Oldest Near-Complete Hebrew Bible Copy Sells for Eye-Popping Figure at Auction: ‘Bedrock of Western Civilization’
Codex Sassoon, possibly the earliest near-complete copy of the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) known to exist, sold for more than $38 million at auction on Wednesday.
The medieval codex contains all 24 books of the canonical Hebrew Bible, which are the same 39 books in the English Old Testament. With only a few pages completely missing and many others partially missing, Codex Sassoon is possibly the oldest known near-complete copy of the Hebrew Bible.
Sotheby’s announced Wednesday that the American Friends of ANU — Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv had won the auction. Thanks to a donation from Alfred H. Moses, the museum acquired Codex Sassoon for $38.1 million. It will be housed at the museum.
“The Hebrew Bible is the most influential in history and constitutes the bedrock of Western Civilization,” Moses said in a statement. “I rejoice in knowing that it belongs to the Jewish people. It was my mission, realizing the historic significance of Codex Sassoon, to see it resides in a place with global access to all people.” (Read more from “Oldest Near-Complete Hebrew Bible Copy Sells for Eye-Popping Figure at Auction: ‘Bedrock of Western Civilization'” HERE)
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