The Eran Laor Collection includes ancient maps from as early as the fifteenth century, ancient atlases, travel books covering journeys to the Land of Israel and around the world, travel guides, the works of researchers who studied the Land of Israel in the nineteenth century, historical geography works, Biblical dictionaries and copies of the Bible and the New Testament that include maps.

Most of the items in the collection were donated by Mr. Eran Laor in 1975. Eran Laor was born in Slovakia, was active in the secret services of the Allied powers, and helped Jews to immigrate to the Land of Israel. After the establishment of the State, he served as a representative of the National Institutions in Europe. Laor authored books of poetry and reflection as well as an autobiography. He described the growth of his collection as “reminiscent of the description of the world that was prevalent in the Middle Ages, with Jerusalem as the center of the Earth. Around Jerusalem, in widening concentric circles, we have depictions of the Land of Israel, the Middle East…”