The lords of the Philistines gathered them together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to rejoice; for they said, Our god has delivered Samson our enemy into our hand.
"The lords ... gathered ... to offer ... sacrifice to Dagon"  (Judges 16:23).  "The god Dagon had been worshipped along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean long before the coming of the Philistines, but, like the Israelites who adopted the worship of the Baals, the Philistines adopted that of Dagon."[20]  There were temples erected to Dagon at Gaza and at Ashdod; and that deity was worshipped by the Philistines throughout their country.  Margolis tells us that all of the ancient classical writers described this idol as, "half man and half fish."[21]  "He was a male deity, the corresponding female deity being Atargatis or Derceto."[22]  The superstition of the Philistines ascribed great honor to Dagon, whom they hailed as, "The father of Baal."[23]  The occasion mentioned here must have been attended by at least 10,000 persons, there having been three thousand on the roof alone.  There were many towns throughout Palestine that were named after Dagon, including, "Beth-dagon in Judah  (Joshua 15:42), and Caphar-dagon in Asher  (Joshua 19:17), showing that the worship of Dagon was widespread.[24]