The Orthodox Church of St. Peter and righteous Tabitha belongs to the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem (Moscow Patriarchate). Bell tower of the church - one of the highest points of Jaffa.

In the church - two altars: the center is dedicated to St. Peter honest chains (chains with which the Apostle was bound during arrests) in the left aisle - righteous Tabitha. Two of these names are linked touching episode described in the "Acts of the Apostles."

In Jaffa (or, as it sounded in the Greek name of the city of Joppa), he lived a virtuous Christian woman Dorcas, who gave alms generously. It so happened that she was sick and died. The Christian community of Joppa know that the apostle Peter, famous for miraculous healings, was in those days in the nearby town. Immediately sent for him. Appearing, Peter "put them all out" out of the room where the body lay dead, and prayed, and said, "Tabitha! Stand up! ". "And she opened her eyes and, seeing Peter, sat up" (Acts 9:40).

The plot on which the church, since ancient times was called "Two Lane Tabitha." Tradition for centuries bound the place with life and death of the righteous (though different Christian traditions treat this question differently). In 1868, a man bought a stony ground striking power and outlook, the head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission, Archimandrite Antonin (Kapustin). He built here a hospice for pilgrims from Russia, planted lush orchard, the Turkish authorities granted permission to build a church. It was founded in 1888, at the ceremony was attended by the Grand Dukes Sergei and Pavel Alexandrovich and Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna.

The church was designed with the direct involvement of Archimandrite Antonin, who once studied the Greco-Byzantine architecture. Perhaps, therefore, in the proportions and shapes of the dome of the temple clearly felt the influence of Byzantine architecture. The building was attended by Italian and local masters, icons donated wrote a graduate of the Imperial Academy of Arts Anton LeDuc. All the two-story white iconostasis became vain Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society under construction temple. A special place in the iconostasis occupies the left of the Mother of God image of the feast of Holy Righteous Tabitha. On the walls of the church - paintings representing scenes from the life of the apostle Peter.

Close scientist, Archimandrite Antonin engaged in the Holy Land and fruitful archaeological investigation. During excavations in the garden of his monastery with Jerusalem architect Conrad Schick have discovered the tomb of a well-preserved Byzantine mosaics V-VI centuries. Archimandrite was convinced that it is - the real tomb of Tabitha. Later they built a chapel over the tomb. Also on the "Russian section" in Jaffa outdoors is a big and very beautiful mosaic icon of Holy Righteous Tabitha.