Official Language:
Yiddish
Secondary Language:
Arabic, English and Russian
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Currency:
New Israeli Shekel & U.S. Dollar
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Population:
Approximately more than 90,000 people call Ashdod home.
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Weather:
Climate and current weather information for Ashdod Israel: The climate is characterised by two sharply contrasting seasons. The summer season from April to October is hot, humid and rainless, while precipitation occurs during the cooler winter season from November to March. The average annual rainfall varies from barely 40 mm in the south to over 800 mm in the north. The coastal area has a Mediterranean type climate and average temperatures range from 41F°-59°F/5°C-15°C in the winter to over 95°F/35°C in midsummer. In highland regions (including Jerusalem) there are occasional snowfalls in winter.
Clothing Guide: Short-sleeved shirts and shorts are appropriate for almost all outdoor activities. Walking shoes are recommended.
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Ashdod, the largest port in Israel, is ideally situated for exploring one of the most fascinating cities in the world, Jerusalem.The ancient port of Ashdod is the port to Tel Aviv, situated on Israel’s Mediterranean coast. For Jews, Christians and Muslims, this 5000-year-old walled city is one of the most revered on earth. In ancient times the city was known as Jaffa, and traces of the city’s first settlement were discovered atop a hill above the harbour. Since 1948 it has been a city in south-western Israel and is one of its three international ports and chief industrial centres. In antiquity Ashdod was a member of the Philistine pentapolis (five cities). Although the Bible assigns it to the tribe of Judah (Joshua 15:47), the invading Israelites were unable to subdue it or its satellite towns. When the Ark of the Covenant was lost to the Philistines in battle (1 Samuel 5), it was first taken to the Temple of Dagon at Ashdod. In the 8th century BC the city fell to King Uzziah of Judah (2 Chronicles 26:6) but was soon captured by Assyria. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, Psamtik I, pharaoh of Egypt 664–610 BC, besieged Ashdod for 29 years.
Nehemiah, governor of Judaea during the Persian monarchy (5th century BC), condemned the Jews of his time for intermarrying with the Ashdodites (Nehemiah 13). In Hellenistic times the city was known as Azotus. Pompey removed it from Jewish rule and annexed it to the province of Syria. In Byzantine times it was the site of a bishopric (4th - 6th century AD), but it declined to village status by the European Middle Ages. The ancient city, under the mound of Tel Ashdod, had outports at Ashdod Yam (Greek: Azotus Páralios; and the Castellum Beroart of the crusaders), south of the modern city, and at Tel Mor, within the present city limits. In fact, archaeological excavations have revealed 22 strata, which testify tocontinuous settlement of Ashdod dating back to the 17th century b.c.e. Among these finds are Canaanite and Israelite fortifications, a musicians' stand and a Hellenistic plant for extracting purple dye from murex, a purple shell. In the late Canaanite period, Ashdod served as an important harbor city as is shown by archaeological finds and references to its maritime trade in the archives of Ugarit. In Biblical days, Ashdod was said to be the home of giants, and it was here that the Philistines brought the captured Holy Ark. Today the city is known as a giant of industry, surpassing Haifa as the largest port in Israel.
Ashdod also serves as a gateway to Jerusalem - a 5, 000-year-old walled city that is considered sacred to more than a third of the people on Earth. For Jews, it is the root of their devotion and the centre of their national identity. For Christians, the city where Jesus died and was resurrected stands as the very ideal of eternal life. And for Muslims, Jerusalem is the third holiest of cities, behind Mecca and Medina, for it was from here that Mohammed ascended into heaven.
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Attractions |
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Attractions range from religious emblems and relics of antiquity to modern items of interest. Religious tours are available from West Jerusalem, which include Mount Zion and the Tomb of David. Other sites are the Tomb of Judges; Yad Vashem, the memorial to the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust, and Mea Shearim (‘the hundred gates’). In East Jerusalem visitors may follow the Way of the Cross, enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, see the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock and the Jaffa and Damascus Gates. The Israel Museum in Jerusalem houses the Dead Sea Scrolls and is worth visiting. Visitors also flock to Bethlehem, home to the Church of the Nativity, where today, a single silver star marks the spot where Jesus was born. From Jerusalem, it is also possible to visit the Dead Sea, which contains more minerals and salt than any other stretch of water in the world, and where it really is possible to float on top of the water. Masada, the magnificent mountaintop fortress of King Herod is also located on the Israeli shores of the Dead Sea. Tel Aviv can also be visited fromAshdod – Tel Aviv is an exciting city offering commerce, culture, nightlife and sandy beaches. The bustling Carmel Market is a popular place to visit.
Things to see and to do from Ashdod:
Along with textiles and cosmetics, this industrious centre produces almost half of the entire nation's electricity. It is also the gateway to some of the most powerfully moving places you'll ever visit.
Western Wall :
The most sacred of Jewish sites, it is all that remains of the Herodian retaining wall that once supported the Temple Mount.
Via Dolorosa the Way of the Cross:
Followed by Jesus from Praetorium, the Roman Judgment Hall, to Calvary.
Bethlehem:
Site of the Church of the Nativity, where a star marks the spot where Jesus was born, as well as the Shepherd's Fields.
Garden of Gethsemane:
The place where Jesus was betrayed by Judas.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre:
Within the church can be found the marble stone of anointing, the site of Calvary, the marble tomb in the sepulchre, and a piece of the true cross.
Yad Vashem Memorial Museum:
Memorial dedicated to the six million Jews who lost their lives during the Holocaust.
Masaada:
The last stronghold of Zealots in their struggle against Rome.
Dead Sea:
Situated 1,280 feet below sea level, these mineral-laden waters have long been known for their health benefits.
Tel Aviv Orientation & Jaffa:
Feel the verve of Tel Aviv with all its hustle and bustle, shops and bartering. Travel its major thoroughfare, Ibn Gvirol Street, named after the major Golden Ages poet; see the Tel Aviv Art Museum, the Habimah National Theatre, a company originally founded by Russia's Stanislavsky, and the Opera House. Meander through the cobblestone streets of Jaffa's historic district and take in artists' studios, galleries, exotic flea market shops and cosy cafes.
See more attractions: Haifa Israel and Jerusalem
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More Information |
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