Lod; Lydda
An Ancient Crossroads Town
Lod was strategically positioned in the Plain of Sharon, about 11 miles southeast of Joppa (modern Jaffa), at the intersection of two major ancient routes: the road from Babylon to Egypt and the road from Joppa to Jerusalem. This crossroads position gave the town commercial and military importance throughout its long history. According to 1 Chronicles 8:12, Lod was built by Shemed, a descendant of Benjamin, along with the neighboring town of Ono.
Lod in the Old Testament
After the Babylonian exile, returnees from Lod, Hadid, and Ono numbered 725 according to Ezra 2:33 (or 721 in Nehemiah 7:37). The town was located in the Shephelah (lowland) region, possibly in what Nehemiah calls "the valley of craftsmen" (Nehemiah 11:35), suggesting it was known for skilled artisanship. The returnees' connection to these towns indicates that Lod was part of the resettlement of Judah after the exile.
Peter's Miracle at Lydda
In the New Testament, the town appears under its Greek name Lydda. The apostle Peter, traveling among the early Christian communities, came to the saints living at Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years, paralyzed. Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; rise and make your bed." Aeneas immediately stood up (Acts 9:32-34).
The healing had a powerful evangelistic impact: "All the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord" (Acts 9:35). This mass conversion demonstrates how signs and wonders in the early church served as catalysts for spreading the gospel. It was also from Lydda that Peter was summoned to nearby Joppa, where he raised Dorcas (Tabitha) from the dead (Acts 9:36-43).
Lydda Through the Centuries
During the Maccabean period, Lydda was one of three districts transferred from Samarian territory to Judea by King Demetrius II (1 Maccabees 11:34). Under the Romans, it served as the capital of one of the toparchies (administrative districts) of Judea. Julius Caesar's general Cassius sold the inhabitants into slavery for failing to pay tribute, though they were later freed by Mark Antony.
The city suffered during the Jewish revolt, being burned by Cestius Gallus and later surrendering to Vespasian. After the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, Lydda became an important center of rabbinic learning. In the fourth century, the classical name Diospolis ("city of Zeus") was applied to it, and it became the seat of a bishop who attended the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The trial of the theologian Pelagius for heresy took place at Lydda in 415 AD.
The Tradition of Saint George
Lydda became associated with the legend of Saint George, the dragon-slaying warrior saint. The city was considered his birthplace and the location of his tomb. A church dedicated to George was built there, destroyed during the Muslim conquest, rebuilt by the Crusaders, destroyed again by Saladin, and partially restored. The modern city of Lod preserves the ancient name and continues to be an important transportation hub in Israel.
Biblical Context
Lod appears in Old Testament genealogies as a Benjamite town (1 Chronicles 8:12) and in the lists of returning exiles (Ezra 2:33; Nehemiah 7:37; 11:35). In the New Testament, as Lydda, it is the site of Peter's healing of Aeneas (Acts 9:32-35), which led to widespread conversion in the region. From Lydda, Peter was called to Joppa to raise Dorcas, connecting the two episodes in the expansion of the early church (Acts 9:36-43).
Theological Significance
The healing at Lydda demonstrates that the power of the risen Christ continued to work through the apostles. Peter's declaration 'Jesus Christ heals you' made clear that the miracle was not Peter's doing but Christ's. The mass conversion that followed shows how God used miraculous signs to authenticate the gospel message and draw entire communities to faith. Lydda's location at a major crossroads is theologically fitting — the gospel was spreading outward from Jerusalem along the very trade routes that connected nations.
Historical Background
Archaeological evidence at Lod includes remains from multiple periods of occupation. The site's strategic location at the junction of major routes made it valuable to every power that controlled the region. During the Maccabean wars, Lydda changed hands multiple times as Seleucid and Jewish forces contended for control of the coastal lowlands. Under Rome, it was an administrative center. Rabbinic sources mention Lydda as a seat of learning after 70 AD, and it hosted important discussions on Jewish law. The Crusaders identified it as the home of Saint George and built a major church there, ruins of which survive today.