Tel Aviv-Yafo is a major, significant and vibrant city in Israel, and below are some key highlights:
1. Tel Aviv’s origins are tied to Jaffa, an ancient port city; with Tel Aviv being built on the outskirts of the Old Jaffa City
2. Jaffa (or Joppa in the Bible) is mentioned in the Old Testament, notably in the story of Jonah, who departed from Jaffa’s port before being swallowed by a whale (Jonah 1:3).
3. It’s also linked to the story of King Solomon importing cedar wood through Jaffa for the First Temple (2 Chronicles 2:16) and to the New Testament, where Peter raised Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:36-43).
4. Tel Aviv was established in 1909 as a modern Jewish neighborhood north of Jaffa.
5. A group of 66 Jewish families, seeking to escape the crowded and often tense conditions in Jaffa, purchased 32 acres of sand dunes.
6. On April 11, 1909, they held a lottery to distribute plots, marking the official founding of Tel Aviv
7. The name “Tel Aviv” was inspired by the biblical location “Tel Abib” mentioned in Ezekiel 3:15, which was a settlement of Jewish exiles in Mesopotamia
8. Tel Aviv is Israel’s cultural and economic center, known for its vibrant nightlife, diverse culinary scene, and thriving arts community.
9. It hosts numerous galleries, theaters, and music venues, with events like the Tel Aviv Art Week showcasing local and international talent
10. Often called the “White City,” Tel Aviv boasts over 4,000 Bauhaus-style buildings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
11. This architectural legacy from the 1930s and 1940s gives the city a unique modernist aesthetic
12. The City is a global tech hub, often dubbed “Silicon Wadi.” It’s home to numerous startups, tech companies, and innovation centers, contributing significantly to Israel’s economy.
13. Tel Aviv has a population of approximately 495,600 as of recent estimates and Israel’s second-largest city after Jerusalem
