A Treasure from the Holy Land Extremely Rare Early Zionist Poster by Ze’ev Raban “Come to Palestine”

“Come to Palestine” – Ze’ev Raban’s Vision of a Biblical Paradise

A Treasure from the Holy Land, Extremely Rare Early Zionist Poster by Ze’ev Raban- Only Three Known Copies Survive Worldwide

One of the rarest and most iconic posters of the early Zionist movement, “Come to Palestine” by Ze’ev Raban is a masterwork of art, symbolism, and national imagination. Designed in the late 1920s for the Society for the Promotion of Travel in the Holy Land, this exceptional poster is among the most sought-after visual artifacts from the early Zionist era.  Today, only three original copies are known to exist, making this a true treasure for collectors, scholars, and museums alike.

The poster presents a biblical vision of the Land of Israel, symbolizing the land’s renewal and the coming of spring, with the vibrant Art Nouveau style: a shepherd and his beloved in the landscape of the Sea of Galilee, framed by a Middle Eastern decorative arch resembling a Jerusalem gate. Around them, almond blossoms, palm trees heavy with fruit, and the peak of Mount Hermon.

Above, the title of the sponsoring organization is inscribed: “Society for the Promotion of Travel in the Holy Land” with illustrations of the Tower of David and the Temple Mount on the sides. Below, a famous verse from the Song of Songs (2:11–12) is set within the stones.

“For lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land.”

All these elements symbolized the early Zionist ideology and aimed at attracting tourists to the Land of Israel.

The Tower of David and the Temple Mount, Jerusalem

Printed in Prague in fine color lithography—some editions highlighted with gold accents—enhancing its richness and sacred feel. While it uses the term “Palestine,” the work was created to promote a Zionist vision, appealing to travelers, immigrants, and Jewish hearts around the world through a lens of biblical nostalgia and utopian idealism.

Today, “Come to Palestine” stands as both a historical document and an exquisite work of art  —a window into the soul of a generation reimagining its ancient homeland through the language of modern design.

Ze’ev Raban, Bezalel, Signature

Ze’ev Raban (1890–1970)
A founding figure of Israeli art and a leading teacher at the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts in Jerusalem, Ze’ev Raban was instrumental in shaping the visual language of Zionism. Born in Poland and trained in Munich and Paris, Raban immigrated to the Land of Israel in 1912. His unique synthesis of European Symbolism, Jugendstil, and Art Nouveau with Jewish and Middle Eastern motifs defined the celebrated “Bezalel style.” Through his work, Raban helped forge a new national aesthetic rooted in both tradition and innovation.