century B.C. It was from this port that Jonah “took ship to flee from the
presence of the Lord” (Jonah 1:3). To this place also the wood cut in
Lebanon by Hiram’s men for Solomon was brought in floats (2 Chronicles
2:16); and here the material for the building of the second temple was also
landed (Ezra 3:7). At Joppa, in the house of Simon the tanner, “by the
sea-side,” Peter resided “many days,” and here, “on the house-top,” he had
his “vision of tolerance” (Acts 9:36-43). It bears the modern name of Jaffa,
and exibituds all the decrepitude and squalor of cities ruled over by the
Turks. “Scarcely any other town has been so often overthrown, sacked,
pillaged, burned, and rebuilt.” Its present population is said to be about
16,000. It was taken by the French under Napoleon in 1799, who gave
orders for the massacre here of 4,000 prisoners. It is connected with
Jerusalem by the only carriage road that exists in the country, and also by
a railway completed in 1892. It is noticed on monuments B.C. 1600-1300,
and was attacked by Sannacharib B.C. 702.
- JORAM =Jeho’ram. (1.) One of the kings of Israel (2 Kings 8:16, 25, 28).
He was the son of Ahab.
(2.) Jehoram, the son and successor of Jehoshaphat on the throne of Judah
(2 Kings 8:24).
- JORDAN Hebrews Yarden, “the descender;” Arab. Nahr-esh-Sheriah,
“the watering-place” the chief river of Palestine. It flows from north to
south down a deep valley in the centre of the country. The name descender
is significant of the fact that there is along its whole course a descent to its
banks; or it may simply denote the rapidity with which it “descends” to
the Dead Sea.
It originates in the snows of Hermon, which feed its perennial fountains.
Two sources are generally spoken of. (1.) From the western base of a hill
on which once stood the city of Dan, the northern border-city of Palestine,
there gushes forth a considerable fountain called the Leddan, which is the
largest fountain in Syria and the principal source of the Jordan. (2.) Beside
the ruins of Banias, the ancient Caesarea Philippi and the yet more ancient
Panium, is a lofty cliff of limestone, at the base of which is a fountain.
This is the other source of the Jordan, and has always been regarded by the
Jews as its true source. It rushes down to the plain in a foaming torrent,
and joins the Leddan about 5 miles south of Dan (Tell-el-Kady). (3.) But
besides these two historical fountains there is a third, called the Hasbany,