All posts tagged: Codex Sassoon

1,100-year-old Hebrew Bible sells for $38.1 million

Published by

The Codex Sassoon is over 1,000 years old and is considered the world’s oldest and most complete Hebrew Bible, which is the Old Testament in Christian Bibles. Dated to around the 9th Century, the ancient Bible recently sold for $38.1 million at a Sotheby auction in New York City on May 17, 2023, the New York Post reports. The Bible is composed of 792 pages written on animal skins and is almost fully intact as it is only missing 12 pages. According to the New York Post, it set the record for the most expensive manuscript ever auctioned. It was purchased by American Friends of ANU, with a large donation from former US ambassador Alfred Moses, on behalf of the Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, where it will be put on permanent display. READ: World’s oldest, most complete Hebrew Bible sold for $38.1M at auction

Old Hebrew Bible may set a world record for the sale of a historical document

Published by

An old Hebrew Bible estimated to be over a thousand years old could potentially set a world record for the most expensive book ever sold when it comes up for sale at Sotheby’s, the Daily Wire reports. Dated to the 9th century, the 400-page Codex Sassoon, also known as the Damascus Pentateuch, contains all 24 Old Testament books minus 12 leaves. Most of the lost pages are from the Book of Genesis, which starts with Genesis 9:26. Exodus 18:1-23 is also missing. The leather-bound Bible, which measures 12″ by 14″ in size, also contains several deeds of sales including one stating it was dedicated to a synagogue in Syria. It is expected that the Bible could sell for between $30 million to $50 million. To become the most valuable historical document ever sold, it would need to beat the $43.2 million price paid for a first edition copy of the US Constitution in 2021. READ: World’s Oldest Hebrew Bible Could Become Most Expensive Historical Document Ever Sold