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178-658: Isserles was born in Kraków , Poland . His father, Israel ben Josef (known as Isserl), was a prominent talmudist and independently wealthy, who had probably headed the community; his grandfather, Jehiel Luria, was the first rabbi of Brisk . (In an era which preceded the common use of surnames , Moses became known by his patronymic , Isserles.) At first he studied at home, and then in Lublin under Rabbi Shalom Shachna , who would later become his father-in-law. Among his fellow pupils were his relative Solomon Luria (Maharshal)—later

356-656: A UNESCO City of Literature . The city hosted World Youth Day in 2016, and the European Games in 2023. The name of Kraków is traditionally derived from Krakus (Krak, Grakch), the legendary founder of Kraków and a ruler of the tribe of Vistulans . In Polish, Kraków is an archaic possessive form of Krak and essentially means "Krak's (town)". The true origin of the name is highly disputed among historians, with many theories in existence and no unanimous consensus. The first recorded mention of Prince Krakus (then written as Grakch ) dates back to 1190, although

534-470: A coat of arms , a flag, a seal, and a banner. Responsibilities of Kraków's president include drafting and implementing resolutions, enacting city bylaws, managing the city budget, employing city administrators, and preparing against floods and natural disasters . The president fulfills his duties with the help of the City Council, city managers and city inspectors. In the 1990s, the city government

712-462: A global city with the ranking of "high sufficiency" by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network . The city is served by John Paul II International Airport , the country's second busiest airport and the most important international airport for the inhabitants of south-eastern Poland. In 2000, Kraków was named European Capital of Culture . In 2013, Kraków was officially approved as

890-590: A printing press in the city after Kasper Straube had printed the Calendarium Cracoviense , the first work printed in Poland, in 1473. In 1520, the most famous church bell in Poland, named Zygmunt after Sigismund I of Poland , was cast by Hans Behem. At that time, Hans Dürer , a younger brother of artist and thinker Albrecht Dürer , was Sigismund's court painter . Hans von Kulmbach made altarpieces for several churches. In 1553,

1068-519: A Jewish practice of divorce on the eve of battle. Furthermore, according to Talmudic sources, Uriah's death was not murder, because Uriah had committed a capital offense by refusing to obey a direct command from the King. However, in tractate Sanhedrin, David expressed remorse over his transgressions and sought forgiveness. God ultimately forgave David and Bathsheba but would not remove their sins from Scripture. In Jewish legend , David's sin with Bathsheba

1246-432: A chieftain over an area which cannot be described as a state or as a kingdom, but more as a chiefdom, much smaller and always overshadowed by the older and more powerful kingdom of Israel to the north. They posited that Israel and Judah were not monotheistic at the time and that later 7th-century redactors sought to portray a past golden age of a united, monotheistic monarchy in order to serve contemporary needs. They noted

1424-639: A covenant with the house of David stating, "your throne shall be established forever". David wins additional victories over the Philistines, Moabites, Edomites , Amalekites, Ammonites and king Hadadezer of Aram-Zobah , after which they become tributaries. His fame increases as a result, earning the praise of figures like King Toi of Hamath , Hadadezer's rival. During a siege of the Ammonite capital of Rabbah , David remains in Jerusalem. He spies

1602-578: A decline in the city's importance. Furthermore, in 1596, Sigismund III of the House of Vasa moved the administrative capital of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from Kraków to Warsaw . The city was destabilised by pillaging in the 1650s during the Swedish invasion , especially during the 1655 siege . Later in 1707, the city underwent an outbreak of bubonic plague that left 20,000 of

1780-534: A degree of autonomy within its own municipal government. Prior to March 1991, the city had been divided into four quarters which still give a sense of identity to Kraków: the towns of Podgórze , Nowa Huta and Krowodrza , which were amalgamated into the city as it expanded; and the ancient town centre of Kraków itself. King David (Italics indicate a disputed reign or non-royal title) David ( / ˈ d eɪ v ɪ d / ; Biblical Hebrew : דָּוִד ‎ , romanized:  Dāwīḏ , "beloved one")

1958-550: A frequent subject for painters and sculptors. David was considered a model ruler and a symbol of divinely ordained monarchy throughout medieval Western Europe and Eastern Christendom . He was perceived as the biblical predecessor to Christian Roman and Byzantine emperors and the name "New David" was used as an honorific reference to these rulers. The Georgian Bagratids and the Solomonic dynasty of Ethiopia claimed direct biological descent from him. Likewise, kings of

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2136-424: A higher esteem. Around 1550, he had several correspondences with Rabbi Solomon Luria . Isserles represented the pro-philosophy aspect of study, while Luria was more critical. Isserles taught that "the aim of man is to search for the cause and the meaning of things." He also held that "it is permissible to now and then study secular wisdom, provided that this excludes works of heresy... and that one [first] knows what

2314-445: A king of Aram-Damascus in the late 9th/early 8th centuries BCE to commemorate a victory over two enemy kings, contains the phrase bytdwd ( 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤃𐤅𐤃 ), which is translated as " House of David " by most scholars. The Mesha stele , erected by King Mesha of Moab in the 9th century BCE, may also refer to the "House of David", although this is disputed. Apart from this, all that is known of David comes from biblical literature,

2492-491: A lack of archeological evidence for David's military campaigns and a relative underdevelopment of Jerusalem, the capital of Judah, compared to a more developed and urbanized Samaria, capital of Israel during the 9th century BCE. In 2010, Amihai Mazar wrote that the United Monarchy of the 10th century BCE can be described as a "state in development". He compared David to Labaya , a Caananite warlord living during

2670-578: A large yeshiva where as a wealthy man, he supported his pupils. In his teaching, he was opposed to pilpul and emphasized simple interpretation of the Talmud . In 1553 he was appointed as dayan ; he also served on the Council of the Four Lands . He was approached by many other well-known rabbis, including Yosef Karo , for Halachic decisions. He was one of the greatest Jewish scholars of Poland , and

2848-513: A length of 4 kilometres (2.5 mi), forming a scenic walkway popular with Cracovians. Jordan Park, founded in 1889 by Henryk Jordan , was the first public park of its kind in Europe. Built on the banks of the Rudawa , the park was equipped with running and exercise tracks, playgrounds, a swimming pool, amphitheatre , pavilions, and a pond for boat rowing and water bicycles . It is located in

3026-422: A longer growing season . In addition, for older data there was less sun than the capital of the country, about 30 minutes daily per year, but both have small differences in relative humidity and the direction of the winds is northeast. The climate table below presents weather data with averages from 1991 to 2020, sunshine ranges from 1971 to 2000, and valid extremes from 1951 to the present day: Kraków provides

3204-547: A major disputant of many of Isserles' halachic rulings, and Chayyim b. Bezalel, an older brother of the Maharal . His first wife died young, at the age of 20 and he later established the " Rema Synagogue " in Kraków in her memory (originally his house, built by his father in his honor—which he gave to the community). He later married the sister of Joseph ben Mordechai Gershon Ha-Kohen. He returned to Kraków in 1549, establishing

3382-514: A man skilled in playing the lyre . A servant proposes David, whom the servant describes as "skillful in playing, a man of valor, a warrior, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence; and the Lord is with him." David enters Saul's service as one of the royal armour-bearers and plays the lyre to soothe the king. War comes between Israel and the Philistines , and the giant Goliath challenges

3560-433: A meritorious monument of the times. This period in postwar architecture was followed by the mass-construction of large Panel System apartment blocks, most of which were built outside the city centre and thus do not encroach upon the beauty of the old or new towns. Some examples of the new style (e.g., Hotel Cracovia) recently listed as heritage monuments were built during the latter half of the 20th century in Kraków. After

3738-565: A murderer, and a lifelong vassal of Achish , the Philistine king of Gath ; Steven McKenzie argues that David came from a wealthy family, and was an "ambitious and ruthless" tyrant who murdered his opponents, including his sons. Joel S. Baden has called him "an ambitious, ruthless, flesh-and-blood man who achieved power by any means necessary, including murder, theft, bribery, sex, deceit, and treason". William G. Dever described him as "a serial killer". Jacob L. Wright has written that

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3916-405: A number of artifacts, including pottery, two Phoenician-style ivory inlays, a black-and-red jug, and a radiocarbon-dated bone, estimated to be from the 10th century. Dever, Amihai Mazar , Avraham Faust , and Nadav Na'aman have argued in favour of the 10th-century BCE dating and responded to challenges to it. In 2010, Eilat Mazar announced the discovery of part of the ancient city walls around

4094-534: A semi-cursive " Rashi script ". Isserles' HaMapah was "considered to be an interpretation and supplement to Karo's work, while also challenging its claim to universal authority by introducing Ashkenazic traditions and customs that differed from the Sephardic ones. Rather than challenge the status of the Shulhan ‘Arukh, however, Isserles established the status of the Shulhan ‘Arukh as the authoritative text. In most of

4272-410: A showcase setting for many historic forms of architecture developed over the ten centuries, especially Gothic , Renaissance and Baroque styles. Renowned artisans and skilled craftsmen from present-day Italy and Germany were brought and sponsored by kings or nobles who contributed to architectural wealth and diversity . The Brick Gothic manner as well as countless structural elements such as

4450-616: A single administrative unit called Greater Kraków ( Wielki Kraków ). At the outbreak of World War I on 3 August 1914, Józef Piłsudski formed a small cadre military unit , the First Cadre Company —the predecessor of the Polish Legions —which set out from Kraków to fight for the liberation of Poland. The city was briefly besieged by Russian troops in November 1914. Austrian rule in Kraków ended in 1918 when

4628-452: A single contemporary reference to either David or Solomon," while noting, "against this must be set the evidence for substantial development and growth at several sites, which is plausibly related to the tenth century." In 2007, Israel Finkelstein and Neil Asher Silberman stated that the archaeological evidence shows that Judah was sparsely inhabited and Jerusalem no more than a small village. The evidence suggested that David ruled only as

4806-658: A sophisticated regional centre of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. New representative government buildings and multi-story tenement houses were built at around that time. Much of the urban-planning beyond the walls of the Old Town was done by Polish architects and engineers trained in Vienna . Some major projects of the era include the development of the Jagiellonian University 's new premises and

4984-579: A text, that the work itself, meant to serve as a textbook for laymen, had been accepted in Rema's yeshivah at Krakow as a students' reference book. Instead of the Arba‘ah Turim, the main text for the study of posekim in the Ashkenazi yeshivah up to Rema's day, he chose to use the new book, which was free of accumulated layers of glosses and emendations, up-to-date and lucid, and arranged along the same lines as

5162-571: A very wealthy man, give his daughter to him and declare his father's family exempt from taxes in Israel. Saul offered David his oldest daughter, Merab , a marriage David respectfully declined. Saul then gave Merab in marriage to Adriel the Meholathite. Having been told that his younger daughter Michal was in love with David, Saul gave her in marriage to David upon David's payment in Philistine foreskins (ancient Jewish historian Josephus lists

5340-530: A woman, Bathsheba , bathing and summons her; she becomes pregnant. The text in the Bible does not explicitly state whether Bathsheba consented to sex with David. David calls her husband, Uriah the Hittite , back from the battle to rest, hoping that he will go home to have sex with his wife and the child will be presumed to be his. Uriah does not visit his wife, however, so David conspires to have him killed in

5518-647: Is able to infiltrate Saul's camp on the hill of Hachilah and remove his spear and a jug of water from his side while he and his guards lie asleep. In this account, David is advised by Abishai that this is his opportunity to kill Saul, but David declines, saying he will not "stretch out [his] hand against the Lord's anointed". In the morning, David once again demonstrates to Saul that, despite ample opportunity, he did not deign to harm him. Saul, despite having already reconciled with David, confesses that he has been wrong to pursue David, and blesses him. In 1 Samuel 27:1–4, David begins to doubt Saul's sincerity, and reasons that

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5696-486: Is also assessed as being of international significance as part of the Pan-European ecological network. Kraków has a humid continental climate , denoted by Köppen classification as Dfb , somewhat boardering on an oceanic climate ( Cfb ); with climate change winters are rapidly becoming milder, and hot summers days above 30C are increasingly common, but with winter temperatures on average still below freezing, it

5874-538: Is an important figure in Rabbinic Judaism , with many legends about him. According to one tradition, David was raised as the son of his father Jesse and spent his early years herding his father's sheep in the wilderness while his brothers were in school. David's adultery with Bathsheba is interpreted as an opportunity to demonstrate the power of repentance, and the Talmud says it was not adultery at all, citing

6052-474: Is angered when Saul , Israel's king, unlawfully offers a sacrifice and later disobeys a divine command both to kill all of the Amalekites and to destroy their confiscated property. Consequently, God sends the prophet Samuel to anoint a shepherd, David, the youngest son of Jesse of Bethlehem , to be king instead. After God sends an evil spirit to torment Saul, his servants recommend that he send for

6230-546: Is available. A number of scholars consider the David story to be a heroic tale similar to the legend of King Arthur or the epics of Homer , while others find such comparisons questionable. One theme paralleled with other Near Eastern literature is the homoerotic nature of the relationship between David and Jonathan . The instance in the Book of Jashar , excerpted in 2 Samuel 1 :26, where David "proclaims that Jonathan's love

6408-434: Is described as having a captivating power, weaving its influence not only over man but over all beasts and nature, who would unite with him to praise God. Biblical literature and archaeological finds are the only sources that attest to David's life. Some scholars have concluded that this was likely compiled from contemporary records of the 11th and 10th centuries BCE, but that there is no clear historical basis for determining

6586-471: Is escorted across the River Jordan and back to Jerusalem by the tribes of Judah and Benjamin . When David is old and bedridden, Adonijah , his eldest surviving son and natural heir, declares himself king. Bathsheba and Nathan go to David and obtain his agreement to crown Bathsheba's son Solomon as king, according to David's earlier promise, and the revolt of Adonijah is put down. David dies at

6764-537: Is home to Jagiellonian University , one of the oldest universities in the world and often considered Poland's most reputable academic institution of higher learning. The city also hosts a number of institutions of national significance, including the National Museum , Kraków Opera , Juliusz Słowacki Theatre , National Stary Theatre , and the Jagiellonian Library . Kraków is classified as

6942-519: Is in danger there. He goes next to the cave of Adullam , where his family joins him. From there he goes to seek refuge with the king of Moab , but the prophet Gad advises him to leave and he goes to the Forest of Hereth , and then to Keilah , where he is involved in a further battle with the Philistines. Saul plans to besiege Keilah so that he can capture David, so David leaves the city in order to protect its inhabitants. From there he takes refuge in

7120-509: Is largely Sephardic in orientation. Isserles thus created a series of glosses, in which he supplemented Karo with material drawn from the laws and customs ( Minhagim ) of Ashkenazi Jewry, chiefly based on the works of Yaakov Moelin , Israel Isserlein and Israel Bruna . All editions of the Shulchan Aruch since 1578 include HaMapah embedded in the text (introduced by the word: הגה Hagahah , meaning "gloss"), and distinguished by

7298-409: Is little about David that is concrete and undisputed. Other scholars argue that, notwithstanding the apologetic tenor of the story, the authors of Samuel were also critical of David in several respects, suggesting that the text presents a complex portrait of him rather than a purely propagandistic one. Some other studies of David have been written: Baruch Halpern has pictured him as a brutal tyrant,

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7476-801: Is located on the border between different physiographic regions : the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland in the north-western parts of the city, the Małopolska Upland in the north-east, the Sandomierz Basin (east) and the Western Beskidian Foothills of the Carpathians (south). There are five nature reserves in Kraków, with a combined area of ca. 48.6 hectares (120 acres). Due to their ecological value, these areas are legally protected. The western part of

7654-515: Is not mentioned in any of the genealogies, is mentioned as another of his sons in 2 Chronicles 11:18. His daughter Tamar , by Maachah, is raped by her half-brother Amnon. David fails to bring Amnon to justice for his violation of Tamar, because he is his firstborn and he loves him, and so Absalom (her full brother) kills Amnon to avenge Tamar. Despite the great sins they had committed, David showed grief at his sons' deaths, weeping twice for Amnon [2 Samuel 13:31–26] and seven times for Absalom. God

7832-467: Is noted for his approach to customs (minhagim): "it should be remembered that R. Isserles did not regard the Jewish Minhag lightly. On the contrary, he too expressed reverence and respect for it, and whenever possible endeavored to uphold it and also to explain its origin. Only, unlike many great Talmudic scholars, he refused to follow it blindly. When convinced of the unsound basis of a Minhag, he

8010-415: Is particularly notable for its many renaissance buildings and picturesque streets, as well as the historic Jewish quarter located in the north-eastern part of Kazimierz. Kazimierz was founded in the 14th century to the south-east of the city centre and soon became a wealthy, well-populated area where construction of imposing properties became commonplace. Perhaps the most important feature of medieval Kazimierz

8188-455: Is perhaps best defined as having a semicontinental climate. In older reference periods it was classified as a warm summer continental climate ( Dfb ). By classification of Wincenty Okołowicz , it has a warm temperate climate in the centre of continental Europe with the "fusion" of different features. Due to its geographic location, the city may be under marine influence, sometimes Arctic influence, but without direct influence, giving

8366-547: Is permissible and forbidden, and the rules and the mitzvot ". Maharshal reproached him for having based some of his decisions on Aristotle . His reply was that he studied Greek philosophy only from Maimonides' Guide for the Perplexed , and then only on Shabbat and Yom Tov - and furthermore, it is better to occupy oneself with philosophy than to err through Kabbalah . Despite his suggestions about learning philosophy sparingly, Isserles and his students are considered

8544-620: Is renowned for his fundamental work of Halakha (Jewish law), entitled ha-Mapah (lit., "the tablecloth"), an inline commentary on the Shulchan Aruch (lit. "the set table"), upon which his "great reputation as a halakist and codifier rests chiefly." Darkhei Moshe (דרכי משה) is a commentary on the Tur as well as on the Beth Yosef , which is Yosef Karo's commentary on the Tur and

8722-516: Is the mayor , or President of Kraków, elected every four years. The election of the City Council and of the local head of government , which takes place at the same time, is based on legislation introduced on 20 June 2002. The President of Kraków, re-elected for his fourth term in 2014, is Jacek Majchrowski . Several members of the Polish national Parliament ( Sejm ) are elected from the Kraków constituency . The city's official symbols include

8900-425: Is the punishment for David's excessive self-consciousness. He had besought God to lead him into temptation so that he might give proof of his constancy like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who successfully passed the test and whose names later were united with God's, while David failed through the temptation of a woman. According to midrashim , Adam gave up 70 years of his life for the life of David. Also, according to

9078-440: Is to be identified as part of a northern Israelite polity. In 2018, Avraham Faust and Yair Sapir stated that a Canaanite site at Tel Eton , about 30 miles from Jerusalem, was taken over by a Judahite community by peaceful assimilation and transformed from a village into a central town at some point in the late 11th or early 10th century BCE. This transformation used some ashlar blocks in construction, which they argued supports

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9256-490: Is what kind of settlement Jerusalem was in Iron IIA: was it a minor settlement, perhaps a large village or possibly a citadel but not a city, or was it the capital of a flourishing—or at least an emerging—state? Assessments differ considerably". Isaac Kalimi wrote in 2018, "No contemporaneous extra-biblical source offers any account of the political situation in Israel and Judah during the tenth century BCE, and as we have seen,

9434-554: The Barbican ( Barbakan ), St. Florian's Gate , Kazimierz and the Wawel Castle , was included as the first of its kind on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1978. The central core surrounded by Planty Park remains the most prominent example of an old town in the country, with the medieval street layout still in existence. Kraków was the royal capital of Poland for many centuries, until Sigismund III Vasa relocated

9612-510: The Bible does not name his mother, the Talmud identifies her as Nitzevet , a daughter of a man named Adael, and the Book of Ruth claims him as the great-grandson of Ruth , the Moabite , by Boaz . David is described as cementing his relations with various political and national groups through marriage . According to 1 Samuel 17:25, King Saul said that he would make whoever killed Goliath

9790-541: The CORINE biotopes programme due to their unique flora, fauna, geomorphology and landscape. The western part of Kraków constitutes the so-called Obszar Krakowski ecological network, including the ecological corridor of the Vistula. The southern slopes of limestone hills provide conditions for the development of thermophilous vegetation, grasslands and shrubs . The city is spaced along an extended latitudinal transect of

9968-836: The Darkhei Moshe is published separately. HaMapah (המפה) is written as a gloss to the Shulchan Aruch of Yosef Karo , discussing cases where Sephardi and Ashkenazi customs differ. Hamapah is the "tablecloth" for the Shulkhan Aruch , the "set table". Karo had based his normative positions on three authorities: Maimonides , Asher ben Jehiel (the Rosh), and Isaac Alfasi (the Rif). Of these, only Asher ben Jehiel had non- Sephardic roots, having lived most of his life in Germany before moving to Spain , but even so, his work

10146-410: The Darkhei Moshe . Recognizing that Karo's commentary largely met his objectives, Isserles published the Darkhei Moshe in a modified form. "In publishing the דרכי משה, R. Isserles rendered a great service to Ashkenazic Jewry, for he reestablished its Talmudic authorities as the deciding factor in determining a law." An abridgement of the original work is published with the Tur ; the complete version of

10324-537: The Eastern Bloc , was enforced from 1949 to 1956. It involved all domains of art, but its most spectacular achievements were made in the field of urban design. The guidelines for this new trend were spelled-out in a 1949 resolution of the National Council of Party Architects. Architecture was to become a weapon in establishing the new social order by the communists. The ideological impact of urban design

10502-698: The Frankish Carolingian dynasty frequently connected themselves to David; Charlemagne himself occasionally used "David" his pseudonym. David (Arabic: داوود Dā'ūd or Dāwūd ) is an important figure in Islam as one of the major prophets God sent to guide the Israelites . He is mentioned several times in the Quran with the Arabic name داود, Dāwūd or Dā'ūd , often with his son Solomon . In

10680-833: The Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke . In the Quran and hadith , David is described as an Israelite king as well as a prophet of Allah . The biblical David has inspired many interpretations in art and literature over the centuries. The First Book of Samuel and the First Book of Chronicles both identify David as the son of Jesse , the Bethlehemite , the youngest of eight sons. He also had at least two sisters: Zeruiah , whose sons all went on to serve in David's army, and Abigail , whose son Amasa served in Absalom's army, Absalom being one of David's younger sons. While

10858-477: The Kraków Ghetto , a walled zone from where they were sent to Nazi extermination camps such as the nearby Auschwitz , and Nazi concentration camps like Płaszów . However, the city was spared from destruction. In 1978, Karol Wojtyła , archbishop of Kraków , was elevated to the papacy as Pope John Paul, the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. The Old Town and historic centre of Kraków, along with

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11036-719: The Kraków-Częstochowa Upland Jurassic Landscape Parks' Board, which deals with the protection areas of the Polish Jura. Under its jurisdiction are: the Bielany-Tyniec Landscape Park (Park Bielańsko-Tyniecki), Tenczynek Landscape Park (Park Tencziński) and Kraków Valleys Landscape Park (Park Krajobrazowy Dolinki Krakowskie), with their watersheds. The natural reserves of the Polish Jura Chain are part of

11214-551: The Meisel family , alongside Rabbi Yakov Kuli Slonim, son-in-law of the Mittler Rebbe, the composers Felix Mendelssohn and Giacomo Meyerbeer , the pianist Julius Isserlis , the cellist Steven Isserlis , the author Inbali Iserles, the mathematician Arieh Iserles and the statistician Leon Isserlis . Isserles is perhaps best known for his halakhic works, chief among them his notes to the Shulchan Aruch by Yosef Karo . He

11392-520: The Mesha Stele from Moab , dating from the 9th century, also contain the words "House of David" at the end of Line 31, although this was considered as less certain than the mention in the Tel Dan inscription. In May 2019, Israel Finkelstein , Nadav Na'aman , and Thomas Römer concluded from the new images that the ruler's name contained three consonants and started with a bet , which excludes

11570-799: The Polish Liquidation Committee assumed power. Following the emergence of the Second Polish Republic in 1918, Kraków resumed its role as a major Polish academic and cultural centre, with the establishment of new universities such as the AGH University of Science and Technology and the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts , as well as several new and essential vocational schools. The city became an important cultural centre for Polish Jews , including both Zionist and Bundist groups. Kraków

11748-428: The Polish government-in-exile or those who had served in the Home Army. After the war, under the Polish People's Republic (officially declared in 1952), the intellectual and academic community of Kraków came under complete political control. The universities were soon deprived of their printing rights and autonomy. The Stalinist government of Poland ordered the construction of the country's largest steel mill in

11926-441: The Revolutions of 1989 and the birth of the Third Republic in the latter half of the 20th century, a number of new architectural projects were completed, including the construction of large business parks and commercial facilities such as the Galeria Krakowska , or infrastructure investments like the Kraków Fast Tram . A good example of this would be the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology designed by Arata Isozaki ,

12104-435: The Shulkhan Aruch became the universally accepted Code of Law for the entire Jewish people , with the notable exception of Yemenite Jews who still follow the Rambam ( Maimonides ). Torat Ha-Olah (תורת העלה), written between 1560 and 1570, was a discussion of the deeper meaning of the Temple in Jerusalem and the temple sacrifices. In addition to discussing the principles of the Jewish faith invoked, Isserles connects

12282-409: The Talmud Yerushalmi , David was born and died on the Jewish holiday of Shavuot (Feast of Weeks). His piety was said to be so great that his prayers could bring down things from Heaven. The Messiah concept is fundamental in Christianity. Originally an earthly king ruling by divine appointment ("the anointed one", as the title Messiah had it), in the last two centuries BCE the "son of David" became

12460-402: The University of Kraków , the second oldest university in central Europe after the Charles University in Prague . The city continued to grow under the Jagiellonian dynasty . As the capital of the Kingdom of Poland and a member of the Hanseatic League , the city attracted many craftsmen from abroad, businesses, and guilds as science and the arts began to flourish. The royal chancery and

12638-508: The Vistula River Valley with a network of tributaries including its right tributary Wilga , and left: Rudawa , Białucha, Dłubnia and Sanka. The rivers and their valleys along with bodies of water are some of the most interesting natural wonders of Kraków. Kraków and its environment, surrounded by mountains, suffer from Europe's dirtiest air pollution because of smog , caused by burning coal for heating, especially in winter. The Kraków City Council has 43 elected members, one of whom

12816-819: The feast day of the "Holy Righteous Prophet and King David" on the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers (two Sundays before the Great Feast of the Nativity of the Lord ) and on the Sunday of the Holy Fathers (Sunday before the Nativity ), when he is commemorated together with other ancestors of Jesus . He is also commemorated on the Sunday after the Nativity, together with Joseph and James, the Brother of

12994-481: The "Polish Athens" ( Polskie Ateny ). Many leading Polish artists of the period resided in Kraków, among them the seminal painter Jan Matejko , laid to rest at Rakowicki Cemetery , and the founder of modern Polish drama, Stanisław Wyspiański . Fin de siècle Kraków evolved into a modern metropolis; running water and electric streetcars were introduced in 1901, and between 1910 and 1915, Kraków and its surrounding suburban communities were gradually combined into

13172-585: The "first wave" of philosophical learning within Polish Jewry and is deemed the "Isserles School" by Leonard S. Levin. Isserles had several children: "Drezil (named after his maternal grandmother), wife of R. Bunem Meisels. A daughter whose name is unknown to us.... A son, R. Yehuda.... A third daughter... who is totally unknown to us." He is buried in the eponymous Remuh Cemetery in Kraków. A reputed descendant of King David through Rashi , he has many notable descendants, among which are included members of

13350-527: The 10th century BCE and that proof of the existence of a strong, centralized kingdom at that time remains "tenuous." Excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa by archaeologists Yosef Garfinkel and Saar Ganor found an urbanized settlement radiocarbon dated to the 10th century, which supports the existence of an urbanised kingdom. The Israel Antiquities Authority stated: "The excavations at Khirbat Qeiyafa clearly reveal an urban society that existed in Judah already in

13528-529: The 1990s the English version of the name was often written as Cracow, but now the most widespread modern English version is Krakow. Kraków's early history begins with evidence of a Stone Age settlement on the present site of the Wawel Hill . A legend attributes Kraków's founding to the mythical ruler Krakus , who built it above a cave occupied by a dragon , Smok Wawelski . The first written record of

13706-572: The 19th and early 20th centuries in Kraków include the Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts, the directorate of the Polish State Railways as well as the original complex of Kraków Główny railway station and the city's Academy of Economics . It was also at around that time that Kraków's first radial boulevards began to appear, with the city undergoing a large-scale program aimed at transforming the ancient Polish capital into

13884-609: The 2007-built Pawilon Wyspiański 2000 , which is used as a multi-purpose information and exhibition space, or the Małopolski Garden of Arts ( Małopolski Ogród Sztuki ), a multi-purpose exhibition and theatre complex located in the historic Old Town. There are about 40 parks in Kraków, including dozens of gardens and forests. Several, like the Planty Park , Botanical Garden , Zoological Garden , Royal Garden , Park Krakowski , Jordan Park and Błonia Park are located in

14062-528: The Bible. The relief claims that Shoshenq raided places in Palestine in 925 BCE, and Kitchen interprets one place as "Heights of David", which was in southern Judah and the Negev where the Bible says David took refuge from Saul. The relief is damaged and interpretation is uncertain. Of the evidence in question, John Haralson Hayes and James Maxwell Miller wrote in 2006: "If one is not convinced in advance by

14240-527: The Catholic Church elevated Wojtyła to the papacy as John Paul II , the first non-Italian pope in over 450 years. In the same year, UNESCO , following the application of local authorities, placed Kraków Old Town on the first list of World Heritage Sites . Kraków lies in the southern part of Poland, on the Vistula River , approximately 219 m (719 ft) above sea level . The city

14418-570: The City of David , which she believes date to the 10th century BCE. According to Mazar, this would prove that an organized state did exist in the 10th century. In 2006, Kenneth Kitchen came to a similar conclusion, arguing that "the physical archaeology of tenth-century Canaan is consistent with the former existence of a unified state on its terrain." Scholars such as Israel Finkelstein , Lily Singer-Avitz, Ze'ev Herzog and David Ussishkin do not accept these conclusions. Finkelstein does not accept

14596-603: The General Government. By September 1943, the last of the Jews from the Kraków Ghetto had been deported. Although looted by occupational authorities , Kraków remained relatively undamaged at the end of World War II, with most of the city's historical and architectural legacy spared. Soviet forces under the command of Marshal Ivan Konev entered the city on 18 January 1945, and began arresting Poles loyal to

14774-473: The General Government. On the same day, the city of Kraków became the capital of the administration. The General Government was ruled by Governor-General Hans Frank , who was based in the city's Wawel Castle. The Nazis envisioned turning Kraków into a completely Germanised city; after removal of all Jews and Poles, renaming of locations and streets into the German language, and sponsorship of propaganda portraying

14952-566: The Israelites to send out a champion to face him in single combat. David, sent by his father to bring provisions to his brothers serving in Saul's army, declares that he can defeat Goliath. Refusing the king's offer of the royal armour, he kills Goliath with his sling . Saul inquires the name of the young hero's father. Saul sets David over his army. All Israel loves David, but his popularity causes Saul to fear him ("What else can he wish but

15130-703: The Kazimierz district council gave the Jewish Qahal (council of a Jewish self-governing community) a licence for the right to build their own interior walls across the western section of the already existing defensive walls. The walls were expanded again in 1608 due to the growth of the community and influx of Jews from Bohemia. In 1572, King Sigismund II , the last of the Jagiellons, died childless. The Polish throne passed to Henry III of France and then to other foreign-based rulers in rapid succession, causing

15308-681: The Lord and on 26 December (Synaxis of the Mother of God). In European Christian culture of the Middle Ages , David was made a member of the Nine Worthies , a group of heroes encapsulating all the ideal qualities of chivalry . His life was thus proposed as a valuable subject for study by those aspiring to chivalric status. This aspect of David in the Nine Worthies was popularised first through literature, and thereafter adopted as

15486-405: The Philistines march against Saul. David returns to Ziklag and saves his wives and the citizens from an Amalekite raid. Jonathan and Saul are killed in battle with the Philistines, and after hearing of their deaths, David travels to Hebron, where he is anointed king over Judah. In the north, Saul's son Ish-Bosheth is anointed king of Israel, and war ensues until Ish-Bosheth is murdered. With

15664-640: The Philistines, David and his men raid the Geshurites , the Girzites, and the Amalekites , but lead the royal court to believe they are attacking the Israelites, the Jerahmeelites , and the Kenites . While Achish comes to believe that David had become a loyal vassal , the princes (or lords) of Gath remain unconvinced, and at their request, Achish instructs David to remain behind to guard the camp when

15842-623: The Philistines, Saul heads to Ein Gedi in pursuit of David. Needing privacy " to attend to his needs ", Saul enters the cave where, as it happens, David and his supporters are hiding. David realises he has an opportunity to kill Saul, but instead, he secretly cuts off a piece of Saul's robe. When Saul leaves the cave, David comes out to pay homage to the king, and to demonstrate using the piece of robe that he holds no malice towards him. The two are thus reconciled and Saul recognises David as his successor. A similar passage occurs in 1 Samuel 26, when David

16020-405: The Polish army followed by tours of Austrian, Polish and Russian troops, plus Russian occupation and a flood in the year 1813 all added up to the adverse development of the city with a high debt burden on public finances and many workshops and trading houses needing to close their activities. Following Napoleon's defeat, the 1815 Congress of Vienna restored the pre-war boundaries but also created

16198-580: The Quran of the wrong David did to Uriah nor any reference to Bathsheba , Muslims reject this narrative. Muslim tradition and the hadith stress David's zeal in daily prayer as well as in fasting . Quran commentators, historians and compilers of the numerous Stories of the Prophets elaborate upon David's concise quranic narratives and specifically mention David's gift in singing his Psalms, his beautiful recitation, and his vocal talents. His voice

16376-675: The Quran, David killed Goliath ( Q2:251 ), a giant soldier in the Philistine army. When David killed Goliath, God granted him kingship and wisdom and enforced it ( Q38:20 ). David was made God's " vicegerent on earth" ( Q38:26 ) and God further gave David sound judgment ( Q21:78 ; Q37:21–24 , Q26 ) as well as the Psalms , regarded as books of divine wisdom ( Q4:163 ; Q17:55 ). The birds and mountains united with David in uttering praise to God ( Q21:79 ; Q34:10 ; Q38:18 ), while God made iron soft for David ( Q34:10 ), God also instructed David in

16554-616: The Renaissance attics with decorative pinnacles became recognisable features of historical buildings in Kraków. Built from its earliest nucleus outward, the city's monuments can be seen in historical order by walking from the city centre out, towards its newer districts. Kraków's historic centre, which includes the Old Town ( Stare Miasto ), the Main Market Square ( Rynek Główny ), the Cloth Hall ( Sukiennice ),

16732-630: The Torah laws and symbols to philosophy, physics, astronomy, and Kabbalah . The title translates into the "Law of the Burnt-Offering." In addition to citing the Tanakh and Talmud, Isserles heavily references the Midrash . Isserles also wrote: Krak%C3%B3w Kraków ( Polish: [ˈkrakuf] ), also spelled as Cracow or Krakow , is the second-largest and one of

16910-516: The Youth Departments. Subsequently, the number of criminal offences dropped by 3 percent between 2000 and 2001, and the rate of detection increased by 1.4 percent to a total of 30.2 percent in the same period. The city is receiving help in carrying out the program from all educational institutions and the local media, including TV, radio and the press. Kraków is divided into 18 administrative districts ( dzielnica ) or boroughs, each with

17088-528: The age of 70 after reigning for 40 years, and on his deathbed counsels Solomon to walk in the ways of God and to take revenge on his enemies. The Book of Samuel calls David a skillful harp (lyre) player and "the sweet psalmist of Israel." Yet, while almost half of the Psalms are headed "A Psalm of David" (also translated as "to David" or "for David") and tradition identifies several with specific events in David's life (e.g., Psalms 3 , 7 , 18 , 34 , 51 , 52 , 54 , 56 , 57 , 59 , 60 , 63 and 142 ),

17266-485: The annotations to the Shulchan Aruch, were not placed by Isserles. This may be seen from the fact that many times incorrect references are given. An anonymous scholar placed them at the end of each comment and gradually they have been mistaken as being indications of the author himself." Isserles' weaving "his comments into the main text as glosses, indicates, besides upholding the traditional Ashkenazi attitude to

17444-497: The apocalyptic and heavenly one who would deliver Israel and usher in a new kingdom. This was the background to the concept of Messiahship in early Christianity, which interpreted the career of Jesus "by means of the titles and functions assigned to David in the mysticism of the Zion cult, in which he served as priest-king and in which he was the mediator between God and man". The early Church believed that "the life of David foreshadowed

17622-575: The archaeological remains themselves cannot provide any unambiguous evidence of events." The view of Davidic Jerusalem as a village has been challenged by Eilat Mazar 's excavation of the Large Stone Structure and the Stepped Stone Structure in 2005. Mazar proposed that these two structures may have been architecturally linked as one unit and that they date to the time of King David. Mazar supports this dating with

17800-408: The art of fashioning chain mail out of iron ( Q21:80 ); this knowledge gave David a major advantage over his bronze and cast iron -armed opponents, not to mention the cultural and economic impact. Together with Solomon, David gave judgment in a case of damage to the fields ( Q21:78 ) and David judged the matter between two disputants in his prayer chamber ( Q38:21–23 ). Since there is no mention in

17978-517: The biblical profile, then there is nothing in the archaeological evidence itself to suggest that much of consequence was going on in Palestine during the tenth century BCE, and certainly nothing to suggest that Jerusalem was a great political and cultural center." This echoed the 1995 conclusion of Amélie Kuhrt , who noted that "there are no royal inscriptions from the time of the united monarchy (indeed very little written material altogether), and not

18156-407: The branches of a tree where, contrary to David's order, he is killed by Joab , the commander of David's army. David laments the death of his favourite son: "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!" until Joab persuades him to recover from "the extravagance of his grief" and to fulfill his duty to his people. David returns to Gilgal and

18334-692: The building of the Collegium Novum just west of the Old Town. The imperial style planning of the city's further development continued until the return of Poland's independence, following the First World War. Early modernist style in Kraków is represented by such masterpieces as the Palace of Art by Franciszek Mączyński and the 'House under the Globe'. Secession style architecture, which had arrived in Kraków from Vienna , became popular towards

18512-587: The centre of the city; with others, such as Zakrzówek, Wolski forest, Strzelecki Park and Lotników Park in the surrounding districts. Parks cover about 318.5 hectares (787 acres; 1.23 sq mi) of the city. The best-known park in Kraków is the Planty Park. Established between 1822 and 1830 in place of the old city walls, it forms a green belt around the Old Town and consists of a chain of smaller gardens designed in various styles and adorned with monuments. The park has an area of 21 hectares (52 acres) and

18690-476: The child will. In fulfillment of Nathan's words, the child born of the union between David and Bathsheba dies, and another of David's sons, Absalom , fueled by vengeance and lust for power, rebels. Thanks to Hushai , a friend of David who was ordered to infiltrate Absalom's court to successfully sabotage his plans, Absalom's forces are routed at the battle of the Wood of Ephraim , and he is caught by his long hair in

18868-592: The city also increased in this time from 20.8% to 30.4%. However, nationalist sentiment and other political issues led to instability; this culminated in the Kraków uprising of 1846, which was crushed by the Austrian authorities. The Free City was therefore annexed into the Austrian Empire as the Grand Duchy of Kraków ( Polish : Wielkie Księstwo Krakowskie , German : Großherzogtum Krakau ), which

19046-481: The city as historically German. On 28 November 1939, Frank set up Judenräte ('Jewish Councils') to be run by Jewish citizens for the purpose of carrying out orders for the Nazis. These orders included the registration of all Jewish people living in each area, the collection of taxes, and the formation of forced-labour groups. The Polish Home Army maintained a parallel underground administrative system. At

19224-476: The city fell into a recession. From 1844 to 1850 the population was diminished by over 4,000 inhabitants. In 1866, Austria granted a degree of autonomy to Galicia after its own defeat in the Austro-Prussian War . Kraków, being politically freer than the Polish cities under Prussian (later German) and Russian rule, became a Polish national symbol and a centre of culture and art, known frequently as

19402-585: The city had an increasing number of Catholic clergy, officials and intelligentsia with which the rich townspeople sympathised. They were opposed to the conservative landed aristocracy who also were drawn more and more to the city real estates even though their income still mainly came from their agricultural possessions in the Republic, the Kingdom of Poland and Galicia. The percentage of the Jewish population in

19580-615: The city variable meteorological conditions over short spaces of time. The city lies in proximity to the Tatra Mountains and there are often occurrences of a foehn wind called halny , causing temperatures to rise rapidly. In relation to Warsaw, temperatures are very similar for most of the year, except that in the colder months southern Poland has a larger daily temperature range, more moderate winds, generally more rainy days and with greater chances of clear skies on average, especially in winter. The higher sun angle also allows for

19758-530: The city's name dates back to 965, when Kraków was described as a notable commercial centre controlled first by Moravia (876–879), but captured by a Bohemian duke Boleslaus I in 955. The first acclaimed ruler of Poland, Mieszko I , took Kraków from the Bohemians and incorporated it into the holdings of the Piast dynasty towards the end of his reign. In 1038, Kraków became the seat of the Polish government. By

19936-560: The city's residents dead. Already weakened during the 18th century, by the mid-1790s the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth had twice been partitioned by its neighbors: Russia , the Habsburg empire and Prussia . In 1791, the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold II changed the status of Kazimierz as a separate city and made it into a district of Kraków. The richer Jewish families began to move out. However, because of

20114-532: The city, along its northern and north-western side, borders an area of international significance known as the Jurassic Bielany - Tyniec refuge. The main motives for the protection of this area include plant and animal wildlife and the area's geomorphological features and landscape. Another part of the city is located within the ecological 'corridor' of the Vistula River valley. This corridor

20292-512: The city. For those who remained, the German authorities decided in March 1941 to allocate a then-suburban neighborhood, Podgórze District , to become Kraków's ghetto, where many Jews subsequently died of illness or starvation. Initially, most ghettos were open and Jews were allowed to enter and exit freely, but as security became tighter the ghettos were generally closed. From autumn 1941, the SS developed

20470-644: The court to Warsaw in 1596. The district is bisected by the Royal Road , the coronation route traversed by the Kings of Poland . Several important monuments were lost in the course of history, notably the Ratusz town hall . However, the Gothic Town Hall Tower measuring 70 m (229 ft 8 in) in height remains standing. In addition to the old town, the city's district of Kazimierz

20648-625: The date of the story in the Persian or Hellenistic period" because a quarter-shekel was known to exist in Hasmonean times. The authors and editors of Samuel drew on many earlier sources, including, for their history of David, the "history of David's rise" and the "succession narrative". The Books of Chronicles , which tells the story from a different point of view, was probably composed in the period 350–300 BCE, and uses Samuel and Kings as its source. Biblical evidence indicates that David's Judah

20826-504: The dating of these structures to the 10th century BCE, based in part on the fact that later structures on the site penetrated deep into underlying layers, that the entire area had been excavated in the early 20th century and then backfilled, that pottery from later periods was found below earlier strata, and that consequently the finds collected by E. Mazar cannot necessarily be considered as retrieved in situ . Aren Maeir said in 2010 that he has seen no evidence that these structures are from

21004-535: The death of Saul's son, the elders of Israel come to Hebron and David is anointed king over all of Israel. He conquers Jerusalem , previously a Jebusite stronghold, and makes it his capital. He brings the Ark of the Covenant to the city, intending to build a temple for God, but the prophet Nathan forbids it, prophesying that the temple would be built by one of David's sons. Nathan also prophesies that God has made

21182-428: The death of her husband, Uriah the Hittite . David's son Absalom later tries to overthrow him, but David returns to Jerusalem after Absalom's death to continue his reign. David desires to build a temple to Yahweh, but is denied because of the bloodshed of his reign. He dies at age 70 and chooses Solomon , his son with Bathsheba, as his successor instead of his eldest son Adonijah . David is honored as an ideal king and

21360-661: The devastation brought by the Second World War, and have remained empty. Most recent efforts at restoring the historic neighborhoods gained new impetus around 1993. Kazimierz is now a well-visited area, seeing a booming growth in Jewish-themed restaurants, bars, bookstores and souvenir shops. As the city of Kraków began to expand further under the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire , the new architectural styles also developed. Key buildings from

21538-1182: The dowry as 100 Philistine heads). Saul became jealous of David and tried to have him killed. David escaped. Then Saul sent Michal to Galim to marry Palti, son of Laish . David then took wives in Hebron , according to 2 Samuel 3; they were Ahinoam the Yizre'elite; Abigail , the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; Maacah , the daughter of Talmay, king of Geshur ; Haggith ; Abital ; and Eglah . Later, David wanted Michal back and Abner , Ish-bosheth's army commander, delivered her to him, causing Palti great grief. The Book of Chronicles lists his sons with his various wives and concubines . In Hebron , David had six sons: Amnon , by Ahinoam ; Daniel , by Abigail ; Absalom , by Maachah ; Adonijah , by Haggith ; Shephatiah , by Abital ; and Ithream , by Eglah . By Bathsheba, his sons were Shammua , Shobab, Nathan , and Solomon . David's sons born in Jerusalem of his other wives included Ibhar , Elishua, Eliphelet , Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama and Eliada. Jerimoth , who

21716-412: The editions since 1574, the Shulhan ‘Arukh was printed with HaMapah, thus creating an interesting tension that was realized on the printed page. It was an act of integrating the Sephardic tradition and its accommodation into the Ashkenazi world, the confirmation of the authority and its undermining appearing on the same page." The citations "indicating the sources in earlier authorities of the decisions in

21894-487: The end of the Partitions . With Poland's regained independence came the major change in the fortunes of Kraków—now the second most important city of a sovereign nation. The state began to make new plans for the city development and commissioned a number of representative buildings. The predominant style for new projects was modernism with various interpretations of the art-deco style. Important buildings constructed in

22072-551: The end of the tenth century, the city was a leading centre of trade. Brick buildings were constructed, including the Royal Wawel Castle with St. Felix and Adaukt Rotunda, Romanesque churches such as St. Andrew's Church , a cathedral , and a basilica . The city was sacked and burned during the Mongol invasion of 1241. It was rebuilt practically identically, based on new location act and incorporated in 1257 by

22250-581: The exact date of compilation. Other scholars believe that the Books of Samuel were substantially composed during the time of Josiah , king of Judah, at the end of the 7th century BCE, extended during the Babylonian captivity and substantially complete by about 550 BCE. Old Testament scholar A. Graeme Auld contends that further editing was done even after then—the silver quarter- shekel Saul's servant offers to Samuel in 1 Samuel 9:8 "almost certainly fixes

22428-426: The first king of Israel, but is forced to go into hiding when Saul suspects David of plotting to take his throne. After Saul and his son Jonathan are killed in battle, David is anointed king by the tribe of Judah and eventually all the tribes of Israel. He conquers Jerusalem , makes it the capital of a united Israel , and brings the Ark of the Covenant to the city. He commits adultery with Bathsheba and arranges

22606-435: The first week of June 1942, and the ghetto was finally liquidated in March 1943. The film director Roman Polanski survived the Kraków Ghetto. Oskar Schindler selected employees from the ghetto to work in his enamelware factory Deutsche Emailwarenfabrik , saving them from the camps. Similarly, many men capable of physical labor were saved from deportation to extermination camps and instead sent to labor camps across

22784-608: The forefather of the future Hebrew Messiah in Jewish prophetic literature, and many psalms are attributed to him. David is also richly represented in post-biblical Jewish written and oral tradition and referenced in the New Testament . Early Christians interpreted the life of Jesus of Nazareth in light of references to the Hebrew Messiah and to David; Jesus is described as being directly descended from David in

22962-454: The future Messiah." In the Middle Ages , " Charlemagne thought of himself, and was viewed by his court scholars, as a 'new David'. [This was] not in itself a new idea, but [one whose] content and significance were greatly enlarged by him". Western Rite churches ( Lutheran , Roman Catholic ) celebrate David's feast day on 29 December or 6 October, Eastern-rite on 19 December. The Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches celebrate

23140-435: The grounds of one of the city's larger parks, Błonia Park. The less prominent Park Krakowski, founded in 1885 by Stanisław Rehman , was a popular destination point for Cracovians at the end of the 19th century, but has since been greatly reduced in size because of rapid real estate development . There are five nature reserves in Kraków with a total area of 48.6 hectares (120 acres). Smaller green zones constitute parts of

23318-533: The headings are late additions and no psalm can be attributed to David with certainty. Psalm 34 is attributed to David on the occasion of his escape from Abimelech (or King Achish ) by pretending to be insane. According to the parallel narrative in 1 Samuel 21, instead of killing the man who had exacted so many casualties from him, Abimelech allows David to leave, exclaiming, "Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?" David

23496-404: The heat of battle. David then marries the widowed Bathsheba. In response, Nathan, after trapping the king in his guilt with a parable that actually described his sin in analogy, prophesies the punishment that will fall upon him, stating "the sword shall never depart from your house." When David acknowledges that he has sinned , Nathan advises him that his sin is forgiven and he will not die, but

23674-413: The high duke Bolesław V the Chaste who following the example of Wrocław , introduced city rights modelled on the Magdeburg law allowing for tax benefits and new trade privileges for the citizens. In 1259, the city was again ravaged by the Mongols. A third attack in 1287 was repelled thanks in part to the newly built fortifications . In 1315 a large alliance of Poland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden

23852-452: The historicity of which has been extensively challenged , and there is little detail about David that is concrete and undisputed. Debates persist over several controversial issues: the exact timeframe of David's reign and the geographical boundaries of his kingdom; whether the story serves as a political defense of David's dynasty against accusations of tyranny, murder and regicide; the homoerotic relationship between David and Jonathan; whether

24030-449: The injunction against travel on the Sabbath , most Jewish families stayed relatively close to the historic synagogues. In 1794, Tadeusz Kościuszko initiated an unsuccessful insurrection in the town's Main Square which, in spite of his victorious Battle of Racławice against a numerically superior Russian army , resulted in the third and final partition of Poland . As a result, Kraków fell under Habsburg rule. In 1802, German became

24208-426: The king will eventually make another attempt on his life. David appeals to king Achish of Gath to grant him and his family sanctuary. Achish agrees, and upon hearing that David has fled to Philistia, Saul ceases to pursue him, though no such pursuit seemed to be in progress at the time. Achish permits David to reside in Ziklag , close to the border between Philistia and Judah. To further ingratiate himself to Achish and

24386-407: The kingdom?"). Saul plots his death, but Saul's son Jonathan , who loves David , warns him of his father's schemes and David flees. He goes first to Nob , where he is fed by the priest Ahimelech and given Goliath's sword, and then to Gath , the Philistine city of Goliath, intending to seek refuge with King Achish there. Achish's servants or officials question his loyalty, and David sees that he

24564-409: The late 16th century, when Sigismund III transferred his royal court to Warsaw . With the emergence of the Second Polish Republic in 1918, Kraków reaffirmed its role as the nucleus of a national spirit. After the invasion of Poland , at the start of World War II , the newly defined Distrikt Krakau became the seat of Nazi Germany 's General Government . The Jewish population was forced into

24742-450: The late 9th/early 8th centuries BCE. It commemorates the king's victory over two enemy kings, and contains the phrase 𐤁𐤉𐤕𐤃𐤅𐤃 , bytdwd , which most scholars translate as "House of David". Other scholars have challenged this reading, but this is likely a reference to a dynasty of the Kingdom of Judah which traced its ancestry to a founder named David. Two epigraphers , André Lemaire and Émile Puech , hypothesised in 1994 that

24920-401: The late eleventh century BCE. It can no longer be argued that the Kingdom of Judah developed only in the late eighth century BCE or at some other later date." But other scholars have criticized the techniques and interpretations to reach some conclusions related to Khirbet Qeiyafa, such as Israel Finkelstein and Alexander Fantalkin of Tel Aviv University , who have instead proposed that the city

25098-414: The life of Christ; Bethlehem is the birthplace of both; the shepherd life of David points out Christ, the Good Shepherd ; the five stones chosen to slay Goliath are typical of the five wounds ; the betrayal by his trusted counsellor, Ahitophel , and the passage over the Cedron remind us of Christ's Sacred Passion . Many of the Davidic Psalms, as we learn from the New Testament, are clearly typical of

25276-415: The most popular legends about David, including his killing of Goliath, his affair with Bathsheba , and his ruling of the unified Kingdom of Israel rather than just Judah, are the creation of those who lived generations after him, in particular those living in the late Persian or Hellenistic periods. The Tel Dan stele , discovered in 1993, is an inscribed stone erected by Hazael , a king of Damascus in

25454-437: The mountainous Wilderness of Ziph . Jonathan meets with David again and confirms his loyalty to David as the future king. After the people of Ziph notify Saul that David is taking refuge in their territory, Saul seeks confirmation and plans to capture David in the Wilderness of Maon, but his attention is diverted by a renewed Philistine invasion and David is able to secure some respite at Ein Gedi . Returning from battle with

25632-416: The nearby Wieliczka Salt Mine , are Poland's first World Heritage Sites . Its extensive cultural and architectural legacy across the epochs of Gothic , Renaissance , and Baroque architecture includes Wawel Cathedral and Wawel Royal Castle on the banks of the Vistula, St. Mary's Basilica , Saints Peter and Paul Church , and the largest medieval market square in Europe, Rynek Główny . Kraków

25810-436: The newly created suburb of Nowa Huta . The creation of the giant Lenin Steelworks (now Sendzimir Steelworks owned by Mittal ) sealed Kraków's transformation from a university city into an industrial centre. In an effort that spanned two decades, Karol Wojtyła , the cardinal archbishop of Kraków from 1964 to 1978, successfully lobbied for permission to build the first churches in the newly industrialized suburbs. In 1978,

25988-403: The old Turim so that it could easily be introduced into the yeshivah curriculum. This was the crucial step in altering the canonical status of the Shulhan Arukh." Today, the term " Shulchan Aruch " refers to the combined work of Karo and Isserles. This consolidation of the two works strengthened the underlying unity of the Sephardi and Ashkenazi communities. It is through this unification that

26166-459: The oldest cities in Poland . Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship , the city has a population of 804,237 (2023), with approximately 8 million additional people living within a 100 km (62 mi) radius. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596, and has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life. Cited as one of Europe 's most beautiful cities, its Old Town

26344-436: The outbreak of World War II , some 56,000 Jews resided in Kraków—almost one-quarter of a total population of about 250,000; by November 1939, the Jewish population of the city had grown to approximately 70,000. According to German statistics from 1940, over 200,000 Jews lived within the entire Kraków District, comprising more than 5 percent of the district's total population. However, these statistics probably underestimate

26522-410: The partially independent and neutral Free City of Kraków . In addition to the historic city of Kraków itself, the Free City included the towns of Chrzanow , Trzebinia and Nowa Gora and 224 villages. Outside the city, mining and metallurgy started developing. The population of Kraków itself grew in this time from 23,000 to 43,000; that of the overall republic from 88,000 to 103,000. The population of

26700-413: The phrase "House of David". Replying to Langlois, Na'aman argued that the "House of David" reading is unacceptable because the resulting sentence structure is extremely rare in West Semitic royal inscriptions. Besides the two steles, Bible scholar and Egyptologist Kenneth Kitchen suggests that David's name also appears in a relief of the pharaoh Shoshenq I , who is usually identified with Shishak in

26878-441: The policy of extermination through labour , which further worsened the already bleak conditions for Jews. The inhabitants of the Kraków Ghetto were later murdered or sent to German extermination camps , including Bełżec and Auschwitz , and to Kraków-Płaszów concentration camp . The largest deportations within the Distrikt occurred from June to September 1942. More specifically, mass deportation from Kraków's ghetto occurred in

27056-425: The reading "House of David" and, in conjunction with the monarch's city of residence "Horonaim" in Moab, makes it likely that the one mentioned is King Balak , a name also known from the Hebrew Bible . Later that year, Michael Langlois used high-resolution photographs of both the inscription itself, and the 19th-century original squeeze of the then still intact stele to reaffirm Lemaire's view that line 31 contains

27234-535: The river was filled in with earth and rock, and subsequently built over. By the 1930s, Kraków had 120 officially registered synagogues and prayer houses that spanned across the old city. Much of Jewish intellectual life had moved to new centres like Podgórze . This, in turn, led to the redevelopment and renovation of much of Kazimierz and the development of new districts in Kraków. Most historic buildings in central Kazimierz today are preserved in their original form. Some old buildings, however, were not repaired after

27412-464: The situation. In November 1939, during an operation known as Sonderaktion Krakau ('special operation Kraków'), the Germans arrested more than 180 university professors and academics, and sent them to the Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps , though the survivors were later released on the request of prominent Italians. Before the formation of ghettos , which began in the Kraków District in December 1939, Jews were encouraged to flee

27590-462: The style of Polish modernism include the Feniks 'LOT' building on Basztowa Street, the Feniks department store on the Main Square and the Municipal Savings Bank on Szczepański Square. The Józef Piłsudski house is also of note as a particularly good example of interwar architecture in the city. After the Second World War, new Communist government adopted Stalinist monumentalism . The doctrine of Socialist realism in Poland , as in other countries of

27768-420: The text is a Homer -like heroic tale adopting elements from its Ancient Near East parallels; and whether elements of the text date as late as the Hasmonean period. In the biblical narrative of the Books of Samuel , David is described as a young shepherd and harpist whose heart is devoted to Yahweh , the one true God. He gains fame and becomes a hero by killing Goliath . He becomes a favorite of Saul ,

27946-437: The text. The opinion of the majority is followed by R. Isserles and even Maimonides, whom he respected very highly, is disregarded if he was in the minority. After the Rishonim, R. Isserles proceeds to examine writings of אחרונים, i.e. Mordechai , Ashri and Tur , and the latter is followed especially when the Tosafists agree with him. At this point, the Responsa of still later authorities are cited extensively in accordance with

28124-475: The time of Pharaoh Akhenaten . While Mazar believes that David reigned over Israel during the 11th century BCE, he argues that much of the Biblical text is of "literary-legendary nature". According to William G. Dever, the reigns of Saul , David and Solomon are reasonably well attested, but "most archeologists today would argue that the United Monarchy was not much more than a kind of hill-country chiefdom". Lester L. Grabbe wrote in 2017: "The main question

28302-455: The town existed as early as the seventh century, when it was inhabited by the tribe of Vistulans. It is possible that the name of the city is derived from the word kruk , meaning 'crow' or 'raven'. The city's full official name is Stołeczne Królewskie Miasto Kraków , which can be translated as " Royal Capital City of Kraków". In English, a person born or living in Kraków is a Cracovian ( Polish : krakowianin or krakus ). Until

28480-440: The town's official language. Of the members appointed by the Habsburgs to the municipal council only half were Polish. From 1796 to 1809, the population of the city rose from 22,000 to 26,000 with an increasing percentage of nobles and officials. In 1809, Napoleon Bonaparte captured former Polish territories from Austria and made the town part of the Duchy of Warsaw . During the time of the Duchy of Warsaw, requirements to upkeep

28658-491: The university ensured a first flourishing of Polish literary culture in the city. The 15th and 16th centuries were known as Poland's Złoty Wiek or Golden Age . Many works of Polish Renaissance art and architecture were created, including ancient synagogues in Kraków's Jewish quarter located in the north-eastern part of Kazimierz, such as the Old Synagogue . During the reign of Casimir IV , various artists came to work and live in Kraków, and Johann Haller established

28836-436: The well-established principle of הלכה כבתרא, paying due attention even to the opinions of contemporaries and to customs of Polish Jewry which the ב”י omitted. Thus, Isserles, in his responsa as well as in the ד”מ and his commentary on the Shulchan Aruch, served as a supplement and offered his community the code of Law adjusted to its authorities, customs, and needs. He spread the “cloth” over the table prepared by his contemporary,

29014-401: The work underlying the Shulkhan Aruch . Isserles had originally intended the Darkhei Moshe to serve as a basis for subsequent halakhic decisions. As such, in this work he evaluates the rulings of the Tur —which was widely accepted among the Ashkenazim and Sephardim —comparing these with rulings of other halakhic authorities . The Beth Yosef was published while Isserles was at work on

29192-519: The ב”י." Isserles, like Yosef Karo in the Shulchan Aruch , often quotes Kabbalistic sources and opinions in his various works, and writes of his great joy upon finding that his ruling concurred with what he later found written in the "words of the Zohar which were given at Sinai ...". Writing to a friend who had become a rabbi in Germany, Isserles expressed his preference for living in Poland over Germany: "You would be better off living with us in Poland on stale bread if need be, but safe". Isserles

29370-417: Was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy , according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament . According to Jewish works such as the Seder Olam Rabbah , Seder Olam Zutta , and Sefer ha-Qabbalah (all written over a thousand years later), David ascended the throne as the king of Judah in 885 BCE. The Tel Dan stele , an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by

29548-473: Was also an influential centre of Jewish spiritual life, with all its manifestations of religious observance—from Orthodox to Hasidic and Reform Judaism —flourishing side by side. Following the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany in September 1939, the city of Kraków became part of the General Government , a separate administrative region of the Third Reich. On 26 October 1939, the Nazi régime set up Distrikt Krakau , one of four districts within

29726-426: Was also learned in Kabbalah and studied history , astronomy , and philosophy . Many had criticized Maimonides' heavy use of philosophy, and these criticisms continued into Isserles' day. He, on the other hand, took a moderate approach despite being concerned with philosophy entering into education. He stated that philosophy should be learned only "sporadically", and that religious scripture should always be held in

29904-406: Was also used for augmenting Poland's Socialist national format. However, in the course of incorporating the principles of Socialist realism, there were quite a few deviations introduced by the communists. From 1953, critical opinions in the Party were increasingly frequent, and the doctrine was given up in 1956 marking the end of Stalinism . The soc-realist centre of Nowa Huta is considered to be

30082-415: Was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978, one of the world's first sites granted the status. The city began as a hamlet on Wawel Hill and was a busy trading centre of Central Europe in 985. In 1038, it became the seat of Polish monarchs from the Piast dynasty , and subsequently served as the centre of administration under Jagiellonian kings and of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth until

30260-405: Was formed in Kraków. In 1335, King Casimir III the Great ( Polish : Kazimierz ) declared the two western suburbs to be a new city named after him, Kazimierz ( Latin : Casimiria ). The defensive walls were erected around the central section of Kazimierz in 1362, and a plot was set aside for the Augustinian order next to Skałka . The city rose to prominence in 1364, when Casimir founded

30438-424: Was legally separate from but administratively part of the Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria (more simply Austrian Galicia). During the era of the free city, a free trade zone led to positive economic development. But because of the unstable political situation and insecurity about the future, not much of the accumulated wealth was invested. Through the increase of taxes, customs and regulations, prices soared and

30616-447: Was ready to repudiate it regardless of its acceptance by the people." Furthermore: "The Talmud is, of course, the great reservoir to which R. Isserles turns as the first step in attempting to solve a problem. The question at hand is immediately referred to an identical or similar case in the Talmud. The second step is the weighing of the opinions of the ראשונים, i.e. Alfasi (רי”ף), Tosafists , Nachmanides , etc. expanding and explaining

30794-423: Was reorganised to better differentiate between its political agenda and administrative functions. As a result, the Office of Public Information was created to handle inquiries and foster communication between city departments and citizens at large. In 2000, the city government introduced a new long-term program called "Safer City" in cooperation with the Police, Traffic, Social Services, Fire, Public Safety , and

30972-422: Was something less than a full-fledged monarchy: it often calls him nagid "prince, chief" (Hebrew: נָגִיד , romanized:  nāgīḏ ), rather than melekh "king" ( מֶלֶךְ ); David sets up none of the complex bureaucracy that a kingdom needs. His army is made up of volunteers and his followers are largely relations or from his home region of Hebron . Beyond this, the full range of possible interpretations

31150-475: Was sweeter to him than the love of a woman", has been compared to Achilles ' comparison of Patroclus to a girl and Gilgamesh 's love for Enkidu "as a woman". Others hold that the David story is a political apology—an answer to contemporary charges against him, of his involvement in murders and regicide. The authors and editors of Samuel and Chronicles aimed not to record history but to promote David's reign as inevitable and desirable, and for this reason there

31328-408: Was the only major, permanent bridge ( Pons Regalis ) across the northern arm of the Vistula. This natural barrier used to separate Kazimierz from the Old Town for several centuries, while the bridge connected Kraków to the Wieliczka Salt Mine and the lucrative Hungarian trade route. The last structure at this location (at the end of modern Stradom Street) was dismantled in 1880 when the northern arm of

31506-436: Was the primary halakhic authority for European Jewry of his day. He died in Kraków and was buried next to his synagogue. On his tombstone is inscribed: "From Moses ( Maimonides ) to Moses (Isserles) there was none like Moses ". Until the Second World War , thousands of pilgrims visited his grave annually on Lag Ba'omer , his Yahrzeit (date of death). Not only was Isserles a renowned Talmudic and legal scholar , but he

31684-406: Was valued more than aesthetics. It aimed at expressing persistence and power. This form of architecture was implemented in the new industrial district of Nowa Huta with apartment blocks constructed according to a Stalinist blueprint, with repetitious courtyards and wide, tree-lined avenues. Since the style of the Renaissance was generally regarded as the most revered in old Polish architecture, it

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