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A COASTAL TRADING ZONE. As indicated on the map, Ashkelon is one of several ancient port cities on the coast of what is now Israel and Lebanon. Authors Weiss and Kislev discuss how tiny seed and grain specimens—combined with an abundance of Phoenician pottery—found at the site indicate that Ashkelon residents participated in a brisk trade with their neighbors to the north. Ashkelon’s choice location also had its drawbacks, however: It was in the path of several invading armies.