Surprisingly, most tourist have little knowledge about the founding of the modern state of Israel.  And, it's big.  A real big deal because the scripture teaches us that there would come a time when Israel would no longer say "you brought us up out of the Land of Egypt", but they would say, "you brought us down from the North."  

The rebirth of the nation of Israel began with immigrants from the North, specifically Czarist Russia  in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  

Subsequently, Jews started immigrating from all over Europe.  

Of all the immigrants in the early 1900's David Ben Gurion stands out as a leader among men.   His Zionist vision, although unwelcome under Ottoman rule, would serve him to build a nation.  

He was among the first pioneers and became the first Prime Minister of Israel.  Born in Plonsk, Poland (Czarist Russia) on October 16th, 1886, at twenty years old he immigrated to Israel in 1906--while it was under Ottoman Rule. 

In 1917, the Ottoman Empire collapsed and Israel (then named Palestine from the Roman Age) fell under British Rule until 1948.  

His wife, Paula Ben-Gurion was also born in the Russian city of Minsk in April 1892.   

Here is a timeline of Ben Gurion's milestones:

• 1906 - Immigrated to the Land of Israel and worked as a laborer in the first Hebrew settlements.

  ---

• 1912 - Studied law in Turkey with the aim of representing the Jews in the Land of Israel in the Turkish Parliament.

  ---

• 1915 - Exiled from the Land of Israel due to his Zionist activities and Russian roots.  Travelled to the United States to recruit Zionist youth. 

  ---

• 1917 - Met and married Paula Munbaz in New York.  (David and Paul Ben-Gurion had three childern - Geula, Amos and Renana).

  ---

• 1918 - enlisted in the Jewish Battalion of the British army.  Returned to the Land of Israel as a soldier. 

  ---

• 1921 - Elected Secretary of the Histadrut (Jewish Labor Federation)

  ---

• 1935 - Elected Chairman of the Jewish Agency

  ---

• 1948 - May 14th, 1948 - Proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel. 

  ---

• 1949 - Elected as the first Prime Minister and first Minister of Defense.  

  ---

• 1953 - Resigned from office to become a memeber of the Sde-Boker community.

  ---

• 1955 - Returned to office as Minister of Defense and later as Prime Minister. 

  ---

• 1963 - Resigned from office and returned to live in Kibbutz Sde-Boker.

  ---

• 1968 - Paul Ben-Gurion passed away and was buried at the Ben-Gurion College. 

  ---

• 1973 - December 1, 1973, David Ben Gurion passed away and was buried at the Ben-Gurion College, next to Paula.