The many names of Lod are evidence of its antiquity, spanning 3,500 years: Ratan, Led, Lydda, Saint George, Diospolis, Lid, and Lod today.

Archaeological excavations conducted in Lod indicate that it dates back to the Chalcolithic Period (Cooper Age 3500 BCE). Lod is also mentioned in the writings of Josephus and in the Onomasticon of Eusebius, who lived in Caesarea in the 4th century CE.

The location of Lod on the road from the coast to the lowlands and from there to Jerusalem, as well as on the road connecting Egypt and Syria, placed it on the map throughout the ages.

There is clear evidence of Jewish settlement in Lod dating back to the reign of Josiah in the Biblical period, through the Hellenistic period and the Hasmonean kingdom, and into the Roman period. In 48 BCE, during the reign of Julius Caesar, Lod became an important provincial city. After the destruction of the Second Temple, many Jews immigrated to Lod and, under the leadership of Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkanos, a chosen disciple of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai, they established an organized community with public institutions, a Beit Midrash study hall, a school, a synagogue, and the Sanhedrin gathered there.

In 118 CE, the Jews of Lod participated in a revolt against Roman rule. The revolt was brutally suppressed and many Jews were killed. The same happened during the Bar Kokhba revolt (132-135 CE), after which many Jews migrated north to the Galilee. With the Arab conquest in 640 CE, the Jewish community in Lod was destroyed.

When Christianity began to spread in the Second Century CE, Christian pilgrims came to Lod to visit the tomb of Saint George, known today as Saint George the Dragon Slayer, Patron Saint of England.

The Arabs called Lod “Lyd,” and when they built Ramla in 716, it took Lod's place as a central city. During the Crusader Period (1099-1266), which was marked by wars between Christians and Muslims, Lod changed hands several times. The Crusaders entered Lod when its Muslim residents fled, and found the ruins of St. George's Church, which they restored and used as a fortress on the road to Jerusalem. Later, the Muslims, led by Saladin (Salah ad-Din), returned and conquered the city. However, Christians and Muslims continued to live side by side in Lod.

The conquest of the country by the Mamluks was good for Lod, after the Mamluk ruler Baybars destroyed the coastal cities for fear of a Crusader invasion, thus strengthening Lod's position, which became a district capital. Baybars built the Jindas Bridge over one of the tributaries of the Ayalon River, at the northern entrance to the city. The bridge still stands today.

During the Ottoman rule, Lod was a marginal city near Ramla, the provincial capital, and all records indicate that it declined from its former glory. However, pilgrims continued to visit the ruined Church of St. George and the city's green surroundings.

After Lod came under British rule in 1917, work began on rebuilding the railway line to Jerusalem, and the line was even extended from Egypt through Lod to Haifa. When the British established civil rule in the country in 1920, Lod became the provincial capital, thus regaining its former status. From: Aner Zeev, 2001, Stories of Cities, Ministry of Defense Publishing.

The convenient flat topography and central location of Lod have enabled it to serve as a major crossroads in the country throughout the generations, as it is today.

This explains why, despite the crises that Lod has undergone throughout the generations: wars, conquests, changes of government, periods of depression, and earthquakes, the city has always recovered thanks to its primary function as a major transportation hub in Israel.

From: Zohar Baram, From Emmaus to Lod: From the Lowlands (Shefela) to the Sea