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Haifa
built 646 days ago
Although it does not appear in the Bible, Haifa is mentioned in Talmudic literature as a well-established Jewish community. Across from the National Maritime Museum on Allenby Road are steps to Elijah’s Cave. According to a Byzantine tradition, this is where Elijah the Prophet hid to escape the wrath of King Ahab. The site is revered by Christians and Muslims, as well as Jews. The first Sunday after Tisha B'Av, Oriental Jews recite Isaiah 40 and ask the prophet to bless their children, cure their illnesses and better their lives.
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Haifa is Israel's foremost port city for international commerce and the center of Israeli high tech industries. Two of the most distinguishing features of this dynamic city are its physical beauty and its cosmopolitan population of 400,000 Jews, Christians, Moslems, Druze, and Bahá'ísliving in harmony. Haifa provides a wonderful environment for almost any kind of recreational and cultural activity. Numerous cinemas, restaurants, cafes, and discos provide entertainment until the early hours of the morning, while Haifa's beaches and the Carmel National Forest provide recreation throughout the day. Please visit the websites of the following Haifa-area attractions:
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Today, Haifa has a population of about 267,800 people. 90% of the population are predominantly Israeli-Jews and a few "others". The latter group consists of Israelis without religious classification, mostly immigrants from the former Soviet Union, from mixed-marriage families of Jewish origin. According to the Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics, Israeli-Arabs constitute 9% of Haifa's population, the majority living in Wadi Nisnas, Abbas and Halisa neighborhoods.[12]
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Haifa has a funicular subway, the Carmelit, that runs from the bottom of Mount Carmel to the top of Mount Carmel. It is the smallest subway system in the World. It only has one train to the top and one to the bottom. It has a single track except for where the two trains pass each other. It is powered by a cable. It has six stations.
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Haifa is first mentioned historically around the 3rd century CE as a small town near Shikmona, the main Jewish town in the area at that time and a center for making the traditional Tekhelet dye used for Jewish Priests' temple cloth. The archaeological site of Shikmona lies southwest of the modern Bat Galim neighborhood. The Byzantine ruled there until the 7th century, when the city was conquered — first by the Persians, then by the Arabs. In 1100, it was conquered again by the crusaders after a fierce battle with its Jewish and Muslim inhabitants. Under crusader rule, the city was a part of the Principality of Galilee until the Muslim Mameluks captured it in 1265.
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The origin of the name Haifa is unclear. Some believe it comes from the Hebrew word חוף (hof), meaning "beach"), or חוף יפה (hof yafe), meaning "beautiful beach". Some say it comes from the Hebrew verb root חפה (hafa, meaning "to cover or hide"). Christian pilgrims of the Middle Ages (and later the Crusaders) called the town Caiphas or Caifa. Christians believe the name derives from Caiaphas, the High Priest of Jerusalem during the time of Jesus, or from the Aramaic name of Saint Peter, Cephas or Kepah (כפ×). Another explanation is that name originates from the words ×—×™-פה ("hai-po"), meaning "lives here," which is to say, God lives here.
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