Where is Jaffa?
Jaffa is located 35 miles west of Jerusalem and is today a suburb of the Israeli city Tel Aviv. At various times it was under the control of the Egyptians and it was colonized by the Greeks during the Hellenistic age. Romans destroyed it at least twice, with the last occurring when Vespasian conquered Judea during the Jewish Revolt. Why is Jaffa important? Jerusalem’s maritime trade and travel passed through the port of Jaffa. Lebanese cedars for both the First and Second Temples passed through this port, according to the Old Testament. Jonah sailed from here in order to escape God’s commands for him. The first Zionists arrived via Jaffa and countless pilgrims passed through its streets on their way to other locales. Jaffa remained the primary port of the region right up through the 1920s, when Haifa’s port was dug. Today major commercial and passenger ships bypass it completely. A quick overview of Joffa/Joppa’s history… The earliest known written reference to Joppa is found in inscri
