Biblical-Site-Guide

15) JAFFA
Summary: The ancient port city of Jaffa (Joppa) lies on Israel’s Mediterranean coast just south
of the modern city of Tel Aviv. Jaffa has biblical significance both in the Old and New
Testaments. In the Old Testament, Jaffa was the main seaport to which cedars from Lebanon
would arrive to be transported to Jerusalem for the building of Solomon’s temple. Jonah
sailed from Jaffa when fleeing to Tarshish, choosing to disobey God’s command to go to
Ninevah. Cedars from Lebanon would once more be shipped through the Jaffa port for the
rebuilding of the temple after its destruction by the Babylonians. In the New Testament Book
of Acts, Peter raised Dorcas to life in Jaffa and had a vision from God on the housetop of
Simon the tanner, showing him that the message of Jesus should be taken beyond the Jewish
world into the Gentile world. As a side note, perhaps it is no coincidence that God chose to
show this to Peter in an ancient port, crucial to the import and export of items to and from the
land of Israel. In this case, the good news of Jesus was being exported to the nations!