Israel's Long History

One of the amazing things about the Holy Land is their long history. In the United States, most historic sites tell stories from only a hundred or two hundred years ago, and the most ancient sites only go back five hundred years. It is therefore amazing when I go to Israel where “new” can be five hundred years old and it is common to stand at the location of events which go back 3,000 years or more.

The view from Old Joppa to New Tel Aviv

In my class about Israel this week I introduced people to the city of Joppa, which was an ancient port of arrival into the Holy Land. At least one history records that Joppa was founded and took its name from Japeth, the son of Noah. Japheth left home after the flood and founded this seaside community because of its beauty (Joppa means beautiful).

A New book on Israel

Upon thinking about Japheth’s founding of Joppa, I began to think of other stories I read about Israel for one of my latest books, Israel: Stories for Your Journey. The residents of Gezer, located only twenty miles from Joppa, claim that Noah lived on the hilltop of their city. It is claimed that Noah’s wife, his daughter, and also Adam’s wife Eve baked bread in an oven near the city.

The Cavernous water source at Gezer

Walks in Israel can be walks through history, if you listen to the stories. Everyone wants a piece of the action and to tell a familiar tale about the past. Did Japheth really found Joppa? Did Noah live in Gezer? Did Eve bake bread in the cavernous hole near Gezer’s city gate? Probably not, but the stories are fun, and the reality of the matter is that people have lived in Joppa and atop the hill at Gezer for a very long time.