Ashdod

You can come to practice your French, or to see industry relentlessly gulp down land and resources, or, if you’re so inclined, perhaps to view the spot where the whale spat out Jonah. You’ll be disappointed, though, if you come to Ashdod for a blissful rest. If you stay long enough to visit lido Beach, you’ll find a short stretch of popular bars and cafes stalked by enormous cargo ships and spindly cranes from the giant port. Ashdod exists for industry, not the other way around.

In Biblical times, Ashdod was one of the five cities of giants. Although Joshua received accurate information from his spies, he did not stoop to conquer Ashdod, and it was here that the Philistines brought the captured Holy Ark. This former city of Gullivers is now home to some 90,000 residents and, by some measures, the largest port in Israel, having surpassed Haifa. Its expanding industries include textiles, cosmetics, and power plants that produce roughly half the nation’s electricity.