When
I went to Tel Aviv after being in Jerusalem I immediately noticed that it was
much more secular, and that most people were more interested in hitting the
beach or the hot new night club than in the religious history of the city. While
it’s true that there is no shortage of places to get your party on in Tel Aviv,
there are also some important religious sites there that shouldn’t be
overlooked.
One of these sites is St. Peter’s Church in Tel Aviv’s old city of
Jaffa.
The
church was built in 1654 on the site where Peter stayed when he went to Jaffa, its
steeple overlooks the port, as if beaconing pilgrims to the Holy Land, and
inside there are vaulted ceilings, stained-glass windows and a painting above
the alter of Peter’s visitation by an angel.
Unlike
other churches that face east towards the rising sun, St. Peter’s faces west in
the direction of the sea where Peter’s dream took place and towards Rome where
he was sent to preach to the Gentiles in response to the Great Commission.
Peter’s also played host to Napoleon Bonaparte, who reportedly stayed in a room
in the church when he came to Old Jaffa in 1799.
*Disclosure: The Israeli Toursim provided my travel and accommodations. I was not asked to express any particular point of view, and as always, all thoughts and opinions are all my own.
