Church of St. George and mosque of El Khidr, Lod (Lynda)

The site traces its sacred history to the fifth century, built over the traditional birthplace and tomb of St. George, a Roman soldier martyred in 303 CE who became one of the most widely venerated saints in Christianity and, under the name Al-Khidr, a revered figure in Islam.

According to Christian tradition, George was born in Lydda to a noble Christian family. During Emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians, George, a Roman officer, refused to renounce his faith. He was subjected to prolonged torture and beheaded in 303 CE. His remains were returned to Lydda for burial, and a church was built over the site within two centuries.

The dragon legend that became inseparable from St. George's identity is a later addition, popularized by the thirteenth-century Golden Legend. Scholars have noted that the myth may have roots in the story of Perseus slaying a sea monster at nearby Joppa, with the pagan hero's narrative transferring to the Christian saint as the cultural landscape shifted.

In Islamic tradition, Al-Khidr appears in Surah Al-Kahf (18:65-82) as a servant of God endowed with divine knowledge who guides the prophet Musa through a series of perplexing acts that ultimately reveal hidden divine purposes. His name means the Green One, because barren land turned verdant wherever he sat. Unlike most prophetic figures, Al-Khidr is understood in many Islamic traditions as immortal, still present in the world, appearing to spiritual seekers in moments of need.

How these two figures came to share a single sacred site remains partly mysterious. The convergence appears organic rather than imposed, growing from centuries of proximity between Christian and Muslim communities in Lydda who found in their respective traditions a figure of parallel significance.