The ancient city of Jaffa, which is more than 4,000 years old, is one of the oldest cities in the world. There are many explanations for the origin of the name Jaffa. Jewish tradition holds that after the flood that destroyed everything subsided, Noah's son Japheth, who survived the disaster, founded the city. For some reason, people named the city "Japheth" after him, and the pronunciation gradually evolved into Jaffa.