Jaffa

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, just two hundred years ago, the land of the Bible was to that generation what the moon was to our grandparents: glowing, desirable, remote, desolate, and completely mysterious.

Ironically, it was Napoleon’s failed attempt to break the Turkish rule that began opening the door to the West. First came the adventurers and explorers. Then the Western consulates in Jerusalem. Then the tourists, pilgrims, and immigrants, photographers, scholars, curiosity seekers, and travel agents – until by the close of the nineteenth century, the land of the Bible was no longer as remote as the moon; it was as close as a steamer trip across the Mediterranean.

For nearly all these travelers, the Jaffa coastline was the first thing they saw. Thanks to numerous rocks in its harbor (including Andromeda’s Rock from Greek mythology, pictured below), they made the trip to land in rowboats, battered by the surf.

They landed at the port once used by Solomon to transport cedars from Lebanon to Jerusalem for the Temple, and by Jonah in his flight away from Nineveh. Yes, Jaffa is Joppa. Here, in New Testament times, was the house of Simon the tanner, where the apostle Peter used to stay.

Today most travelers arrive at the Ben Gurion Airport, a few miles inland, and Jaffa is a colorful, historic town with artist’s shops, a flea market, and little restaurants along the shore. Just a short walk up the beach is the ultra-modern Tel Aviv.