A unique live virtual tour at the Desert Home of David and Paula Ben-Gurion
“Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves,
O my people; and I will bring you back to the Land of Israel”. (Ezekiel 37:12)
We invite you to open a window into David Ben-Gurion’s unique perspective, the founding father of the State of Israel and its first Prime Minister. His Desert Home in Kibbutz Sde-Boker in the Negev, where he moved to in 1953 after retiring from government, is a testament of his views and life. The personal objects and their placement in the Desert Home have symbolic meaning. Ben-Gurion understood that his Home would be a center of interest to the public; He donated his home to the public and relayed a message to future generations through the lay out of the Home.
Whilst a non-observant Jew, Ben-Gurion was imbued with the universal messages within the texts of the Old Testament for the benefit of mankind. The Bible is present in the Desert Home in many ways: these references reflect his vision of the future of the Jewish people, the Negev and the character of the State of Israel, as envisaged by the ancient prophets.
His library includes an engraving picture of the “Dry Bones” prophecy in Ezekiel, signifying Resurrection, seen by Ben-Gurion as the return of the Jewish people to their land. Elements of salvation and redemption are also present. His writings include the importance of being “a light unto the nations”. A prominent replica of Moses, as depicted by Michelangelo, indicates his admiration for the “greatest Jew in history” as Ben-Gurion said. His many books on Biblical themes strengthen the presence of the Judeo-Christian heritage in the home.
The presence of leaders in the Home; Moses, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln also reflect the focus on vision and the freeing the people. Humility and modesty describe these leaders, and in many ways Ben-Gurion was the shepherd returning his people to the flock, whilst maintaining his role in the bigger picture: during his life he felt that he had a vocation and that he was needed by the people, and often requested to relinquish the role.
Join us for a fascinating tour of the Home and delve into the thinking of this great man who left his imprint on history and the religious world.