Bible Dictionary
Dagon’s house
Dagon’s house was the temple or sanctuary of the Philistine god Dagon. The most notable biblical account concerns the temple at Ashdod, where the idol fell before the ark of the Lord.
Definition
Dagon’s house was the sanctuary or temple of the Philistine god Dagon. The expression also relates to places called Beth-dagon.
Biblical Usage
At Ashdod, the ark was placed in Dagon’s house, where the idol fell before it. Saul’s head was later placed in a temple of Dagon after the Philistine victory at Gilboa.
Historical Background
Beth-dagon also designated towns in Judah and Asher, while the temple associated with Saul’s head was in the western half-tribe of Manasseh.
Scripture References
Related Figures
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Easton's Bible Dictionary
(1 Sam. 5:2), or Beth-dagon, as elsewhere rendered (Josh. 15: 41; 19:27), was the sanctuary or temple of Dagon. The Beth-dagon of Josh. 15:41 was one of the cities of the tribe of Judah, in the lowland or plain which stretches westward. It has not been identified. The Beth-dagon of Josh. 19:27 was one of the border cities of Asher. That of 1 Chr. 10:10 was in the western half-tribe of Manasseh, where the Philistines, after their victory at Gilboa, placed Saul’s head in the temple of their god. (Comp. 1 Sam. 31:8-13).