Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. The Four Holy Cities is the collective term in Jewish tradition applied to the cities of Jerusalem, Hebron, Tiberias, and Safed: "Since the sixteenth century the holiness of Palestine, especially for burial, has been almost wholly transferred to four cities Jerusalem, Hebron, Tiberias, and Safed." Jerusalem has been the holiest city in Judaism and the spiritual homeland of the Jewish people since the 10th century BCE. Jerusalem is associated with the element of fire (a reference to the continuous sacrificial fires kept burning in the Holy Temple.) Hebron is the burial place of the Jewish patriarchs. Biblically, it is the first capital of King David. Hebron is associated with the element of earth (a reference to the Cave where the patriarchs and matriarchs were buried. Safed (Tz''fas) came to be regarded as a holy city after the influx of Jews following the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492 and became known as a center of kabbalistic scholarship. Safed is associated with the element of air (a reference to the mystical/spiritual branch of Judaism that flourishes there.)
