The Ben-Gurion Archives are home to one of Israel’s most important and fascinating collections documenting the life, ideas, and work of the State’s first Prime Minister.
For the first time in Israel, a ‘presidential library’ was established, bringing together an archive, a research institute, and a visitor center in one place, where history meets research and research meets the public.
The Archives offer a rare glimpse into national treasures: documents written decades ago that can often feel as though they were written for our own time. These original materials take us behind the scenes of key decisions, into Ben-Gurion’s intellectual world, and into the complexities surrounding the establishment of the State of Israel and its early years.
Recipient of the President of Israel and Prime Minister’s Award for 2024.
Jointly managed by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the Ben-Gurion Heritage Institute, the Archives contain hundreds of thousands of items documenting the milestones of David Ben-Gurion’s life and the formative years of the State of Israel.
The collection includes:
The Archives Visitor Center features an immersive exhibition organized around several central themes:
Through original documents, interactive content , and expert guides, visitors are invited to explore each of these themes in greater depth.
A visit to the Archives can be experienced as part of the wider Ben-Gurion Campus in the Negev, which also includes Ben-Gurion’s Desert Home at Kibbutz Sde Boker and the gravesite at Midreshet Ben-Gurion.
Together, these sites create an in-depth journey connecting us with the man, the leader, and the country he helped shape.
