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Part 3 - Historical & Cultural Travel | ||
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Safed is a relatively small town located in northern Israel in the mountains of the Upper Galilee, one of the four holy cities in Israel, along with Jerusalem, Hebron and Tiberias. The old town consists of narrow cobblestone alleys with artists’ galleries, medieval synagogues, private homes and small guest houses. According to legend, Safed is where Shem and Ever, son and grandson of Noah, established their yeshiva, where Jacob studied for many years. In the 16th century, when many famous Jewish religious scholars and mystics moved to Safed following their expulsion from Spain during the Inquisition, Safed became the spiritual center of the Jewish world. It was also the center of revived Kabbalah study, which dates back to ancient times but gained popularity again in the 12th century. It was here that the first printing press in the Middle East was set up, publishing in 1578 the first Hebrew book to be printed in Israel. At that time the town was also a thriving trade center. | |||
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