Beth-dagon was a town in the territory of Asher, likely named after the Philistine god Dagon. (Joshua 19:27)
Also known as Beth Dagon
Beth-dagon, meaning "house of Dagon" in Hebrew, was a town allotted to the tribe of Asher during the division of the Promised Land. It is mentioned only once in the Bible, in Joshua 19:27, as part of a description of the border of Asher's territory.
The name Beth-dagon suggests that the town was associated with the worship of Dagon, a Philistine deity often depicted as having the upper body of a man and the tail of a fish. Dagon was considered the god of fertility, agriculture, and storms.
The presence of a town named after Dagon within Asher's territory indicates the influence of Philistine culture and religion in the region. It is not uncommon for towns and cities in the ancient Near East to be named after the deities worshipped there.
The exact location of Beth-dagon in Asher is not specified in the Bible, but it was likely situated in the western part of the tribe's territory, near the Mediterranean coast. Asher's territory was located in the northwestern part of Canaan, bordering Phoenicia to the north.
No other details about the town or its history are provided in the Bible. The mention of Beth-dagon in Joshua 19:27 serves primarily to delineate the border of Asher's territory.
Approximate location: 32.900, 35.108 · view on a map · on the Bible atlas
1 verse in 1 book · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H1016
then turned eastward toward Beth-dagon, touched Zebulun and the Valley of Iphtah-el, and went north to Beth-emek and Neiel, passing Cabul on the left.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.