Ekron: Firm-rooted, the most northerly of the five towns belonging to the
lords of the Philistines, about 11 miles north of Gath. It was
assigned to Judah
(Joshua 13:3) and afterwards to Dan
(Joshua 19:43) but came
again into the full possession of the Philistines
(1 Samuel 5:10) It was
the last place to which the Philistines carried the ark before they
sent it back to Israel
(1 Samuel 5:10; 6:1-8) There was here a noted
sanctuary of Baal-zebub
(2 Kings 1:2,3,6,16) Now the small village Akir.
It is mentioned on monuments in B.C. 702 when Sennacherib set free
its king, imprisoned by Hezekiah in Jerusalem, according to the
Assyrian record.
