Lydda (titular see)
Encyclopedia
Lydda is a Catholic titular see
. The city of Lydda was in Palestina Prima in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem
.
, founded by Samad
of the tribe of Benjamin
. Some of its inhabitants were taken in captivity to Babylon, and some of them returned later.
About the middle of the second century BC, the city was given by the kings of Syria to the Maccabees
, who held it until the coming of Pompey
to Judea
. Julius Caesar
in 48 BC
gave Lydda to the Jews, but Cassius
in 44 BC
sold the inhabitants, who two years later were set at liberty by Mark Antony
.
The city also experienced civil wars and the revolt of the Jews against the Romans in the first century; it was then officially called Diospolis, but the popular name always remained Lod or Lydda. There were Christians in this locality from the first, and St. Peter, having come to visit them, there cured the paralytic Eneas.
The earliest known bishop is Aëtius
, a friend of Arius; the episcopal title of Lydda
has existed since that time in the Greek Patriarchate of Jerusalem. In December, 415, a council was held here which absolved the heretic Pelagius
, at the same time condemning his errors.
Lydda has been surnamed Georgiopolis in honour of the martyr St. George, who is said to have been a native of this town. The pilgrim Theodosius is the first to mention (about 530) the tomb of the martyr. A magnificent church erected above this tomb was rebuilt by the Crusaders, and partly restored in modern times by the Greeks, to whom the sanctuary belongs.
On the arrival of the Crusaders
in 1099 Lydda became the seat of a Latin see, many of whose titulars are known.
Titular see
A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular bishop", "titular metropolitan", or "titular archbishop"....
. The city of Lydda was in Palestina Prima in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem
The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem is the head bishop of the Orthodox Church of Jerusalem, ranking fourth of nine Patriarchs in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Since 2005, the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem has been Theophilos III...
.
History
It was the Biblical LodLod
Lod is a city located on the Sharon Plain southeast of Tel Aviv in the Center District of Israel. At the end of 2010, it had a population of 70,000, roughly 75 percent Jewish and 25 percent Arab.The name is derived from the Biblical city of Lod...
, founded by Samad
Samad
Samad is often a male Muslim given name. Aṣ-Ṣamad is one of names of God in the Qur'an, meaning "the Eternal".People with name in its simple form include:...
of the tribe of Benjamin
Tribe of Benjamin
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Benjamin בִּנְיָמִין was one of the Tribes of Israel.From after the conquest of the land by Joshua until the formation of the first Kingdom of Israel in c. 1050 BCE, the Tribe of Benjamin was a part of a loose confederation of Israelite tribes...
. Some of its inhabitants were taken in captivity to Babylon, and some of them returned later.
About the middle of the second century BC, the city was given by the kings of Syria to the Maccabees
Maccabees
The Maccabees were a Jewish rebel army who took control of Judea, which had been a client state of the Seleucid Empire. They founded the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled from 164 BCE to 63 BCE, reasserting the Jewish religion, expanding the boundaries of the Land of Israel and reducing the influence...
, who held it until the coming of Pompey
Pompey
Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, also known as Pompey or Pompey the Great , was a military and political leader of the late Roman Republic...
to Judea
Judea
Judea or Judæa was the name of the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel from the 8th century BCE to the 2nd century CE, when Roman Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina following the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt.-Etymology:The...
. Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
in 48 BC
48 BC
Year 48 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Caesar and Vatia...
gave Lydda to the Jews, but Cassius
Gaius Cassius Longinus
Gaius Cassius Longinus was a Roman senator, a leading instigator of the plot to kill Julius Caesar, and the brother in-law of Marcus Junius Brutus.-Early life:...
in 44 BC
44 BC
Year 44 BC was either a common year starting on Sunday or Monday or a leap year starting on Friday or Saturday of the Julian calendar and a common year starting on Sunday of the Proleptic Julian calendar...
sold the inhabitants, who two years later were set at liberty by Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
.
The city also experienced civil wars and the revolt of the Jews against the Romans in the first century; it was then officially called Diospolis, but the popular name always remained Lod or Lydda. There were Christians in this locality from the first, and St. Peter, having come to visit them, there cured the paralytic Eneas.
The earliest known bishop is Aëtius
Aetius
Aetius or Aëtius may refer to:* Aetius , 1st- or 2nd-century doxographer and Eclectic philosopher* Aëtius of Antioch, 4th-century Anomean theologian, called "Aetius the Atheist" by his Trinitarian enemies...
, a friend of Arius; the episcopal title of Lydda
Lydda
Lydda can refer to:*Lod, also named Lydda*Exodus from Lydda and Ramla, the Palestinian exodus from the city in July 1948...
has existed since that time in the Greek Patriarchate of Jerusalem. In December, 415, a council was held here which absolved the heretic Pelagius
Pelagius
Pelagius was an ascetic who denied the need for divine aid in performing good works. For him, the only grace necessary was the declaration of the law; humans were not wounded by Adam's sin and were perfectly able to fulfill the law apart from any divine aid...
, at the same time condemning his errors.
Lydda has been surnamed Georgiopolis in honour of the martyr St. George, who is said to have been a native of this town. The pilgrim Theodosius is the first to mention (about 530) the tomb of the martyr. A magnificent church erected above this tomb was rebuilt by the Crusaders, and partly restored in modern times by the Greeks, to whom the sanctuary belongs.
On the arrival of the Crusaders
Crusaders
The Crusaders are a New Zealand professional rugby union team based in Christchurch that competes in the Super Rugby competition. They are the most successful team in Super Rugby history with seven titles...
in 1099 Lydda became the seat of a Latin see, many of whose titulars are known.