Lod

Lod (Hebrew לוד; Arab اللد, DMG al - Ludd ) is a city in Israel. It is located in the central district about 20 kilometers east of Tel Aviv on the River Ayalon. Until 1948, the city had the name of Lydda. 2007 Lod had nearly 67,000 inhabitants.

History and Significance

Lod was due to its location on the road from Jaffa to Jerusalem in ancient times an important transportation hub.

According to biblical representation ( 1 Chronicles 8, 12) Lod was founded in the conquest of the Israelites from the tribe of Benjamin. After the destruction by the Assyrians Lod was settled in the 5th century BC, and receive the following century by the settlement of Greeks the name of Lydda.

The book of Acts (chapter 9, 32 ) reported that Peter in Lod healed a man. In the year 67 the Romans took the city and renamed them in Diospolis (City of Zeus ). From the 4th century to Lod was predominantly Christian. Significance, the city had a birth and burial place of Saint George, which occupies a special position in Islam. In the city, a Byzantine basilica was built, which was destroyed.

With the establishment of the neighboring Ramla by the Arabs in the year 717 Lod lost its importance because Ramla rose to the capital of the administrative province. With the beginning of the Crusader period a church was built in Lod at the old place again; after the fall of the Crusader kingdom built by the Muslims next to the church, the " al - Chudr Mosque ". Today, the end of the 19th century located in the building complex was rebuilt George's Church and the said mosque.

Today's city

The local train station is in its overall system of passenger and freight depot of the largest in the country and at the same time its most important railway junction. Even in the British Mandate of the Ben- Gurion airport was built north of Lod, after the creation of Israel became a civilian airport. During the Palestine war was driven eastward in July 1948, the Arab population ( to Ramallah and Jordan); However, Lod has today again a comparatively large Arab population. The population is Jewish to 80.3 %, 18.6% Muslim, and Christian to be 1.1%.

Attractions

In 1996, the large Roman Mosaic from Lod was found dating from around 300 AD, which supposedly is the largest mosaic in Israel with 180 sqm. At the site of the mosaic museum is currently under construction.

Sons of the city

• George of Cappadocia, the Arian bishop of the 4th century
• George Habash (1926-2008), radical Palestinian leader
• The members of Dam are born every three in Lod