Yigael Yadin Yigael Yadin ( , born Yigael Sukenik ( ) 20 March 1917 – 28 June 1984 ) was an Israeli archeologist , politician , and the second Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces . Biography . Early life and military career . Yadin was born in 1917 to noted archeologist Eleazar Sukenik and educationalist and women ' s rights activist Hasya Feinsod Sukenik . He joined the Haganah at age 15 , and served there in a variety of different capacities . In 1946 , however , he left the Haganah following an argument with its commander Yitzhak Sadeh over the inclusion of a machine gun as part of standard squad equipment . He was a university student when , in 1947 , shortly before the State of Israel declared its independence , he was called back to active service by David Ben - Gurion . He was Head of Operations during Israel ' s War of Independence , and was responsible for many of the key decisions made during the course of that war . In June 1948 he threatened to resign during the Generals ' Revolt during which he accused Ben - Gurion of attempting " " to transform the army as a whole into an army of one political party " ( Mapai ) " . Yadin was appointed Chief of Staff of the IDF on 9 November 1949 , following the resignation of Yaakov Dori , and served in that capacity for three years . He resigned on 7 December 1952 , over disagreements with then prime minister and defense minister David Ben - Gurion about cuts to the military budget , which he argued should be at least one third of the national budget . By age thirty - five , he had completed his military career . Archaeology . Upon leaving the military , he devoted himself to research and began his life ' s work in archeology . In 1956 he received the Israel Prize in Jewish studies , for his doctoral thesis on the translation of the Dead Sea Scrolls . As an archeologist , he excavated some of the most important sites in the region , including the Qumran Caves , Masada , Hazor , and Tel Megiddo . He considered the Solomonic Gate at Tel Gezer to be the highpoint of his career . He was sometimes forced to deal with the theft of important artifacts , occasionally by prominent political and military figures . In one instance , where the thefts were commonly attributed to the famous one - eyed general Moshe Dayan , he remarked : " I know who did it , and I am not going to say who it is , but if I catch him , I ' ll poke out his other eye , too . " Even as an archeologist , Yadin never completely abandoned public life . On the eve of the Six - Day War , he served as a military adviser to prime minister Levi Eshkol , and following the Yom Kippur War , he was a member of the Agranat Commission that investigated the actions that led to the war . Political career . In 1976 Yadin formed the Democratic Movement for Change , commonly known by its Hebrew acronym " Dash " , together with Professor Amnon Rubinstein , Shmuel Tamir , Meir Amit , Meir Zorea , and many other prominent public figures . The new party seemed to be an ideal solution for many Israelis who were fed up with alleged corruption in the Labor Alignment ( the dominant party in Israel from its founding and up to that time ) , which included the Yadlin affair , the suicide of Housing Minister Avraham Ofer , and Leah Rabin ' s illegal dollar - denominated account in the United States . Furthermore , Dash was a response to the increasing sense of frustration and despair in the aftermath of the 1973 war , and the social and political developments that followed in its wake . Many people regarded Yadin , a warrior and a scholar , as the quintessential prototype of the ideal Israeli , untainted by corruption , who could lead the country on a new path . In the 1977 elections , which transformed the Israeli political landscape , the new party did remarkably well for its first attempt to enter the Knesset , winning 15 of the 120 seats . As a result of the election , Likud party leader Menachem Begin was initially able to form a coalition without Dash ( or parties to its left ) , significantly lowering the bargaining power of Dash . Dash joined the coalition after a few months . As the new Deputy Prime Minister , Yadin played a pivotal role in many events that took place , particularly the contacts with Egypt , which eventually led to the signing of the Camp David Accords and the peace treaty between Israel and its neighbor . Nevertheless , Dash itself proved to be a failure , and the party broke up into numerous splinter factions ; Yadin joined the Democratic Movement , but it too split up and he sat as an independent MK for the remainder of his term . During a cabinet meeting , May 1981 , while still Deputy Prime Minister , he accused Chief of Staff Rafael Eitan of " " lying to the government " " and told Prime Minister Begin " " You have lost control of the defence establishment . " " He retired from politics in 1981 . Yadin was married to Carmela ( née Ruppin ) , who worked with him throughout his career in translating and editing his books and with whom he had two daughters , Orly and Littal . He died in 1984 and was buried in thr military cemetery in Mount Herzl in Jerusalem . The Israeli actor Yossi Yadin was his brother . In 2005 , he was voted the 165th - greatest Israeli of all time , in a poll by the Israeli news website " Ynet " to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis . Works . Yigael Yadin published many research papers and ancient text explanations , at the Hebrew University press ( in Hebrew ) :