Joppa
Joppa is a coastal city west of Jerusalem about thirty miles, and it has served as a port city for millennia. When King Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem (ca. 970 B.C.), the timber he used was cut in Lebanon, north of Israel, and then transported by sea to Joppa (Japho). From there it was brought to Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 2:12-16).
Years later, God directed the prophet Jonah to travel east to the Assyrian capital of Ninevah and preach to turn them to worship God. Jonah instead fled to the west, sailing from the port at Joppa (Jonah 1:1-3).
This city also figured into the story of the spread of Christianity to the Gentiles (non-Jews). In Acts 9:36-43, Peter the apostle resurrected a recently-departed Christian named Tabitha (Dorcas). While he was staying in Joppa at the home of Simon, who tanned animal skins into leather, a Roman centurion named Cornelius was directed by an angel to send for Peter and ask him to come to see the centurion in Caesarea, a city on the Mediterranean coast north of Joppa. Peter was directed by God to go and see Cornelius, and when the apostle arrived at the Roman’s home, he preached about Jesus to Cornelius and his gathered family and friends. Cornelius and those with him were then immersed into Christ and became the first non-Jewish Christians (Acts 10:1-48).
Ancient Joppa served as an important port city for Israel.
Located very near the port and shoreline, this is alleged to be the spot of Simon the Tanner's house at which the representatives of Cornelius came to see Peter (Acts 10).
When Peter subsequently returned to Jerusalem, he had to defend himself to Jewish Christians who were displeased that the apostle had gone to a Gentile’s home. Peter related that he had been sent by God, that the Gentiles had received the Holy Spirit in the same way the apostles had on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), and they had been baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. When the Jewish Christians heard this, they gave thanks to God that salvation was also extended to non-Jews (Acts 11:1-18).
Modern Yafo is part of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. Tel Aviv, the capital of Israel, is a center of business, science and technology, education, and the arts.