XX (a fish ), apparently the masculine, ( 1 Samuel 5:3 1 Samuel 5:4 ) correlative of Atargatis, was the national god of the Philistines. The most famous temples of Dagon were at Gaza, ( Judges 16:21-30 ) and Ashdod. ( 1 Samuel 5:5 1 Samuel 5:6 ; 1 Chronicles 10:10 ) The latter temple was destroyed by Jonathan in the Maccabaean wars. Traces of the worship of Dagon likewise appear in the names Caphar-dagon (near Jamnia) and Beth-dagon in Judah, ( Joshua 15:41 ) and Asher. ( Joshua 19:27 ) Dagon was represented with the face and hands of a man and the tail of a fish. ( 1 Samuel 5:5 ) The fish-like form was a natural emblem of fruitfulness, and as such was likely to be adopted by seafaring tribes in the representation of their gods.