Yadin was a military commander and an archaeologist. He led the Negev campaign against the Egyptians in the War of Independence and served as the second IDF chief of staff from 1949 to 1952. He modeled the IDF’s reserve force on the Swiss military. As an archaeologist, he carried out important work on the Dead Sea Scrolls, Masada, Tel Hazor, Tel Megiddo and other finds. He was deputy prime minister to Menachem Begin.