City

Lydda

LID-uh · Modern Lod, Israel · Also called Lod

Lydda is a city of the biblical world, known today as Lod, Israel.

What is known

Where Peter healed the paralyzed Aeneas, leading many locals to faith (Acts 9:32-35)

History

Founded: An ancient town on the coastal plain, inhabited since at least the Chalcolithic period
Population: Estimated 3,000–5,000 residents in the 1st century AD — a substantial Judean market town
Coordinates: 31.9514° N, 34.8867° E

Archaeology

A 1996 salvage excavation uncovered the Lod Mosaic, a lavishly decorated Roman villa floor (c. AD 300) depicting animals, fish, birds, and ships in over 2 million tesserae — now displayed at the Lod Mosaic Archaeological Center. Broader digs have documented continuous stratigraphy from the Chalcolithic period through late antiquity.

Detail of sea creatures on the Roman-period Lod Mosaic, c. AD 300 — source & licence

Detail of a dove from the Lod Mosaic, part of an elite Roman-era residence — source & licence

Scripture references

Acts 9:32-35

On a modern map

Lydda today

More places

Capstone Bible is a free interactive study app — a map of every place in this library, a zoomable timeline of biblical and church history, the Bible text with every name in it linked to its article, reading plans and personal notes.

Open Capstone Bible