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Auction archive: Lot number 112

First Drafts of the Israeli Declaration of Independence – Written by Lawyer Mordechai Beham

Opening
US$500,000 - US$1,000,000
Price realised:
n. a.
Auction archive: Lot number 112

First Drafts of the Israeli Declaration of Independence – Written by Lawyer Mordechai Beham

Opening
US$500,000 - US$1,000,000
Price realised:
n. a.
Beschreibung:

Drafts of the Israeli Declaration of Independence, written by the lawyer Mordechai Beham, who was requested by Minister of Justice Felix Rosenblüth (Pinchas Rosen) to compose a proclamation pointing out the chain of events leading to the establishment of independent rule and determining that the provisional government has assumed the authority and responsibility for the administration of the state. Tel-Aviv, April 1948. Offered here are five documents: 1. Three pages handwritten by Beham, in English, titled "The Declaration of Independence". In this draft, known as the "Verses Draft", Beham copied sources which he considered appropriate to be used as a basis for the declaration (quotes from the American declaration of independence, a verse from the Book of Deuteronomy, a few words from the English Bill of Rights and comments about the UN Partition Plan). 2. Three pages handwritten by Beham, in English, titled "Declaration of a Jewish State". On the upper left corner Beham wrote in Hebrew "to type". In this draft, known as the "English Draft", Beham copied the quotes from the "verses draft" and adapted them for the Hebrew declaration. 3. Three pages handwritten by Beham, in Hebrew, titled "Declaration of a Jewish State". On the upper left corner Beham wrote "Secret, first proposal, 27.4.1948". This draft, known as the "Hebrew Draft", was written between Saturday night, April 24, and Tuesday morning, April 27, 1948, and it consists of a literal translation of the English draft, as well as a new adaptation, written on the same draft and on an additional piece of paper, with deletions and additions. 4. Two typewritten pages, titled "Declaration of a Jewish State". In this document, known as the official "First Draft" Beham typed the "Hebrew Draft" and submitted it to the Legal Department of the Provisional State Council. Several corrections by hand. 5. A typewritten page, titled "Memorandum regarding the declaration of a Jewish state". This page, known as the "Beham Memorandum", was attached to the "first draft" (document no. 4) when it was submitted to the Legal Department of the Provisional State Council. In this document Beham clarified whatever he considered subject to further explanation as far as the wording of the draft was concerned. Mordechai Beham (1915-1987), an Eretz-Israeli lawyer, was 33 years of age when he composed the declaration. Beham was born in the Ukraine; a few years later, he moved with his parents to Berlin, and at the age of 9 his family immigrated to Eretz Israel. Beham was educated in Secular-Bourgeois institutes, first in the Hebrew Gymnasium in Jerusalem and then in the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium in Tel-Aviv. As soon as Beham graduated he left for England and studied Law in the London University. Returning to Eretz-Israel he started working for the legal service of the British Mandategovernment, where he worked most of time, until the period mentioned herewith. During these years, his father, Yehudah, managed a very successful law firm in Tel-Aviv, was acquainted with industrialists and public figures, and fulfilled a central role in the Legal Council established by the Yishuv a short time before the establishment of the state of Israel to prepare legislation for the future Jewish State. When the task of writing the Declaration of Independence was assigned to Beham by the Minister of Justice Felix Rosenblüth (Pinchas Rosen), he was sworn to secrecy. On Saturday, April 24, 1948, he revealed his secret during a family lunch. Following his family’s advice, he went to the nearby home of Rabbi Dr. Shalom Zvi (Harry) Davidowitz, an American conservative rabbi, a military chaplain in the American army and a PhD in Humanities. The Verses Draft was written by Beham in English, inspired by the American declaration of independence and it is of a religious orientation (one outstanding expression used by Beham in the draft is “Tsur Israel” – Rock of Israel - which appears in the final version of the declaration as

Auction archive: Lot number 112
Auction:
Datum:
2 Dec 2015
Auction house:
Kedem Auction House Ltd.
King George st. 58
9242209 Jerusalem
Israel
office@kedemltd.com
+972 (0)77 5140223
+972 (0)2 9932048
Beschreibung:

Drafts of the Israeli Declaration of Independence, written by the lawyer Mordechai Beham, who was requested by Minister of Justice Felix Rosenblüth (Pinchas Rosen) to compose a proclamation pointing out the chain of events leading to the establishment of independent rule and determining that the provisional government has assumed the authority and responsibility for the administration of the state. Tel-Aviv, April 1948. Offered here are five documents: 1. Three pages handwritten by Beham, in English, titled "The Declaration of Independence". In this draft, known as the "Verses Draft", Beham copied sources which he considered appropriate to be used as a basis for the declaration (quotes from the American declaration of independence, a verse from the Book of Deuteronomy, a few words from the English Bill of Rights and comments about the UN Partition Plan). 2. Three pages handwritten by Beham, in English, titled "Declaration of a Jewish State". On the upper left corner Beham wrote in Hebrew "to type". In this draft, known as the "English Draft", Beham copied the quotes from the "verses draft" and adapted them for the Hebrew declaration. 3. Three pages handwritten by Beham, in Hebrew, titled "Declaration of a Jewish State". On the upper left corner Beham wrote "Secret, first proposal, 27.4.1948". This draft, known as the "Hebrew Draft", was written between Saturday night, April 24, and Tuesday morning, April 27, 1948, and it consists of a literal translation of the English draft, as well as a new adaptation, written on the same draft and on an additional piece of paper, with deletions and additions. 4. Two typewritten pages, titled "Declaration of a Jewish State". In this document, known as the official "First Draft" Beham typed the "Hebrew Draft" and submitted it to the Legal Department of the Provisional State Council. Several corrections by hand. 5. A typewritten page, titled "Memorandum regarding the declaration of a Jewish state". This page, known as the "Beham Memorandum", was attached to the "first draft" (document no. 4) when it was submitted to the Legal Department of the Provisional State Council. In this document Beham clarified whatever he considered subject to further explanation as far as the wording of the draft was concerned. Mordechai Beham (1915-1987), an Eretz-Israeli lawyer, was 33 years of age when he composed the declaration. Beham was born in the Ukraine; a few years later, he moved with his parents to Berlin, and at the age of 9 his family immigrated to Eretz Israel. Beham was educated in Secular-Bourgeois institutes, first in the Hebrew Gymnasium in Jerusalem and then in the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium in Tel-Aviv. As soon as Beham graduated he left for England and studied Law in the London University. Returning to Eretz-Israel he started working for the legal service of the British Mandategovernment, where he worked most of time, until the period mentioned herewith. During these years, his father, Yehudah, managed a very successful law firm in Tel-Aviv, was acquainted with industrialists and public figures, and fulfilled a central role in the Legal Council established by the Yishuv a short time before the establishment of the state of Israel to prepare legislation for the future Jewish State. When the task of writing the Declaration of Independence was assigned to Beham by the Minister of Justice Felix Rosenblüth (Pinchas Rosen), he was sworn to secrecy. On Saturday, April 24, 1948, he revealed his secret during a family lunch. Following his family’s advice, he went to the nearby home of Rabbi Dr. Shalom Zvi (Harry) Davidowitz, an American conservative rabbi, a military chaplain in the American army and a PhD in Humanities. The Verses Draft was written by Beham in English, inspired by the American declaration of independence and it is of a religious orientation (one outstanding expression used by Beham in the draft is “Tsur Israel” – Rock of Israel - which appears in the final version of the declaration as

Auction archive: Lot number 112
Auction:
Datum:
2 Dec 2015
Auction house:
Kedem Auction House Ltd.
King George st. 58
9242209 Jerusalem
Israel
office@kedemltd.com
+972 (0)77 5140223
+972 (0)2 9932048
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