Lod

Lod (Hebrew: לוֹד‬; Arabic: اَلْلُدّْ‎, al-Ludd; Greco-Latin Lydda) is a ceety locatit on the Sharon Plain 15 km (9.3 mi) sootheast o Tel Aviv in the Center Destrict o Israel. In 2015 it haed a population o 72,819. Israel's main internaitional airport, Ben Gurion International Airport (previously cried Lydda Airport, RAF Lydda, an Lod Airport) is locatit in the ceety. Etymology The Ebreu name Lod appears in the bible as a toun o Benjamin, foondit bi Shamed or Shamer (1 Chronicles 8:12; Ezra 2:33; Nehemiah 7:37; 11:35). In the New Testament it appears as its Greek form, Lydda. The ceety an aa fynds reference in an Islamic Hadith, as the location o the battlefield whaur 'Dajjal' (the Anti-Christ) will be slayed afore the Day o Judgment. Airchaeology A well-preserved mosaic floor datin tae the Roman period wis excavatit in 1996 as pairt o a salvage dig conductit on behauf o the Israel Antiquities Authority an the Municipality o Lod, prior tae widenin HeHalutz Street. The mosaic wis covered ower wi soil at the conclusion o the excavation for lack o funds tae conserve an develop the steid. The mosaic is now part of the Lod Mosaic Archaeological Center. Sports The ceety's major soccer club, Hapoel Bnei Lod, plays in Liga Leumit (the seicont diveesion). Its hame base is Lod Municipal Stadium. The club wis formed bi a merger o Bnei Lod an Rakevet Lod in the 1980s. Twa ither clubs in the ceety play in the regional leagues: Hapoel MS Ortodoxim Lod in Liga Bet an Maccabi Lod in Liga Gimel. Hapoel Lod played in the top diveesion durin the 1960s an 1980s, an wan the State Cup in 1984. The club fauldit in 2002. A new club, Hapoel Maxim Lod (named efter umwhile mayor Maxim Levy) wis established suin efter, but fauldit in 2007. Notable residents DAM, a hip-hop group Saunt George, Roman sodger an martyr George Habash (1926–2008), foonder o the Popular Front for the Liberation o Palestine Tamer Nafar, rapper Salim Tuama, fitbawer Internaitional Relations Twin towns - sister cities Lod is twinned wi: Piatra Neamţ, Romanie References Notes Freemit airtins Ceety cooncil Archived 2011-12-12 at the Wayback Machine (in Ebreu) al-Lydd Archived 2009-01-07 at the Wayback Machine Palestine Remembered Lydda (Lod) Archived 2008-12-01 at the Wayback Machine, Jewish Agency for Israel