On our first morning in Israel, my sisters and I took a cab to the ancient port of Jaffa, which is now part of Tel Aviv. Acording to Christian legend, Jaffa was named after Noah's son, Japhet, who built it after the flood. This could very well be true because archaeologists have determined that Jaffa has been in existence since 7,500 BCE and its natural harbor, serving both Egyptian and Phoenician sailors, has been in use since the Bronze Age.
Jaffa is mentioned several times in the Bible. In Joshua 19:46, cedar timbers used to construct King Solomon's temple arrived in Jaffa from Labanon. When Jonah fled from God he departed from this city (Jonah: 1:3). Ezra 3:7 refers to Jaffa as the port-of-entry for the cedars used in building the Second Temple of Jerusalem. Apostle Peter performed a miracle in Jaffa and Simon the tanner lived in Jaffa.
Our adventure began at Clock Square where we saw the the distinctive clocktower, built in 1906 in honor of Sultan Abdul Hamid II. We easily found our way to the historic town square and the famous Wishing Bridge where we located our zodiac sign, looked out to sea, and made our wishes. We climbed the steps to Jaffa Hill and posed for pictures at the restored Egyptian gates that are more than 3,500 years old. Walking down to the waterfront we gazed out to sea toward Andromeda rock, the rock to which beautiful Andromeda was chained in Greek mythology. We then walked through the market for a bit before heading back to the hotel.
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