Old Jaffa in Tel Aviv

The stories of origin of Old Jaffa in Tel Aviv is enmeshed with biblical tales thus attributing antiquity as well as religious sanctity to the place. The etymology of the name Jaffa is itself mired by conflicting beliefs. Some believe that the name comes from Noah’s son, Japhet, who is said to have founded the city following the Great Flood. Others, who choose to differ, claim that the name can be traced to the Hebrew word ‘Yofi’, which means ‘beauty’- the sight of this splendid port lends great sense to the belief.

The archeological findings reveal that Jaffa was an important port city about 4,000 years ago. Both the Egyptians and Phoenicians used the port in their numerous sea expeditions. Historians credit Old Jaffa at Tel Aviv for being the only port which had an unbroken history of human habitation. The bible is rife with stories that put a mention on Old Jaffa. One such account speaks of the passage of cedars belonging to King Solomon from Lebanon through Old Jaffa of Tel Aviv. It was here that Simon the Tanner had lived and here that Apostle Peter caused a miracle to occur.

Old Jaffa had to pass through a period of overwhelming poverty in the mid nineteenth century. It was not until the series of efforts launched by the Israel starting from 1968 that the port’s glory was rightfully returned.

Old Jaffa is one of the chief attractions of in Tel Aviv. Especially beautiful is the harbor of Old Jaffa, which looks magnificent with the teeming city in the background. The cobbled paths of Old Jaffa that wound around the scenic gardens and the salty immediacy of the flowing Mediterranean Sea combine to add a strange enchantment to the port. Old Jaffa, with its old world charms, is a wonderful counterpoint to the busting city of Tel Aviv.