About Jaffa's Ancient Hill
Every time it is said that Jaffa is one of the oldest cities in the world, they mean that the oldest ruins were found in archeological digs on the Jaffa hill. This is where the most ancient ruins in all of Jaffa were found. There are ruins dating back to more than 4,000 years. On the southern side of the hill you can see excavations where interesting things were found, like the gates to an Egyptian city from 3,500 years ago. Jaffa was born from this hill.
This hill was a strategic location, good for the protection and construction of fortresses. Its great advantage is that it overlooks the sea and provides a good view for all sides. The remains of a settlement from the end of the 17th century BCE were discovered in an area that is now located in the "Ramses Gate Garden." Some two hundred years later, the great conqueror and founder of the Egyptian empire, Pharaoh Thutmose III, conquered it. According to an ancient papyrus, here one of Thutmose III's army ministers, Tzchuti, preceded the Greeks with the Trojan horse trick. He hid armed soldiers in baskets and gave the baskets to the governors of the Old City, the soldiers burst out of the baskets and conquered the city.
If you go up a little bit to the top of the hill, you will reach the top of Jaffa Hill. From there you will see a fascinating view of Tel Aviv as a whole and the Tel Aviv-Herzliya coastline and on days with especially good visibility Hadera can even be seen.
