One of the five cities belonging to the Philistines (Joshua 13:3), situated in the maritime plain. It is mentioned in connection with the Ark in 1 Samuel 5:10, 6:1-8. Ekron was noted for its sanctuary of Baal-zebub (2 Kings 1:2,3,6,16). In later days it is merely named with the other cities of the Philistines in the denunciations of the Prophets (Jeremiah 25:20; Amos 1:8; Zephaniah 2:4; Zechariah 9:5). In the Apocrypha it appears as "Accaron" (I Macc. 10:89), and was bestowed with its borders by Alexander Balas on Jonathan Maccabeus as a reward for his services. Eusebius ("Onomasticon," ed. Lagarde, p. 218) describes Accaron as a large Jewish village between Ashdod and Jabneh. According to Jerome, Turris Stratonis (Cæsarea) was identified by some with Accaron.