Dagon

Dagon (Hebrew: דָּגוֹן, Dāgōn) or Dagan (Sumerian: 𒀭𒁕𒃶, dda-gan; Phoenician: 𐤃𐤂𐤍, Dāgān) was an ancient Syrian deity worshipped primarily along the middle Euphrates region. His main temples were located in Tuttul and Terqa, though evidence of his worship has been found in other cities like Mari and Emar.

In the upper Euphrates settlements, Dagon held several significant roles:

"Father of gods" (comparable to Mesopotamian Enlil or Hurrian Kumarbi)

Lord of the land

God of prosperity

Source of royal legitimacy

His popularity is evidenced by numerous theophoric names, both male and female. Mesopotamian rulers also venerated him as the deity who could grant them authority over western territories.

Dagon's presence in coastal regions was less prominent, with limited attestations mainly from the northern city of Ugarit. The Hebrew Bible describes him as the national god of the Philistines with temples in Ashdod and Gaza, though this lacks confirmation from non-biblical sources. The extrasolar object Fomalhaut b is named after this deity.