David Ben-Gurion called this 1958 book “as a piece of propaganda … the greatest thing ever written about Israel”
The Final Jeopardy clue for Tuesday, June 30, 2026, appeared in the category “20th Century Novels” and read: “David Ben-Gurion called this 1958 book ‘as a piece of propaganda … the greatest thing ever written about Israel.’” The clue points to one of the best-known novels about the founding of modern Israel, a book that became a major popular success and helped shape international perceptions of the country in the decades after its independence.
What Is Exodus?
The correct response is Exodus, the 1958 novel by Leon Uris. The book tells a sweeping fictionalized story centered on Jewish refugees, Zionism, resistance, and the creation of the State of Israel.
The clue’s reference to David Ben-Gurion is the decisive hint. Ben-Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, recognized the power of the novel as a public-facing story about Israel. His remark that it was, as propaganda, “the greatest thing ever written about Israel” points directly to the novel’s impact beyond literature.
The Story Behind the Novel
Exodus follows a cast of characters connected to the struggle to bring Jewish refugees to Palestine after World War II and to the conflict surrounding the establishment of Israel. Its title refers to the ship Exodus 1947, which became a symbol of Jewish displacement and the fight for a homeland.
Uris used fiction to present a dramatic narrative of survival, sacrifice, and national founding. The novel’s characters and events are shaped by real historical circumstances, but the book is not a straight historical account. It is a popular novel built around a clear emotional and political viewpoint.
Leon Uris and the Book’s Influence
Leon Uris was an American writer whose work often focused on war, identity, and historical conflict. With Exodus, he produced the book that became his most famous work and one of the most widely read novels about Israel.
The novel reached a huge audience and was later adapted into the 1960 film starring Paul Newman. That film further expanded the story’s reach, helping make Exodus a major cultural touchstone for readers and moviegoers who encountered Israel’s founding through Uris’s narrative.
Why Ben-Gurion’s Quote Matters
Ben-Gurion’s comment is important because it speaks to the novel’s political and cultural power. He was not merely evaluating the book as literature. He was acknowledging how effectively it presented Israel’s story to the world.
The word “propaganda” in the clue should be understood in that context. Ben-Gurion was pointing to the book’s persuasive force: its ability to create sympathy, explain a national cause, and influence public opinion through storytelling.
Why This Final Jeopardy Clue Works
This clue works because it combines literary history with modern political history. The year 1958 narrows the field, while the quotation from Ben-Gurion points toward a novel closely associated with Israel’s founding and global image.
The correct response, Exodus, fits every part of the clue. It is a 20th-century novel, it was published in 1958, and its influence was large enough that Israel’s first prime minister described it as an unmatched piece of writing about the country.