The National Library of Israel

The National Library of Israel
14th in the "Jerusalem of Gold" Bullion Coin Series
Legal Tender issued by the Bank of Israel

The National Library of Israel is located in Jerusalem and serves as the national authority responsible for the preservation of the written treasures of Israel and the Jewish people. The iconic National Library structure was inaugurated in 2023 and is home to tens of millions of books, manuscripts, newspapers, photographs, maps and more, rendering it one of the greatest centers for Jewish history and heritage in the world.

The first buds for the establishment of a national library sprouted in 1892, with the formation of the Bet Midrash Abarbanel Library in Jerusalem by B’nai B’rith and additional partners. The library created great interest and this was a sign of a national awakening in the early years of the Zionist period. In 1925, when the Hebrew University of Jerusalem was opened, the books of the Bet Midrash Abarbanel Library were handed over to the University and the library's name was changed to the "Jewish National and University Library". The library continued to receive donations and special collections, among them, thousands of books that arrived in the 1930s as donations from libraries of German Jews, fleeing after the rise to power of the Nazis and unable to take the books with them. At the beginning of the 1950s, preparations for the new campus of the Hebrew University in Givat Ram in Jerusalem began and, in 1960, the library was moved to the Lady Davis Building within the new University campus.

In 2007, NLI embarked upon an ambitious journey of renewal for the 21st century, promoting access and encouraging meaningful engagement with the treasures of Jewish and Israeli culture as never before. The Library’s renewal, in partnership with Yad Hanadiv, a Rothschild Foundation, has centered on a range of innovative educational, cultural, and digital initiatives, culminating in the opening of NLI’s new David S. and Ruth L. Gottesman Building in the Kiryat HaLeom - National Quarter - of Jerusalem in October 2023. After having taken more than a decade to plan and construct, the building is considered one of the most impressive public buildings in Israel. Stretching over an area of about 46,000 square meters, the library structure includes large reading halls and an innovative robotic book storeroom that applies advanced technology for the preservation of archived information. The structure is considered one of the green buildings of Israel, with about 30% of its electricity generated by solar panels on its roof.

According to the National Library Law enacted in 2007, which gave the library independent status separate from the Hebrew University, the library’s main purpose is to collect, preserve, cultivate and endow treasures of knowledge, heritage and culture, with emphasis on the people of Israel, the Land of Israel and the State of Israel. The 14th coin in the "Jerusalem of Gold" Bullion Coin Series features the National Library of Israel, its spectacular building and its important role in commemorating Jewish history and heritage.

Obverse: A view of the front and side of the new National Library of Israel edifice, with trees, flower beds and people in the area around the building. Above is the face value and mint year in English and Hebrew, and the Star of David mintmark. The lower border is inscribed with the gold fineness and weight, and the upper right border, with the word "Jerusalem" in English, Hebrew and Arabic.

Common Reverse of the Series: The Lion of Megiddo with its stylized curved tail, taken from an ancient 8th century BCE seal excavated in Megiddo (Armageddon) in the Jordan Valley that belonged to Shema, servant of King Jeroboam II.  Above the lion is the Israel State Emblem and below it, “Israel” in English, Hebrew and Arabic.

Design:
Obverse: Moshe Pereg
Common Reverse: Meir Eshel
Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated
Series Name: Jerusalem of Gold
Minting: The Holy Land Mint

*Available: August 2024