EK'RON (Heb. 'egria, probably connected with 'agar, Ar. `figira. sterile). The most north erly of the five cities of the Philistines (Joshua xiii. 31. It was assigned to Judah (Joshua xv. 45). hut afterwards given to Dan (Josh ua six. 43). After Joshua's death Judah again possessed it. (Judges i. IS). In the wars with the Philistines it played an important part (1. Sam. v. 10: xvii. 52). The name occurs in the lists of towns conquered by Thothmes TH. (c. 1500 me.) and also in the records of Sen tinelled]) (me. 701), who refers to the revolt of Ekron and to its joining Hezekiah in an uprising against Assyria, although Padi, the King of Ekron. held aloof from the revolt. In the post exilic period it appears as a place given by Alexander Balas to Judas :Maecabwns in reward for his services (I. Mail!. x. Snl. The site has been identified with Akir• a railroad station be tween Jaffa and Jerusalem.
See ELEAGNI:S.
E'LlEAGr'NUS (Neo-Lat., from Gk. Aala-rvos, elaiagnos, Alaypos, ,lragnos, sweet gale. myriea. from /Xaia elms, olive-tree -I- ,17yos agnoR, tree like a willow). A genus of dicotyledenous plants, of the natural order This order consists of trees and shrubs. usually covered with scurfy scales, and having alternate or opposite entire leaves, without stipules. There arc only
about a dozen species of this order, all natives of the Northern Hemisphere. but found both in its warm and cold regions. The buffalo-berry (Rhopherdia argcntra), a North American shrub of this order, yields a pleasant fruit. The sal low thorn is the only British species. The tdeaster ( E/o-op, us a ngust f olia ), sometimes called wild olive, a native of the south of Europe and the Levant. is a spiny tree of I.i to 20 feet in height. w ith lanceolate NvliIelu. as well as the young shoots, are hoary with stellate hairs. It is frequently planted for the sake of its sib tery-white foliage, and its very fragrant small yellow flowers. The oleaster has been intro duced into the United States as an ornamental, and has proved satisfactory even in Jlinnesota and South Dakota. Silver-berry (Eh/lip/us or ycntea), so called on account of the silvery white scab s that cover the leaves, is a common shrub from Canada to Utah. The henry is edible. A umulxr of Japanese species are evergreen, and are cultivated as ornamentals, but they are not hardy except in the south. The berries of niziny species are edible.