Accaron

(Ekron).

The most northern of the five principal Philistine cities (Joshua 13:3; 15:11; 15:46). We do not know whether it was founded by the Philistines or the Hevites. It was first given to the tribe of Juda (Joshua 15:11; 15:45) and then to Dan (Joshua 19:43). Juda conquered it for a time (Judges 1:18), but it fell again into the hands of the Philistines, who brought here the captive ark of the covenant after it had passed through Azotus and Geth (1 Samuel 5:10). It came near being reconquered by Israel after the defeat of Goliath (1 Samuel 7:14). The city possessed a famous sanctuary of Beelzebub (2 Kings 1:2-3; 1:6; 1:16), and was often denounced by the prophets (Jeremiah 25:20; Amos 1:8; Zephaniah 2:4; Zechariah 9:5). King Alexander Bales gave the city to Jonathan Machabeus (1 Maccabees 10:89). Robinson identified it with the village Akir, a station on the railway from Jaffa to Jerusalem.