Samuel ben Samson
13th-century Jewish rabbi who visited the Land of Israel
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Samuel ben Samson (שמואל בן שמשון also Shmuel ben Shimshon) was a rabbi who lived in the Kingdom of France and made a pilgrimage to Palestine in 1210, visiting a number of villages and cities there, including the Old City of Jerusalem.[1] There, he ascended and prayed on the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives.[2] He also visited the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, as well as Beth-Shean, Tiberias, and Safed.[3] Among his companions were Jonathan ben David ha-Cohen, and it is likely that ben Samson served as his secretary.[1] Two other rabbis were travelling with them, and the four travelled as far east as Mosul.[4] According to George Sarton, some 300 medieval English and French Jews inspired by ben Samson's account settled in the land of Israel in 1211.[4]
Rabbi Samuel ben Samson | |
|---|---|
שמואל בן שמשון | |
| Title | Rabbi |
| Personal life | |
| Born | France |
| Era | 13th century |
| Notable work | Travel accounts (pilgrimage writings) |
| Known for | Pilgrimage to the Land of Israel (1210) |
| Other name | Shmuel ben Shimshon |
| Occupation | Rabbi, traveler |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Judaism |
| Movement | Rabbinic Judaism |
The first mention of Safed in Jewish history appears in the writings of ben Samson from the 13th century, where he notes the existence of a Jewish community of at least 50 members there.[5]