Joppa

A town with a natural harbour north of Israel's border with Egypt occupied by the tribe Dan (Josh. 19: 46). It was useful for importing materials during the building of the Temple (2 Chron. 2: 16), but the town repeatedly changed hands; Simon Maccabaeus (142–134 bce; 1 Macc. 13: 11) captured it, but it was later taken by the Romans, though added to the territory of Herod the Great. It remained Jewish in character, and Peter stayed in the city (Acts 9: 36–10: 23); but Vespasian destroyed it in 68 ce during the Jewish War.