a city and government of the Philistines. It fell by lot to the tribe of Judah, in the first division made by Joshua, but it was afterwards given to the tribe of Dan. It was situated very near the Mediterranean, between Ashdod and Jemmia. Ekron was a powerful city, and it does not appear from history that the Jews were ever peaceable possessors of it. The idol Beelzebub was principally adored at Ekron.

**ELÆOTHESIUM**, in *Antiquity*, the anointing room, or place where those who were to wrestle or had bathed anointed themselves. See **GYMNASIUM**.