ANCIENT JAFFA.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 208, 18 September 1937, Page 4

ANCIENT JAFFA.

Reeonsfruction of the ancient port of Jaffa calls attention to this old Bible City and the improvements which are being carried out there, states the Monitor. Upon harbour improvements alone a sum of over £300,000 has been spent. Jaffa's slum area is being cleared away, new roads in and out of the town have been built; in other words, Jaffa, the Joppa of the ScripturCs, is being rapidly modernised. What the engineers have done has been to reconstruct the old harbour of Solomon's days. The historic town is built on a picturesque rocky hill 130 feet high, precipitous on its seaward side which projects into the blue Mediterranean in a slight cape heading northwestward. This rocky headland is guarded from the violence of the waves and tempests by a rocky reef, built up hy the ceaseless contributions of tiny marine mollusca. The rocks form a belt running almost straight from north to south. They lie just awash about 300 to 400 feet from the shore. Between this reef and the shore lies a fairsized sheet of shallow water, capable of accommo*dating 200 lightcrS and a few small sailing craft. In Hebrew times this sheltered sheet of water was not only more commodious tlian it is to-day, hut much hetter protected. Evidence Jndicates that the little bay extended farther inland. It is this ancient refuge used hy the ships of Solomon's navy which the engineers have restored.