Isdud
Isdud (Arabic: إسدود, romanized: ʾisdūd) was a Palestinian village tracing back at least to the Ottoman period of Palestine (region). In 1945, it had a population of 4,620 Arabs and 290 Jews, before it was depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, when its population all either fled or were expelled.
Isdud / Esdud
اسدود | |
|---|---|
Former village | |
Isdud, pre-1914 | |
Isdud / Esdud Location within Mandatory Palestine | |
| Coordinates: 31°45′13″N 34°39′42″E | |
| Palestine grid | 118/129 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Gaza |
| Date of depopulation | 28 October 1948 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7,391 dunams (7.391 km2 or 2.854 sq mi) |
| Population (1945) | |
| • Total | 4,910 |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault by Yishuv forces |
| Secondary cause | Fear of being caught up in the fighting |
| Current Localities | Sde Uzziyyahu, Shetulim, Bene Darom, and Gan ha-Darom |
The village of Isdud is documented from the early Ottoman period in Palestine, when it held 75 households. The settlement at this time may or may not form part of a continuity with the town of "Azdud", described up until the 10the century as a postal stop between al-Ramla and Gaza, and equally as a continuation of the ancient city of Ashdod. By 1922, Isdud had a population of 2,566 inhabitants, 2,555 Muslims and 11 Christians; and by 1945, a population of 4,620 Arabs and 290 Jews.
Today, the village's ruins form part of the Tel Ashdod archaeological site, which lies within the jurisdiction of the Be'er Tuvia Regional Council. The central village mosque stands at the top of the site, as does the khan and the tomb of Sheikh Abu Qubal.