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Joppa (Jaffa, Yafo) Tour & Overview

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Places of Interest

Joppa Overview

 

Location

 

1. Joppa (Jaffa or Yafo), is one of the oldest port cities in the land of Israel and the Mediterranean area.

 

2. It's located on a hill and has a strategic location on the crossroads of Israel, and the main travel routes linking Africa with Asia and Europe. This travel route was called the “Via Maris.”

 

3. Joppa is located about 45 miles (72 km.) west of Jerusalem.

 

Historical Background

 

1. Legend holds that the founder of Joppa (also called Jaffa) was Japheth, one of Noah’s sons.

 

2. Joppa was inhabited by the Canaanites, the Egyptians, the Israelites, the Greeks, Romans, and continuing until modern times.

 

3. Joppa was the main seaport and entry gate to Israel for thousands of years until just before the time of Christ when Herod the Great built another seaport at Caesarea, about 35 miles (56 km.) north of Joppa.

 

Places of Interest 

 

1. Simon the Tanner's House

Acts 10:1-8: Now there was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and made many charitable contributions to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually. 3 About the ninth hour of the day [3:00 pm] he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who had just come in and said to him, “Cornelius!” 4 And he looked at him intently and became terrified, and said, “What is it, lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers and charitable gifts have ascended as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6 he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who spoke to him left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier from his personal attendants, 8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

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  • Entering the house is not allowed at this time because of an ongoing dispute between Christians and Muslims over who the owner is.

 2. Egyptian fortress, built by Ramses II, in about 1250 BC.

 3. Tel Joppa (Jaffa, Yafo)

 4. St. Peter's Monastery

 5. Old City Joppa

 6. Abrasha Park

 7. The Suspended Orange Tree

 8. Old Sea Port

 9. Alma Beach by Joppa

10. Ilana Goor Museum

12. Jaffa Museum

13. Old Jaffa Market
14. Kedumim Square

 

Joppa In the Bible

 

1. The seaport of Joppa is where the trees of Lebanon arrived that Solomon used to build the Temple in Jerusalem around 950 BC. 2 Chronicles 2:16: Hiram king of Tyre replied by letter to Solomon - And we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may take it up to Jerusalem.

 

2. Joppa was also the seaport from which King Solomon’s ships came and went on their journeys around the known world at that time.

 

3. Joppa was the seaport from which Jonah sailed when he attempted to disobey the Lord’s calling and flee to Tarshish rather than preach a message of repentance to the Ninevites.

Jonah 1:3: But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD.

 

4. Joppa was the seaport where logs arrived for rebuilding the second temple after the return of the Israelites from their deportations in about 535 BC.

Ezra 3:7: So they gave money to the masons and the carpenters, and food, drink, and oil to the Sidonians and the Tyrians to bring cedar trees from Lebanon to the sea, to Joppa, according to the grant that they had from Cyrus king of Persia.

 

5. After preaching to the Ethiopian Eunuch, Philip the Evangelist passed through Joppa preaching the gospel on his way to Caesarea.

Acts 8:39–40: When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip found himself at Azotus (modern-day Ashdod), and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.

 

6. Joppa was the place a famous woman, Dorcas, lived and was raised from the dead.

Acts 9:36-43: Now there was in Joppa a disciple named Tabitha, which, translated, means Dorcas. She was full of good works and acts of charity. 37 In those days she became ill and died, and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, urging him, "Please come to us without delay." 39 So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them. 40 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 And he stayed in Joppa for many days with one Simon, a tanner.

 

7. Simon the Tanner lived in Joppa, and it was the place the Apostle Peter was staying when he received the vision to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

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Acts 10:5: Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; 6 he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.” 7 When the angel who spoke to him left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier from his personal attendants, 8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

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Acts 10:9-15: The next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. 10 And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance 11 and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth. 12 In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."  14 But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." 15 And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common.

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Faith Lesson from Joppa

 

1. Jonah disobeyed the Lord here and ran from the presence of the Lord. Are we running away from something God wants us to do?

 

2. Peter obeyed the Lord here, trusted in God, and took the gospel to the Gentiles in Caesarea. Are we taking the gospel to those around us?

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3. When we obey, we find life, and when we disobey, we find destruction and problems. What kind of problems are we facing because of some area of disobedience in our lives?

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Antonia Fortress

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Bethany: Tomb of Lazarus

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Chapel of the Ascension: Ascension & Return of Christ

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Church of the Holy Sepulchre

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City of David Overview

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Death, Burial, Resurrection of Christ

 

Dominus Flevit Church: Triumphal Entry

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Eastern Gate

 

Garden of Gethsemane: Church of All Nations

 

Gordon's Garden Tomb

 

Gethsemane to Golgotha:

Christ's Path to the Cross

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Hezekiah's Broad Wall

 

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House of Caiaphas: Peter's Denial of Christ

 

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Mary's Tomb

 

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Pater Noster Church: Lord's Prayer, Olivet Discourse

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Pilate's Palace: Trial of Jesus

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Pools of Bethesda & St. Anne 

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Pool of Siloam

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Prophecy, Proof the Bible Is True: Mount of Olives

 

Solomon's Temple

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Southern Stairs/Davidson Archaeological Site

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Temple Location

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Temple Cleansing by Jesus

 

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Tomb of King David

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Tombs of the Prophets

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The Old Testament Feasts & Jesus

 

The Upper Room

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Via Dolorosa

 

History Of Jerusalem's Walls and Gates

 

Western Wall & Tunnels Tour

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Sea of Galilee Overview

 

Bethsaida

 

Calling of the Disciples

 

Capernaum: Jesus' Ministry Base

 

Chorazin

 

Feeding the 5,000

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Gennesaret: Jesus Boat

 

Jesus Walks on Water, Calms the Sea

 

Kursi: Demonic Man Healed

 

Magdala: Mary Magdalene

 

Mount Arbel: The Great Commission

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Mount of Beatitudes

 

Sower's Cove: Parables of the Kingdom

 

Tabgha: Restoration of Peter

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Yardenit Baptismal Site

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Beth Shean

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Beth Shean Amphitheater

 

Caesarea Maritima Overview

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Caesarea Maritima: Holy Spirit Given to the Gentiles

 

Caesarea Philippi

 

Cana: First Miracle of Jesus

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Church of the Annunciation & St. Joseph Church

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Dan (City of Dan)

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Gideon's Spring

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Hazor

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Jezreel Overview

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Jordan River Overview

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Megiddo: Armageddon

 

Mount Carmel & Elijah

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Mount Tabor: Transfiguration of Christ

 

Nazareth Overview

 

Nazareth: Mt. Precipice

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Sepphoris (Tsipori, Zippori)

 

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Ai

 

Bethel

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Beth-Shemesh

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Ein Karem (Kerem)

 

Emmaus Road 

 

Gezer: On Crossroads of the World

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Gibeon - Nabi Samwil

 

Gilgal

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Inn of the Good Samaritan

 

Jericho ~ Tell Es-Sultan

 

Joppa (Jaffa, Yafo) Overview

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Jordan River: Crossing into the Promised Land

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Jordan River Baptismal Site of Jesus (Qsar al-Yahud)

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Judean Wilderness

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Judean Wilderness: Testing of Jesus

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Mount Nebo & Moses

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Philistine Cities of Ashkelon, Ashdod, Gaza, Ekron, Gath

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Qumran: Dead Sea Scrolls

 

Samaria (Sabastia)

 

Shechem

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Shechem: Jacob's Well

 

Shiloh: Center of Worship

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St. George's Monastery (Wadi Qelt)

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Timnah: Life of Samson

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Valley of Elah: David & Goliath

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Other Sites In Central Israel

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Southern Israel Sites

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Arad

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Ashdod

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Ashkelon

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Beer Sheba: The Patriarchs

 

Bethlehem Overview

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Bethlehem: Church of Nativity

 

Bethlehem: David & the Psalms

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Bethlehem: Naomi, Ruth, Boaz

 

Bethlehem: Shepherds' Field

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Dead Sea Area

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Ekron

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En-Gedi: Living Waters

 

Exodus, Red Sea Crossing, Mt. Sinai

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Gath

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Gaza

 

Hebron Overview

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Hebron Caves of Machpelah

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Herodian (Herodium) Fortress

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Oaks of Mamre, Hebron

 

Kadesh Barnea

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Lachish

 

Masada

 

Mount Sinai

 

Sodom & Gomorrah

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The Philistines & Their City Strongholds

 

Timna Park: Tabernacle, Moses

 

Other Sites In Southern Israel

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Other Biblical Sites

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Exodus, Red Sea Crossing, Mt. Sinai

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Madaba ( Map), Jordan

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Mount Nebo & Moses

 

Noah's Ark & the Great Flood

 

Noah's Ark Location

 

Petra, Jordan

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What Is the Reason for the War and Conflicts in Israel and the Middle East?

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