JOPPA, an ancient city on the sea-coast of Palestine, and port for Jerusalem. Mod. Ydfci, Jaffa. It was taken in 1472 B.C. by the general of Thutmose III. by a clever stratagem. It is twice mentioned (Ya-pu) in the Tell-Amarna letters; and in the Papyrus Anastasi I. (13th century B.c.) the travelling "mohar" found here excellent workers in wood, metal and leather. In the Old Testament it is ascribed to Dan, and is mentioned as a sea port for the importation of Lebanon timber floated down the coast (I Ki. ix. 26). In 701 B.C. Sinaherib besieged Joppa, then a fief of Askalon. The inscriptions of Eshmunazar (c. 400 B.c.) record that Jaffa was given to the Sidonians by the Persian mon arch, but so years later it is recorded -as independent. The con quest of Alexander, who established here a mint, changed its name to Joppe. Ptolemy I. garrisoned it (318 B.c.) and it was besieged and taken by Antigonus (315 p.c.). A den of pirates (see STRABO), it was destroyed by Vespasian during the Jewish War (A.D. 68). St. Peter remained at Joppa for a season, restored there Tabitha to life, and had his remarkable vision. The legend of Andromeda and the sea monster is located here, and Pompey's captain, Scaurus, could display to the wondering eyes of Rome the carcass of the monster which he had transported from Joppa.
In Christian times it became the see of a bishop. The Cru saders captured it (1126) and lost it to Saladin (1187). It was recaptured by Richard Lionheart ( ii91) and finally lost in 1196. Joppa was razed to the ground and its harbour choked by Sultan Nasir ed-Din Muhammad in 1345, because of a threatened new crusade. Towards the end of the 17th century, it began afresh to
develop as a seaport. Napoleon took possession of the town in 1799. On Nov. 16, 1917, it was entered by British troops without opposition.
The population of Jaffa in 1931 was 51,866 (35,506 Mus lims, 7,209 Jews). It is a great pilgrim port for Jerusalem. About 400 steamers call there annually. The chief exports are fruit (especially oranges), corn, sesame, cotton and leather. The imports include cotton and woollen manufactures, colonial requi sites, iron, bricks, wood and building materials generally. One mile away is the thriving Jewish colony of Tell Aviv, which dates from 1909. Its population has grown rapidly and is now 46,101. Jaffa gives its name to one of the seven official districts into which the Mandated Territory has been divided for adminis trative purposes. It has no proper harbour. Plans for a harbour have been prepared, but their execution has been delayed owing to cost. Haifa is now proving a formidable rival to Jaffa. The industries of the town include soap-making, milling, cement-mak ing, building and the manufacture of furniture. The streets and the buildings have little to commend them. Electricity has re cently been introduced. Jaffa has daily rail and post communica tion with Egypt and Haifa ; it has several monasteries and four hospitals.
See S. Tolkowsky, The Gateway of Palestine: A History of Jaffa (1924) ; ibid., "New Light on the History of Jaffa," Journ. Pal. Orient.
Soc. 5 (1925) 82 seq. (E. Ro.)