Mirata ruinas Dor, urbis quondam potentissimae, et versa vice Stratonis turrem ab Herode, rege Iudaeae, in honorem Caesaris Augusti Caesaream nuncupatam, in qua Cornelii domum Christi vidit ecclesiam et Philippi aediculas et cubiculum quattuor virginum prophetarum, dein Antipatrida, semirutum oppidulum, quod patris ex nomine Herodes vocaverat, et Lyddam versam in Diospolim, Dorcadis atque Aeneae resurrectione ac sanitate inclitam, haut procul ab ea Arimathiam, viculum Ioseph, qui dominum sepelivit, et Nob, urbem quondam sacerdotum, nunc tumulos occisorum, Ioppen quoque, fugientis portum Ionae et ut aliquid perstringam de fabulis poetarum religatae ad saxum Andromedae spectatricem, repetitoque itinere Nicopolim, quae prius Emmaus vocabatur, apud quam in fractione panis cognitus Dominus Cleopae domum in ecclesiam dedicavit.
(Hieronymus, Ep. 108 - Peregr. Paulae, 8)

Hieronymus, Ep. 108 (Peregrinatio Paulae) 8 (385 A.D.)
She admired the ruins of Dor, a city once powerful, and Strato's Tower, which King Herod of Judaea had named Caesarea in honour of Caesar Au-gustus: in this city she saw the House of Cornelius which is a Christian church, the cells of Philip, and the chamber of the four virgins who prophesied. Then she came to Antipatris, a small half-ruined town which Herod had named after his father; and to Lydda, renamed Diospolis, famous because of the resurrection of Dorcas and the cure of Aeneas. Not far off she came to Arimathea, the village of the Joseph who buried the Lord, and to Nob, which had once been a city of priests, and was now a graveyard of the slain. And then she came to Joppa, the harbour from which Jonah fled and also, if I may be permitted to mentioning a story from one of the poets, the place which witnessed Andromeda bound to the rock. Then turning back, she reached Nico-polis, formerly called Emmaus, where the Lord made himself known to Cleophas in the breaking of bread, thus consecrating his house as a church.

BIBLICAL BACKGROUND

Acts 9:32-35 Peter cures a paralytic at Lydda
Now as Peter went here and there among all the believers, he came down also to the saints living in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!" And immediately he got up. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

MORE ANCIENT SOURCES

Theodosius, De situ Terrae Sanctae 4 (ca. 530 A.D.)
From Emmaus to Diospolis it is twelve miles, where Saint George was martyred: there too is his body, and at it many miracles take place.

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BYZANTINE ADMINISTRATIVE LISTS

Hierocles, Synecdemos 721:1-11 (7th cent. A.D.)
Province of Palaestina Prima, 22 cities under a consularis: Cesarea, Dora, Antipatris, Diospolis, Azotos on the sea, Azotos inland, Eleuteropolis, Aelia which is also Jerusalem, Neapolis, [Livias], Sebaste, Anthedon, Diocletianopolis, Sycamazon, Ono, Sozousa, Ioppe, Gaza, Raphia, Ascalon, Gazaris, Betylion.

Georgius Cyprius, 997-1027 (7th cent. A.D.)
Province of Palaestina Prima, Aelia-Jerusalem, Caesarea, Dora, Antipatris, Diospolis wich is also Georgiopolis, Iamnia, Nicopolis, Ono, Sozousa, Ioppe, Ascalon, Gaza, Raphia, Anthedon, Diocletianopolis, Eleutheropolis, Neapolis, Sebaste, region of Amathous, region of Jericho, region of Livias, region of Gadara, Azotos Paralos, Azotos, Sycomazon, Bitylion, Tricomias, Toxos, Canstantiniac Salton, Geraritic Salton wich is also Barsamon.

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EPISCOPAL CITY

Bishops' list
Zenas ?
Aetius, arian (A.D. 320, 325)
Maximus, future bishop of Jerusalem (A.D. 333)
Charisius, semi-arian (A.D. 359)
Dionysius (A.D. 381-400)
Photinus (A.D. 449-451)
Apollonius (A.D. 518)
Eustathius (IX cent. A.D.)

ICONOGRAPHIC PARALLELS

Tabula Peutingeriana
(4th cent. A.D.)
Luddis

Umm al Rasas: Church of St. Stephen
(8th cent. A.D.)
Diospolis