Jaffa

===Classical antiquity===
In the late 8th century BC, [[Sennacherib]], king of [[Assyria]], recorded conquering Jaffa from its sovereign, the [[Philistines|Philistine]] king of [[Ashkelon]].<ref name=":2" />

After a period of [[Neo-Babylonian Empire|Babylonian occupation]], under [[Achaemenid Empire|Persian rule]], Jaffa was governed by [[Phoenicians]] from Tyre.{{Citation needed|date=June 2018}}

[[Alexander the Great]]'s troops were stationed in Jaffa. It later became a [[port city]] of the [[Seleucid Empire]] until it was taken over by the [[Maccabees]] ({{bibleverse|1 Maccabees|10:74–76}}) around 143 BCE, and was ruled by the [[Hasmonean dynasty]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2018}} [[Strabo]], writing in the early 1st century CE, describes Joppa as a location from which it is possible to see Jerusalem, the capital of the Jews, and writes that the Jews used it as their naval arsenal when they descended to the sea.<ref>Strabo, ''[[Geographica]]'', 16.2.28</ref> According to [[Josephus]], however, the harbor at Jaffa was inferior to that of [[Caesarea Maritima|Caesarea]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Josephus |author-link=Josephus |title=Josephus Complete Works |publisher=Kregel Publications |translator=[[William Whiston]] |date=1981|location=Grand Rapids, Michigan |page=331|isbn=0-8254-2951-X }}, s.v. ''[[Antiquities of the Jews|Antiquities]]'' [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0146%3Abook%3D15%3Asection%3D331 15.9.6.] (15.331)</ref>

During the [[First Jewish–Roman War]], Jaffa was captured and burned by [[Cestius Gallus]]. The Roman Jewish historian [[Josephus]] (Jewish War 2.507–509, 3:414–426) writes that 8,400 inhabitants were massacred. [[Piracy|Pirates]] operating from the rebuilt port incurred the wrath of [[Vespasian]], who razed the city and erected a [[citadel]] in its place, installing a Roman garrison there.{{Citation needed|date=June 2018}}

During the first centuries of Christianity, Jaffa was a fairly unimportant Roman and [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantine]] locality, which only in the 5th century became a bishopric.<ref>[[Michel Le Quien]], ''Oriens Christianus'', III, 627.</ref> A very small number of its Greek or Latin bishops are known.<ref>[[Michel Le Quien]], ''Oriens Christianus'', III, 625–30, 1291; [[Konrad Eubel]], ''Hierarchia catholica medii aevi'', Munich, I, 297; II, 186.</ref><ref>''[[Catholic Encyclopedia]]'', [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08268a.htm]</ref>

;Religious narratives
{{religious text|section|date=January 2024}}
The [[New Testament]] account of [[Saint Peter]] bringing back to life the widow [[Dorcas]] (recorded in [[Acts of the Apostles]], {{bibleverse-nb||Acts|9:36–42}}, takes place in Jaffa, then called in Greek {{lang|grc|Ἰόππη}} ([[latinization of names|Latinized]] as ''Joppa''). {{bibleverse||Acts|10:10–23}} relates that, while Peter was in Jaffa, he had a vision of a large sheet filled with [[Kosher foods|"clean"]] and "unclean" animals being lowered from heaven, together with a message from the [[Holy Spirit]] telling him to accompany several messengers to [[Cornelius the Centurion|Cornelius]] in [[Caesarea Maritima]]. Peter retells the story of his vision in {{bibleverse||Acts|11:4–17}}, explaining how he had come to preach [[Christianity]] to the [[gentile]]s.

In ''[[Midrash halakha|Midrash]] Tanna'im'' in its chapter {{bibleverse|Deuteronomy|33:19}}, reference is made to [[Jose ben Halafta]] (2nd century) traveling through Jaffa. Jaffa seems to have attracted serious Jewish scholars in the 4th and 5th century. The [[Jerusalem Talmud]] (compiled 4th and 5th century) in ''Moed Ketan'' references [[Rabbi Aha|Rabi Akha bar Khanina]] of Jaffa; and in ''Pesachim'' chapter 1 refers to [[Phinehas ben Jair|Rabi Pinchas ben Yair]] of Jaffa. The [[Babylonian Talmud]] (compiled 5th century) in ''Megillah'' 16b mentions Rav Adda Demin of Jaffa. ''[[Leviticus Rabbah]]'' (compiled between 5th and 7th century) mentions Rav Nachman of Jaffa. The ''[[Pesikta Rabbati]]'' (written in the 9th century) in chapter 17 mentions R. Tanchum of Jaffa.<ref>{{citation |author= Rabbi Joseph Schwarz |title= Descriptive Geography and Brief Historical Sketch of Palestine |access-date=31 May 2011 |url= http://www.shechem.org/machon/schwarz/palestine/tribe_of_dan.html |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110621063020/http://shechem.org/machon/schwarz/palestine/tribe_of_dan.html |archive-date= 21 June 2011 }}</ref> Several streets and alleys of the Jaffa Flea Market area are named after these scholars.