Earliest Known Hebrew Bible Could Sell for $50 Million
The oldest, most complete Hebrew Bible will soon be for sale for upward of $50 million.
The Codex Sassoon, named after its owner David Solomon Sassoon, will be hitting Sotheby’s Auction House in New York on May 16. Estimates for the Bible’s value range anywhere from $30 to $50 million. According to Sotheby’s, “Codex Sassoon could become the most valuable historical document ever sold at auction.”
This is a massive purchase by any standard, but even moreso significant when put in the context that it is the living God’s Word being estimated as the most valuable document in the world. This is far from a coincidence when considered in perspective of how treasured a relationship with Christ actually is.
“Arguably, the Hebrew Bible constitutes the most influential book in human history and the bedrock of Western civilization,” Sotheby’s website states.
Sotheby’s global head of books and manuscripts, Richard Austin, noted that the Sassoon Bible is “undeniably one of the most important and singular texts in human history.”
One of the special features of Codex Sassoon is that it holds all books of the Hebrew Bible while still predating the second oldest Hebrew Bible by almost a 100 years.
“The biblical text in book format marks a critical turning point in how we perceive the history of the divine Word across thousands of years and is a transformative witness to how the Hebrew Bible has influenced the pillars of civilization—art, culture, law, politics—for centuries,” Senior Judaica specialist Sharon Mintz said.
The Word of God is clearly alive and active, and His presence is still part of our world today—the evidence proves it. In 2021, Charisma News reported the finding of dozens of pieces of Dead Sea Scrolls. Earlier this year, the Pool of Siloam was also reported to be in the excavation process so that the public could visit it. The Bible stories that we have heard are coming to life in front of us as these documents and artifacts are being uncovered and brought to light for all to see.
Jesus promised in the New Testament that “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away,” (Matt. 24:35). God’s Word is living, sharper than any double-edged sword, just Hebrews tells us. The fact that a biblical document such as Codex Sassoon still exists in a nearly-complete state is just one small piece of physical evidence of this that we can see in our world today.
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Abby Trivett is a marketing copywriter and coordinator and Staff Writer intern for Charisma Media.
