1969 Carta Hebrew Map of Israel after Six Day War

A scarce 1969 Zionist road map of Israel, produced by the Jerusalem firm Carta. Designed like a strip map, mimicking the elongated shape of Israel, the map provides information for motorists and travelers while also reflecting (and endorsing) the post-1967 / Six Day War borders of Israel.

A Closer Look

The map utilizes the borders of Israel following the 1967 Six-Day War, including the Golan Heights and the Sinai Peninsula (returned to Egypt in 1982). There is no evidence of Palestinians or Palestinian communities. Two borders run along the edge of the Golan Heights, reflecting the uncertain and contested status of the region.

The map is primarily intended for motorists, highlighting cities and attractions while reflecting a sense of optimism and security. The legend at bottom explains the notations for roads of various types, cities, borders, settlements, ancient ruins, tourist attractions, youth hostels, guest houses, resorts, beaches, ports, airports, areas of agricultural production, and tourist offices. Distances between towns and cities on roads are marked along stretches of road.

Verso Content

The verso includes a map of the Negev and Sinai at top, a pictorial map of Jerusalem at center, and similar pictorial maps of Tel Aviv-Yafo and Haifa at bottom. On the city maps, various ancient and modern sites are numbered, corresponding to indexes between the maps. At the bottom is an illustration of a car passing vineyards on the road to Sinai.

Publication History and Census

This map was produced and published in 1969 by the firm Carta (כרטא) in Jerusalem. A note at bottom explains that the map was compiled using government data from the Survey of Israel. The only known institutional holding of this map is with the National Library of Israel, which also holds editions from 1970 and 1976. We are unaware of any other examples on the market in recent years.