There is a rock, just off the Jaffa shore where, according to Greek myth, the maiden Andromeda was chained as a sacrifice to the Sea God, Poseidon. The heroic Perseus slew the monster and rescued the maiden. Now some archaeologists are trying to rescue the rock from obliteration breakwater planned to protect a new marina.
But not all archaeologists are certain that the rock in question is indeed the rock of legend. There are many rocks in the waters off Jaffa, and more than a half century ago when Jaffa was the main port of entry to Palestine, they were a menace to passengers and freight being rowed ashore from steamers anchored a mile or more at sea.
Before the port at Haifa was opened in the early thirties, many of the rocks were blasted with dynamite, Andromeda’s rock among them, some say. According to Yitzhak Lir, who designed the new breakwater, “We’ve been searching for months for an expert who will help us identify the right rock but nobody either from Jaffa or the Haaretz Museum knows and hte ancient maps have been of no help.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
