Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-27

Jaffa Is the seaport OF Jerusalem now,
just as II was in the days Of Solomon, when
1t received the cedar and pine sent by
Hiram OF Tyre for the building Of the
great temple in Jerusalem. Jaffa is the
Joppa OF the Scriptures, and It Is one
Of the Oldest historical cities in the world.
II is described as a seaport of Importance
in existing tablets dating back fifteen
centuries before Christ. 1t is the. reputed
scene OF the legend Of Andromeda, and
in Pliny's time tourists were shown the
chains by which Andromeda was bound
to the rock fer the cruel monster after
wards slain by Perseus. Perhaps this
Greek legend was the development of the
yarns of Ionic sailormen, who had had
adventures in landing a cargo at this sea-
port of Canaan. For there was never a
seaport which offered so few advantages
and so many difficulties for mariners.
Nearly all visitors to the Holy Land dis
embark at Jaffa, and the experience Is
usually the most exciting and memorable
OF the whole journey to Palestine. There
Is no harbor, and the ships anchor in
an open roadstead. Passengers are taken
off in rowboats manned by crews of mag
nificently proportioned Arab boatmen, who
pilot their small craft through the channels
between the rocks upon which the break
ers lash themselves into foam. In the
best Of weather the landing is sufficiently
difficult to contain the element Of danger,
and If there is the least wind disembark-
alton is impossible. In such event the
passengers are carried on %northward to
Haifa, at the foot of Mt. Carmel. As
1t is ony a mornings railroad journey
from Jaffa to Jerusalem, and as 1t is a
three days wagon journey from Haifa to
Jerusalem, most people prefer to risk the
dangers OF the Jaffa landing.
Jaffa is associated in tradition and his
tory with many Of the greatest men the
werld has known, but 1t was not visited,
so far as is recorded, by Jesus. 1t was a
chief city of the Canaanitish regimes,
which preceded the Hebrew Empire Of
David and Solomon, 1t was an important
seaport used by Alexander the Great, 1t
was the scene of st. Peters vision, which
caused him to include the Gentiles within
his mission, it was the port of entry of
the successful Crusaders during the middle
ages, 1t was the base Of operations Of
Saladln, when he expelled the Christians
from Jerusalem, 1t was an important fac
tor In the military operations OF the Hame-
lukes, and 1t was the scene of the most
disgraceful act In the career Of Napoleon
| the Great.
But now Jeffa has turned from war to
peace, and it is famous all over Europe
as the place from which comes the most
delicious oranges in all the world. Not
even California and Florida, having the
advantage Of the most skilled horticultural
scientists, can dispute with Jaffa the
primacy Of the orange growing world.
a. - l.
Of oranges Jana has a population OF about
10000, two-thlrds. Mohammedan. There is a
| considerable German colony in the city,
and other German colonies are scattered
about the neighborhood. These Germans
grow the greater part of the oranges. The
we'll kept orange groves, surrounded by
hedges Of prickly pears, suggest southern
California, and scenes altogether out of
place amid these Oriental surroundings.
Orange culture is a comparatively modern
industry in Palestine. and was unknown
in Bible times. But It is impossible to look
upon the groves with their thousands OF
golden globes Outlined against the stlvery
green OF the trees without recalling the
words Apples OF gold in pictures Of
silver" These Jaffa oranges are very
large, very sweet, very juicy, and alto
gether delicious. And Furthermore, to the
delight of the tourist, they are ridlculously
cheap. 10
The city of Jaffa was completely de-
stroyed during the Wars Of the Crusades,
so that in the middle ages, at one time, It
consisted of nothing but a few tents which
sheltered a miserable tribe of fishermen.
That fact does not interfere in the least,
however, to the present fact that every
visitor in Jaffa is shown the very house of
simon the Tanner upon the roof of which
Saint Peter saw the visions of the clean
and the unclean beasts which was the be-
ginning Of his preaching to the Gentiles.
One is shown also the house where Dorcas
was restored to life by the prayers of the