Jaffa - Russian Monastery

Some 2km/1.25mi southeast of old Jaffa can be seen the slender tower of the Russian Monastery in its setting of palms. The Russian government bought the hill of Abu Kabir in 1860 and built a monastery dedicated to St Peter with accommodation for pilgrims. Under the courtyard of the monastery is an underground chamber with numerous recesses for burials. It is part of a Jewish cemetery of the first-fourth centuries A.D., but in Christian tradition is believed to be the tomb of Tabitha, whom Peter raised from the dead.