The God of the Philistines (Judg. 16: 23; 1 Sam. 5: 2; 1 Macc. 10: 84; 12: 2). There were temples of Dagon at Gaza and Ashdod; the latter was destroyed by Jonathan the Maccabaeus. His image was in the form partly of a man and partly of a fish. Some recent writers, however, question whether Dagon was really a fish-god, and connect the name with dagan, "grain."

Three O.T. incidents have somewhat to do with the worship of Dagon. A Philistine temple at Gaza was the place of Samson's death (Judg. 16: 23-30); at Ashdod the Philistines were killed when the Ark of the Covenant was carried into the temple of Dagon (1 Sam. 5: 1-7); and at Bethshan, after a battle between the Philistines and Israel at Mount Gilboa, the head of King Saul was placed in the temple of Dagon (1 Chr. 10: 10).