Ashqelon, town in southwestern Israel, located near Tel Aviv-Yafo (Tel Aviv-Jaffa), on the Mediterranean Sea. With its numerous beaches and hotels, Ashqelon is a popular seaside resort. Industries in the town manufacture agricultural products, wristwatches, and plastics. The modern town adjoins the site of ancient Ashqelon, now marked by ruins. For much of its history, Ashqelon was part of Palestine. From about 1200 to 900 BC it was one of the five chief cities of the Philistines. Ashqelon paid tribute to Solomon, king of Israel, and later fell to various invaders of Palestine. In 1099 European Crusaders under the leadership of the French soldier Godfrey of Bouillon captured the city from the Arabs, who reconquered the city shortly thereafter. During the Second Crusade, in 1153, Ashqelon was retaken by Baldwin III, king of Jerusalem. The Egyptian sultan Saladin recaptured it in 1187 but abandoned it four years later, after dismantling the city's fortifications. The destruction of the old city was completed in 1270 by the Mamluk sultan Baybars I. The town was resettled by Jewish immigrants after the founding of the state of Israel in 1948. Its name is also spelled Ashkelon or Ascalon. Population (1998) 89,849.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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