimizing its use by friendly

Shopping

Historically each neighborhood of Ashdod had its own commercial center and at different times some of these centers became the main shopping areas of the city such as Rogozin St. during the 1980s. In 1990, however, when the mall culture developed in Israel, the main commercial activity in Ashdod moved to malls. Mal T-cell differentiation protein-like, also known as MALL, is a human Gene.

The first mall to open in Ashdod was the Forum Center which was built in the industrial zone and was very popular until additional malls were built in the residential neighborhoods. Restaurants, bars and night clubs were opened in the area which is one of the most popular recreation zones in the city. Today, the Forum center is mainly used for offices.

Lev Ashdod Mall was opened in 1993 and soon became the most popular shopping and recreation place among the population of Ashdod. ^[29] The mall has been extended and upgraded in the years since its opening. Lev Ashdod Mall was followed two years later by Ashdod Mall which opened in 1995 and was at the time the biggest mall in the city. Despite this fact, however, it was not successful and is currently being closed and redesigned. ^[30]

City Mall was opened in a combined building with the central bus station in 1996,^[31] following the examples of the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station and the Jerusalem Central Bus Station. Tel Aviv Central Bus Station, or Tel Aviv (New Central Bus Terminal (opened on August 18, 1993) is the primary Bus station in Tel Aviv The Jerusalem Central Bus Station is the main Bus depot in Jerusalem, Israel and one of the busiest bus stations in the country Due to its location in the city center it is highly popular and was upgraded in 2007.

The Sea Mall is a new three floor mall. It is located in a modern building near the government offices and also has a climbing wall and cinema. UserStan Shebs for a timetable --> Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet (or Cinemaaustraliajpg|thumb|A movie theater in Australia ]]A movie theater, movie theatre, picture theatre or cinema is a venue

Finally, Star Center is a new shopping center which has proven to be popular to the extent that it doubles in size in 2007. ^[32]

Transportation

Roads

The view toward marina

Ashdod is located on the historic Via Maris. Blue Marina in Ashdod is one of the newest marinas in Israel. Via Maris is the modern name for an ancient Trade route, dating from the early Bronze Age, linking Egypt with the northern empires of Syria, Highway 4 was developed following this route along the southern sea shore of Israel; it serves as the main connection to the north, towards the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, and to the south, towards Ashkelon. Highway 4 (כביש 4 Kvish 4) is an Israeli Highway that runs along Israel's entire coastal plain of the Mediterranean Sea, Gush Dan (גּוּשׁ דָּן is a Metropolitan area including areas from both the Tel Aviv and the Central Districts of Israel. Ashkelon (אַשְׁקְלוֹן ٲشكلون also عسقلان; Latin: Ascalon; Akkadian: Isqalluna is a coastal city in southern

Ad Halom junction was planned as the main entrance to the city from the east. Ad Halom (עד הלום is an area around the eastern entrance to the city of Ashdod, Israel. ^[24] The junction was poorly planned and built, including a grade-level railway crossing less than 100 meters from the intersection with Highway 4 and a dangerous intersection with the nearby railway station's access road, and it currently suffers from heavy congestion. An interchange is under construction, planned to open in 2009. ^[33] The interchange is intended to continue the freeway section of Highway 4 further south by removing the traffic light at this junction, and it will also utilize grade separation with the railway. Grade separation is the process of aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights ( ^[33]

The other main road in the area is Highway 41 which served the city from the start of its modern history. This road runs from west to east towards Gedera and it is the main transport link to the port of Ashdod and the industrial zones, and connects to Highway 4 with an interchange. Gedera, or Gdera (גְּדֵרָה is a town ( local council) in the Center District of Israel. The Port of Ashdod is Israel 's main cargo Port, processing approximately 60% of Israeli marine cargo.

Railroad

Main article: Ashdod Ad Halom Railway Station

The passenger railroad connection to Ashdod opened in 1992^[34] after the renovation of the historical railway to Egypt. Ashdod Ad Halom Railway Station (also known as Ashdod Darom) is a railway station in Ashdod, Israel. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. ^[35] Ashdod railway station is on Israel Railways' Binyamina/Netanya - Tel Aviv - Ashkelon line and it is located near Ad Halom Junction. Israel Railways (רכבת ישראל Rakévet Yisra'él) is Israel 's government-owned national railway company and is responsible for all inter-city and suburban Binyamina (בִּנְיָמִינָה is a town in the Haifa District of Israel, south of Haifa and north of Netanya. Tel Aviv-Yafo (תֵּל ־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ تل أبيب Tal ʾAbīb) (usually Tel Aviv) is the second-largest city in Israel Ashkelon (אַשְׁקְלוֹן ٲشكلون also عسقلان; Latin: Ascalon; Akkadian: Isqalluna is a coastal city in southern Ad Halom (עד הלום is an area around the eastern entrance to the city of Ashdod, Israel. The station was upgraded in 2003^[34] when a new terminal building was built. The station is modern and has all the usual facilities, but road access to it is old and clumsy. A new access road is currently under construction. ^[36]

There is also heavy freight traffic in the area. Port of Ashdod has its own railway branch line as well as a special terminal for potash brought from the Sodom area and exported abroad. The Port of Ashdod is Israel 's main cargo Port, processing approximately 60% of Israeli marine cargo. A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route usually a main line. Potash (or carbonate of potash) is an impure form of Potassium carbonate ( K 2 CO3)

The central bus station

Buses

The new central bus station opened in 1996. bus station is a structure where city or intercity Buses stop to pick up and drop off passengers It serves as the terminus both for inter- and intracity lines. The building also includes a small but popular shopping mall. A shopping mall or shopping centre is a building or set of buildings that contain Retail units with interconnecting Walkways enabling visitors The bus lines connect the city with all major population centers in Israel. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. These routes are served by Connex, Metropoline, and the Egged Bus Cooperative. Metropoline is an Israeli bus company which provides bus routes from Beersheba to Tel Aviv and other destinations mainly in the Southern District Egged Israel Transport Cooperative Society Ltd (אגד is the largest Bus company in Israel, and the second largest in the world (after London Buses

Sea Transport

There is a passenger pier in the Port of Ashdod. The Port of Ashdod is Israel 's main cargo Port, processing approximately 60% of Israeli marine cargo. The traffic at this gateway is constantly growing, especially due to cruise ship activities. A cruise ship or cruise liner is a Passenger ship used for pleasure voyages where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience The other sea gateway is the newly opened Blue Marina. Blue Marina in Ashdod is one of the newest marinas in Israel.

Demographics

Population

According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics, Ashdod had a population of about 204,400 at the end of 2006, making it the fifth largest city in Israel. The Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (הלשכה המרכזית לסטטיסטיקה HaLishka HaMerkazit LeStatistika) abbreviated CBS, is an Israeli ^[40] The annual population growth rate is 2. 6% and the ratio of women to men is 1,046 to 1,000.

The population age distribution was recorded as 19. 7% under the age of 10, 15. 7% from age 10 to 19, 14. 9% from 20 to 29, 19. 1% from 30 to 44, 19. 1% from 45 to 64, and 11. 3% were 65 or older. The population of Ashdod is significantly younger than the Israeli average because of the large number of young couples living in the city.

The city is ranked medium-low in socio-economic grading, with a rating of 4 out of 10. 56. 1% of 12th grade students in Ashdod were eligible for matriculation certificates in 2000. The average salary in 2000 was NIS 4,821 compared to the national average of NIS 6,835. The Israeli New Sheqel ( ( sign: ₪; code: ILS) (also spelled unofficially shekel; pl The Israeli New Sheqel ( ( sign: ₪; code: ILS) (also spelled unofficially shekel; pl

Origins

Ashdod, like many Israeli cities, has seen much of its growth as the result of absorption of immigrants. Aliyah ( refers to Jewish Immigration to the Land of Israel (and since its establishment in 1948 the State of Israel) The first major group to move to the city were Jews of Moroccan and Egyptian descent. Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community Before the founding of Israel in 1948, there were about 250000 Jews in the country but fewer Egyptian Jews constitute perhaps the oldest Jewish community outside Israel in the world ^[20] In the 1960s Ashdod accepted a large number of immigrants from Romania, followed by a large number from Georgia^[20] and India in the 1970s. The history of Jews in Romania concerns the Jews of Romania and of Romanian origins from their first mention on what is nowadays Romanian territory The Georgian Jews ( Georgian: ქართველი ებრაელები qartveli ebraelebi, Hebrew: יהודי גאורגיה Yehudei Indian Jews are a religious minority of India. Judaism was one of the first non- Dharmic religions to arrive in India in recorded history More than 60,000 Jews immigrated to Ashdod from the former Soviet Union in the early 1990s. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Recent demographic figures suggest that about 32%^[41] of the city's population are new immigrants, 85% of whom are originally from the former Soviet Union.

LaMimunia Moroccan culture center. Moroccan Jews constitute an ancient community Before the founding of Israel in 1948, there were about 250000 Jews in the country but fewer

During the 1990s the city absorbed a large number of Jews of Ethiopian descent, and in more recent years Ashdod has absorbed a large number of immigrants from France and Argentina. The Beta Israel (ביתא ישראל Beta Israel, "House of Israel" Ge'ez: ቤተ እስራኤል Bēta 'Isrā'ēl, modern Bēte 'Isrā'ēl The Jewish community in France presently numbers around 600000 according to the World Jewish Congress and 500000 according to the Appel Unifié Juif de France and is The history of the Jews of Argentina harks back to the days of the Spanish Inquisition and Portuguese Inquisition when Jews fleeing persecution settled in what

Ashdod also receives a significant amount of internal migration,^[42] especially from the Gush Dan region. Gush Dan (גּוּשׁ דָּן is a Metropolitan area including areas from both the Tel Aviv and the Central Districts of Israel.

Religion

Over 95% of Ashdod's population is Jewish, over 30% of whom are religiously observant. Despite this, the city is generally secular, although most of the non-Jewish population is a result of mixed marriages. The large Haredi community of the city live mainly in Neighborhood 7 (Rova Zayin) which is specially dedicated for their needs with Talmud Torah, cheder, mikva and other religious institutions. Haredi or Chareidi Judaism is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. Talmud Torah schools were created in the Jewish world both Ashkenazic and Sephardic, as a form of public primary School for boys of modest backgrounds A Cheder (alternatively Cheider, in Hebrew חדר, meaning "room" is a traditional elementary school teaching the basics of Judaism Mikvah (or mikveh) ( plural mikva'ot or mikves) is a ritual bath designed for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism.

Ashdod is home to a wide range of synagogues, catering to the religious diversity of its population. The city is home to the world's largest^[43] Karaite community, about five thousand strong. Karaite Judaism or Karaism (ˈkærəˌaɪt ˈkærəˌɪzəm) is a Jewish movement NOTE The word sect should not be used without defining it first and There is also a Scandinavian Seamen Protestant church, established by Norwegian Righteous Among the Nations pastor Per Faye-Hansen. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Righteous among the Nations (חסידי אומות העולם Chassidey Umot HaOlam) which may at times refer to the B'nei Noah or Noahides as well is a term used Per Faye-Hansen (died 1992 was a Norwegian Pastor who saved Jews, risking his life during World War II. ^[44][45]

Orot Haim Kolel. A kollel (כולל "a gathering/collection scholars" (plural kollelim is an institute for advanced studies of the Talmud and of Rabbinic literature for

Kolel in 7th neighborhood. A kollel (כולל "a gathering/collection scholars" (plural kollelim is an institute for advanced studies of the Talmud and of Rabbinic literature for

The Karaite Synagogue.

The Scandinavian Seamen Church

Government

City Hall

Ashdod was declared a city in 1968. The Ashdod City Council has twenty-five elected members, one of whom is the mayor. A city council is a form of Local government, usually covering a City or other Urban area, such as a Town. The mayor serves a five-year term and appoints six deputies. The current mayor of Ashdod, Zvi Zilker was last elected in 2003 and has been in office continuously since 1989. Eng' Zvi Zilker (צבי צילקר Tzvi Tzilker, born 1933) is current mayor of the city of Ashdod in Israel. ^[46] Within the city council there are various factions representing different population groups, both secular and religious. The headquarters of the Ashdod Municipality and the mayor's office are at city hall. This new municipal building is located in the main culture and business area.

Mayors and heads of council

• Dov Gur (1959–1961)
• Robert Hayim (1961–1963^[21])
• Avner Garin (1963–1969)
• Zvi Zilker (1969–1983)
• Aryeh Azulay (1983–1989)
• Zvi Zilker (1989–)

Culture

Music and theatre

Ashdod is home to the Israeli Andalusian Orchestra which performs music originating in Andalusia, a blend of Western and Arabic music. Eng' Zvi Zilker (צבי צילקר Tzvi Tzilker, born 1933) is current mayor of the city of Ashdod in Israel. Aryeh Azulay (אריה אזולאי born 1933 was the third mayor of Ashdod. Eng' Zvi Zilker (צבי צילקר Tzvi Tzilker, born 1933) is current mayor of the city of Ashdod in Israel. Andalusian classical music (or Arabo-Andalusian music, moussiqua al-âla) is a style of Arabic music found across North Africa, though it evolved Andalusia (Andalucía is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the most populous and the second largest in terms of land area The orchestra was awarded the Israel Prize in 2006. The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel. ^[47][48]

The ACADMA conservatory, a professional educational institute for music and performance studies is based in Ashdod. A university school of music or college of music, or academy of music or conservatoire ( French, but used in British English) &mdash Operated under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, the institute was established in 1966,^[49] and serves as a home for 600 young musicians in different fields. The conservatory is a vivacious and vigorous center of the music and the culture life in the city, and it is involved in the community life and educates a second generation of musicians made in Ashdod.

The MonArt center is a newly opened performing arts center which has different art schools, studios and events. A performing arts center, often abbreviated PAC is a multi-use performance space that can be adapted for use by various types of the Performing arts, including Dance Theater and concerts are hosted in several cultural venues; the most important are performed at Yad LaBanim concert hall. The new city concert hall is in its final building stages, and will enlarge capacity to 1600.

Building of new culture center. February 2006.

Yad LaBanim concert hall

MonArt performing arts center

Museums and exhibitions

• The Korin Maman Museum has a permanent archeology exhibition called "Philistian World" as well as various changing art exhibitions. ^[50]
• Ashdod Museum of Art located in the MonArt center, has 13 exhibition halls. ^[51]

Sports

Ashdod's football team, FC Ashdod represents the city in Ligat ha'Al, Israel's Premier League. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered FC Ashdod (מועדון ספורט אשדוד Moadon Sport Ashdod, lit The club is known for its successful soccer school. The city's top basketball team is Maccabi Ashdod. The men squad plays in Liga Leumit, Israel's second tier league, and the women squad plays in top division.

Ashdod plays host to many national and international sporting tournaments, including the annual Ashdod International Chess Festival. Chess is a recreational and competitive Game played between two players. ^[52] The city has a cricket team,^[53] a rarity in Israel. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries It is run and organized by citizens of Indian descent. Indian Jews are a religious minority of India. Judaism was one of the first non- Dharmic religions to arrive in India in recorded history Like many coastal settlements in Israel, Ashdod's beaches is a venue for water sport, like as windsurfing, yachting, and SCUBA diving operating in the Marina area. Windsurfing is a surface water sport using a windsurf board also commonly called a sailboard usually two to five meters long and powered by a single sail Yachting is an activity involving boats It may be racing Sailing boats cruising to distant shores or day-sailing along a coast Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity while using a Scuba set. Blue Marina in Ashdod is one of the newest marinas in Israel.

Ashdod has produced a number of famous sportsmen:

• Haim Revivo - international soccer player
• Alon Hazan - international soccer player
• Vered Borochovsky^[54] - 2000 Sydney Olympics and 2004 Summer Olympics swimmer. Haim Michael Revivo (חיים רביבו born February 22, 1972 in Ashdod) is a retired Israeli football player Alon Hazan (אלון חזן born September 14, 1967) is a former Israeli footballer who currently serves as coach and general manager for
• Gocha Tzitziashvili^[55] - 2003 Greco-Roman Wrestling World champion & 2004 Summer Olympics wrestler

Sister cities

• Bordeaux, France^[56]
• Bahia Blanca, Argentina^[57]
• Spandau, Germany^[58]
• Tampa, Florida, USA^[59]

References

External links

• Ashdod official website
• Ashdod Evant's Gallery From Ashdod
• Ashdod Port official website
• Ashdod Local News (in Hebrew)
• Ashdod AntiDrug Authority website

• Ashdod City Promo Video (Hebrew)
• Ashdod Image Gallery
• The Israeli Andalusit Orchestra