May 21, 2017
I
have been in Tel Aviv - Jaffa for the last days of my visit to Israel. Sitting nearer Old
Jaffa and looking North up the coastline you can see for miles. You can easily see
builds up the coast 10-20 miles. There are beaches,
bike paths, and benches along the coast. I was able to rent a
bike in order to ride the coast. I rode for about an
hour.
The
old city of Jaffa is steeped in history going back several thousand years. The name Jaffa has a
number of possible origins, among which is the name Japheth, who was counted as
one of the sons of Noah. The descendants of
Japheth are thought to spread north into the people groups that include the
Europeans. If that is so, in a twist of irony, this may have been
where perhaps some of my ancestors might have been in ancient times. It really was quite
striking to consider that as a possibility. So here I am in an
ancient Gentile city where my ancestors might have lived or perhaps passed
through. The irony thickens when I realize that the city of Jaffa
is the city where Peter received the revelation considering the Gentiles. I also learned that
Jaffa was the port where cedars from Lebanon arrived for transportation to
Jerusalem for both the First Temple during the time of Solomon and the Second
Temple in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah.
At
the end of the day I went to a Mass in Hebrew at Saint Peter's Monastery. I felt comfortable,
but did not understand everything. One thing that stood
out to me was the epiclesis especially when I heard the word make holy (qodesh)
these gifts. I thought that I
would enjoy hearing the Mass said in Hebrew. I am not sure why I
did not, but I did enjoy the small chapel setting in which it took place.
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| Tel Aviv on the Mediterranean Sea |
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| Tel Aviv from Jaffa |
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Bike rentals near the beach
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| Old Jaffa Hostel where I stayed one night. |
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| This is the only grape vine I found during my time in Israel. It was growing on top the Old Jaffa Hostel. |
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| Roof of the Old Jaffa Hostel |
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| The Mediterranean Sea |
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| Common kitchen on the roof of the Old Jaffa Hostel |
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| One of my favorite pictures! |
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