Ashkelon was one of the five chief cities of the Philistines, located on the coast and north of Gaza. It was taken by the tribe of Judah but was soon retaken by the Philistines. The city was a main theater of battle between the Israelites and the Philistines. Samson went down to Ashkelon and struck down thirty of their men. David included a reference to Ashkelon in his dirge for Saul and Jonathan. The prophets foretold its destruction. Jeremiah said that Ashkelon would be made to drink the cup of the Lords wrath. Later, Jeremiah wrote that Ashkelon would be silenced and that the sword of the Lord had been ordered to attack Ashkelon and the coast. Zephaniah announced Gods judgment on the Philistine cities, stating that Gaza would be abandoned and Ashkelon left in ruins. The city was destroyed along with the other four Philistine cities of Gaza, Ashdod, Ekron, and Gath. However, Zephaniah also predicted that a remnant of the House of Judah would rebuild it and graze their flocks on its pasture. The Jews in Ashkelon survived the Arab conquest after the Mishnah and Talmud period, but their community was destroyed by the Crusaders in 1153.