Oldest complete Hebrew Bible up for auction; expected to break records
The Codex Sassoon, an artifact that has been described as a “vital touchstone of human history,” is set to be auctioned for a record price.
The Guardian reports that the auction house Sotheby's is set to auction The Codex Sassoon, a ninth-century volume that is known as the earliest and most complete Hebrew Bible discovered, for an estimated $30 million to $50 million or P1,655,370,000 to P2,758,950,000 based on current exchange rates. The estimate makes it the most valuable historical document or manuscript to appear at auction.
The Hebrew Bible is considered as the foundational text for Abrahamic faiths, with Christians referring to it as the Old Testament and Islam considering parts of it as divinely revealed books.
Aside from its age, the record-setting estimate for The Codex Sassoon comes from its completeness. According to Sotheby's, The Codex Sassoon contains all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, which are divided into three parts -- the Pentateuch, the Prophets, and the Writings. The Codex Sassoon is also believed to have notes on spelling, vocalization, and accents that come from the Aleppo Codex, a document assembled circa 930 that served as an “exemplar for scribes to ensure that they'd copied the Bible properly.”
The Codex Sassoon gets its name from its most well-known owner, David Solomon Sassoon, who is known for assembling the most significant private collection of Jewish artifacts and Hebrew manuscripts in the world. Before arriving to him, The Codex Sassoon had been passed down from members of the Jewish community since the 13th century.
The Codex Sassoon is just one of the artifacts passed down from owner to owner until finding itself at an auction. Back in November of last year, an Ifugao bulul statue at an auction for €630,000 or P37,211,786 based on current exchange rates. The bulul was first owned by William Gambuk Beyer, the son of the “Father of Philippine Anthropology,” William Otley Beyer. It was then acquired by another prominent collector, Alain Schoffel, before finding itself in the collection of art collector and expert Patrick Caput and his wife Béatrice.
IT'S NOT JUST OLD ARTIFACTS THAT ARE BRINGING IN BIG MONEY. A COLLECTION OF AIR FORCE 1S SOLD FOR $502,362 EARLIER THIS YEAR. CHECK THEM OUT IN THE GALLERY BELOW.
