ASHDODITE

(Ashʹdod·ite) [Of (Belonging to) Ashdod].

An inhabitant of the Philistine city of Ashdod. (Jos 13:3) Like the other Philistines, the Ashdodites were descendants of Ham through Mizraim and Casluhim, reaching Canaan apparently from the island of Crete.​—Ge 10:6, 13, 14; Am 9:7; see ASHDOD; PHILISTIA, PHILISTINES.

At Nehemiah 13:24 the term “Ashdodite” is also applied to their language. In view of the absence of any record of their speech, it cannot be determined whether they were still speaking the ancient Philistine language or a dialect resulting from centuries of foreign domination.