Ashdod is Israel's second-largest port and lies 70 km from Jerusalem. As a holy place for three world religions, the city is unrivalled and could not be more unique, since it is not only an important industrial city but has a fascinating history: in Biblical times it was the "city of the giants". Important sights include Dagon's temple, built by the Philistines, which was where the Ark of the Covenant seized from the Israelites was kept.