Lydda

Lydda — also called Lod — is a town of Benjamin in the western Shephelah. It is named in three Old Testament passages: a Benjaminite genealogy that credits its founding, a return-from-exile census, and the post-exilic resettlement list. The town is paired repeatedly with Ono, and the surrounding plain is remembered as a settlement of artisans.

Foundation by the Sons of Elpaal

A Benjaminite genealogy attributes the building of Lod to the line of Elpaal: "And the sons of Elpaal: Eber, and Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod, with its towns" (1Chr 8:12). The town stands as a Benjaminite holding from its origin, joined with neighboring Ono.

Returnees from Exile

The exile-return register counts the men whose ancestry reached back to Lod: "The sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and five" (Ezr 2:33). The pairing with Hadid and Ono recurs.

Post-Exilic Resettlement

The resettlement record places Lod within a cluster centered on Ono: "Lod, and Ono, and the valley of craftsmen" (Neh 11:35). The "valley of craftsmen" identifies the surrounding plain by the trades practiced there.