House of Simon the tanner, near the Jaffa port that is mentioned in the "Acts of the Apostles." As the New Testament, in this modest dwelling there were events that changed the course of history.

They are connected with the name of the Apostle Peter. In Jaffa he died a Christian Tabitha and fellow called Peter, who was in a nearby town. The power of prayer the apostle animated woman. Naturally, the event struck the townspeople, many believed. Wonderworker would take to visit the most wealthy homes, but he stayed in a poor "house by the sea" in the hard work of Simon the tanner.

Thus began a chain of events that determined the fate of nations. The next morning, Peter went on the roof to pray and felt hungry. And he was a vision from heaven came down a vessel in which there were "all sorts of quadrupeds of the earth, animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky." There was a voice, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat." The law-abiding Jew, the apostle refused to eat bad and impure. But the voice was categorical: "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common" (Acts 10:15).

Peter wondered - what does it mean? At that moment the gates of the house came three looking Apostle, and handed the invitation to the Roman, the centurion Cornelius, to visit his home. The laws of Moses forbade Jews to associate with foreigners, but the Holy Spirit said to Peter, Go, do not hesitate. Cornelius' house was full of friends and family host, and with great success Peter preached to them. Then he realized that morning vision of the Lord commanded to carry the word of God to the pagan world.

On his return to Jerusalem, Peter, some accused him that he "went to uncircumcised men and ate with them." But the story of the Apostle urged fellow believers: God gives repentance to the Gentiles, to bring them the word of God - the duty of Christians. The Apostles went to preach to all corners of the known world, from Armenia to Spain. Thus was born the Universal Apostolic Church, which became the foundation of European civilization.

Today it is difficult to say whether this house on a hill lived through divine inspiration the apostle. There are different Christian traditions, and one of them a genuine "home by the sea" is about 150 meters away, on the site of the current St. Peter's Catholic Church. However, in all the guidebooks the house of Simon the tanner called it a small building in a narrow street near the striped lighthouse.

The house was rebuilt in the Muslim era it put on the minaret. The roof is made here, flat on her saint might well pray. In the courtyard is a well from which, they say, Simon took the water to work with, and the sarcophagus, which allegedly hewed to himself the apostle Peter. See all of this will not work: after one unpleasant incident visitors are not allowed inside. One can only stand at the door, on which is written that the house belongs to the family Zakaryaev.

After two thousand years hardly matters at what point was the home of Simon. Pilgrims come here to reflect on the important scenes from the New Testament and see how everything happened in these places on the coast, near the old port.