Overview Joppa is an Israeli port city overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It has now been integrated and absorbed into 'Tel Aviv', Israel's second-largest city. [http://www.gndaily.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=20826 [Faith and History] Joppa Jaffa [Good News Daily] ] Due to its geographical characteristics, it has also been a port that served as a center for Mediterranean trade for a long time. 
## A Port City That Was a Transportation Hub for Temple Construction Materials In the Bible, Joppa was used as a port for transporting timber, especially cedar, needed to build the Temple. Both when Solomon first built the Temple and when it was later built by Zerubbabel, cedar from Lebanon was transported through Joppa. Record of the construction of Solomon's Temple
2 Chronicles 2:16Solomon) counted all the foreigners who were in the land of Israel, after the census with which David his father had counted them; and they found one hundred fifty-three thousand six hundred.
Ezra 3:7Now in the second year of their coming to God’s house at Jerusalem), in the second month, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and the rest of their brothers the priests and the Levites, and all those who had come out of the captivity to Jerusalem, began the work and appointed the Levites, from twenty years old and upward, to have the oversight of the work of Yahweh’s house.
성경에서, 백향목은 성전을 건축할 때 기둥으로 사용되었는데, 이는 하나님의 성전을 지탱하는 기둥이 히브리 백성이 아닌 이방인으로 구성될 것이라는 예표이다. 이는 이 욥바가 이방인 전도와 관련된 핵심장소로 이용되었다는 점에서 보다 명백해진다.
구약에서 선지자 요나는 니느웨로 가서 하나님의 말씀을 전파하라는 하나님의 명을 받는다. 그러나 그 당시 니느웨는 이스라엘을 공격하던 앗시리아의 수도였으며, 이런 이유로 요나는 하나님의 말씀이 니느웨에 전파되는 것과, 그로 인해서 그들이 회개함으로 하나님의 징벌을 피할 것이라는 것에 대해 반발하게 된다. 결국 그는 니느웨로 가는 길목인 바로 이 욥바에서 하나님의 말씀에 순종하는 대신 다시스로 가는 배를 타고 도망치게 된다. 물론 이후, 폭풍우와 물고기와 같은 시련 끝에 요나는 그 뜻을 돌이켜 니느웨로 돌아가게 된다. 자세한 내용은 요나 항목 참조
신약에서도 욥바는 이방인에게 복음을 전하는 기념비적인 장소로 쓰임받는다. 베드로가 이방인 고넬료에게 복음을 전하라는 하나님의 계시를 받았을 때에 그가 머무르던 장소가 바로 욥바에 있는 무두장이 시몬의 집 다락방이었다.
Acts 10:1a devout man, and one who feared God with all his house, who gave gifts for the needy generously to the people, and always prayed to God.Acts 10:2At about the ninth hour of the day, he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God coming to him, and saying to him, “Cornelius!”Acts 10:3He, fastening his eyes on him, and being frightened, said, “What is it, Lord?” He said to him, “Your prayers and your gifts to the needy have gone up for a memorial before God.Acts 10:4Now send men to Joppa, and get Simon, who is also called Peter.Acts 10:5He is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the seaside.Acts 10:6When the angel who spoke to him had departed, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier of those who waited on him continually.Acts 10:7Having explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.Acts 10:8Now on the next day as they were on their journey, and got close to the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray at about noon.
이 사건에 대한 하나님의 명을 받들어 베드로는 고넬료의 집에 들어가게 되고, 그로 인하여 이방인에게도 성령이 임하게 되는 것을 경험하는 역사가 일어나게 된다. 보다 자세한 내용은 사도행전 10장 참조