Safed

Israel

Also known as: Ẕefat, Safad, Tzfat

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Last updated

Oct. 16, 2026 •History

Safed, city of Upper Galilee, Israel, that is one of the four holy cities of Judaism (Jerusalem, Hebron, Tiberias, Safed).

First mentioned at the time of the Jewish revolt against Rome (66–70 ce), it is thereafter frequently referred to in rabbinic literature. Strategically situated in scenic hill country, Safed passed from hand to hand during the Crusades until captured by Baybars I, who razed its citadel (1266). Safed achieved renown in the 16th century as the principal centre of the Kabbala, the occult theosophy and interpretation of the Scriptures forming the principal mystical system of Judaism. Important Kabbalists such as Isaac ben Solomon Luria and Joseph Karo lived in the city, and the doctrines expounded there spread throughout the Jewish world. The Hebrew printing press established in Safed in 1577 was the first in all of Asia to use movable type. In the 18th and 19th centuries the city suffered from wars and insurrections on the part of the Druzes and local Bedouin tribes, as well as from the destructive earthquake of 1837.

Just before the proclamation of the State of Israel (May 1948), the population of Safed was predominantly Arab. The British, evacuating the area, gave the Arabs the fortified police post on nearby Mount Canaan (Har Kenaʿan), 3,149 feet (960 metres) above sea level and 500 feet (150 metres) above the old Jewish section. The city was nevertheless taken on May 12, 1948, by the Haganah, the Jewish defense forces, and the Arab population fled. Subsequently, mountainous Upper Galilee attracted painters and other artists, many of whom now live in Safed. Four ancient synagogues, associated with past masters of the Kabbala, survive. The city’s economy is based on light industry and tourism. Pop. (2008) 29,600; (2019 est.) 36,094.