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3 unusual facts about Lydda


Kalandia

In 1949, UNWRA established a refugee camp in the area, 11 kilometers from Jerusalem, for Palestinians refugees from Lydda, Ramle and Jerusalem victims of the 1948 Palestinian exodus.

Operation Danny

The first phase of Operation Danny was to capture the cities of Lydda and Ramle, located on the road to Jerusalem, southeast of Tel Aviv.

Woodhead Commission

Three mandated territories under British control: all of the Galilee (initial population 77,300 Jews and 231,400 Arabs), an enclave including Jerusalem and Lydda (initial population 80,100 Jews and 211,400 Arabs), and the Negev region from north of Beersheva (initially 60,000 Arabs).


1946 in Mandatory Palestine

25 February – Irgun and Lehi members blow up dozens of British military aircraft in airports at Lydda, Qastina and Sirkin.

Barfiliya

During the rule of the Roman Empire in Palestine, a road was built that connected Lydda to Jerusalem and passed through Barfiliya and other villages like Beit Liqya, Biddu and Beit Iksa.

Diospolis

Lod in modern Israel, Colonia Lucia Septimia Severa Diospolis, Byzantine Lydda

Emmaus

Many sites have been suggested for the biblical Emmaus, among them Emmaus Nicopolis (ca. 160 stadia from Jerusalem), Kiryat Anavim (66 stadia from Jerusalem on the carriage road to Jaffa), Coloniya (36 stadia on the carriage road to Jaffa), el-Kubeibeh (63 stadia, on the Roman road to Lydda), Artas (60 stadia from Jerusalem) and Khurbet al-Khamasa (86 stadia on the Roman road to Eleutheropolis).

Jean-Baptiste-Joseph Gobel

Gobel was ordained a Catholic priest in 1750 and then became a member of the cathedral chapter of the Prince-Bishopric of Basel, Nicolas de Montjoie, based in Porrentruy, In 1771 he was appointed the auxiliary bishop of the diocese for the section that was situated in French territory, being named by the Holy See as a titular bishop in partibus of Lydda.

Maximus of Jerusalem

He was a priest in Jerusalem, and it is said by Sozomen that he was so popular among the people for good character and for being a confessor that that when Saint Macarius attempted to appoint him as bishop of Lydda (also known as Diospolis) the populace insisted upon his retention in Jerusalem.

Moshe Kelman

On 12 July 1948, during Operation Danny, Kelman was in command of the 3rd Battalion in Lydda.

Palestine Railways P class

By 1956 diesels had taken over the main line services and steam workings were largely confined to the central part of the country around Lod (formerly Lydda).

The mainstays of its locomotive fleet were its 50 H class 4-6-0s built by Baldwin in Pennsylvania in 1918, covering most duties on the main line between Haifa in Palestine and El Kantara East on the Suez Canal in Egypt via Lydda, Gaza and El Arish.

Pursuit to Haritan

On 13 October they travelled by train from El Hamman to Alexandria on the Khedivial Railway to reach railhead at Lydda on 15 October.


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