Joppa is a coastal port in Israel.  Dor, Haifa, and Joppa were only three semi-natural ports.  The Israelites were not known for being seafaring people.  The lack of natural ports contributed to this.  

 

The port of Joppa received timber for the building of the Temple in Jerusalem:  "And we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa, so that you may take it up to Jerusalem." (2 Chr. 2:16 )

 

The story of Jonah.  The prophet flees from the presence of the Lord to Joppa purchasing a ticket to "Tarshish" of Spain.  This is the furthest known point in the ancient world (Jonah 1:1-3).  

 

The Greek Myth of Perseus, Andromeda and the Kraken:  The recent movie "Clash of the Titans" depicts the ancient Myth that took place off the coast of Joppa.  Why a Greek Myth in Israel?  The people known as the "Philistines" were actually Greeks that migrated to Israel.  The Egyptians and Mesopotamians speak of a great 'sea people' who settled in Palestine from an eastern land.   One clue in biblical history to the Philistines Greek origin is the armor of Goliath.  The Bible mentions the giant wearing "Bronze Greives".  These are shin guards and were unique only to Greek armor.  Another clue is the battle of champions in 1 Samuel 17.  The Greeks were known for preserving the lives of their soldiers by selecting a champion from either side to settle the outcome of the war.  We see this in Achilles and Hector in the legend of Troy and the story of David and Goliath in the Bible.  

 

Peter and Cornelius the Centurion of Caesarea:   In Acts 10 Peter prays on the rooftop of a home belonging to Simeon the Tanner.  This home and this man's profession as a tanner sets the stage for the events of Acts 10. A tanner dealt with the dead carcasses of animals and thus was an unclean trade.  Jews would become ceremonially unclean but could rectify it by immersing themselves in a baptismal tank known as a 'Mikveh'.  

 

God gives Peter a vision of unclean animals on the roof of the tanner's house to prepare Peter to make contact with an 'unclean' people, Gentiles.  Specifically Cornelius the Centurion of Caesarea.  In the vision, God says "rise, kill and eat."  The problem with this request is that the animals were unclean according to Jewish dietary laws (.Leviticus 11).    God was using this to help remove Peters prejudice against gentiles, a common prejudice in the lives of Jews in Israel during the first century A.D.   The Apostle Paul confronted Peter on this issue when he removed himself from dining with Gentiles (Galatians 2:11-21).  Peter viewed Gentiles as an 'unclean' people.  God used the metaphor of unclean animals to speak to him about "unclean people' much like Nathan used the abuse of a shepherd and sheep to reach the heart of David (2 Samuel 12:1-2).  

 

The story concludes with Peter immediately being greeted by messengers from Cornelius' house.  After pondering the meaning of his vision, Peter realizes he should go with these 'unclean' men to their 'unclean' city (Caesarea).  The result of Peters visit was the salvation and Baptism in the Holy Spirit on Gentiles for the first time in history (Acts 10:47; 15:8).  While the Holy Spirit fell on the people of Acts 2, we should note that they were Jews (Acts 2:11).  Acts 2 is the birth of the Spirit-filled Jewish church.  Acts 10 and this moment in Caesarea was the birth of the Spirit-filled Gentile church.  Acts 10 at Caesarea, not Acts 2 was the birth of the Gentile church.