A stone tablet, inscribed with the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament Bible, is set to be auctioned in New York next month, with estimates suggesting it could fetch up to $2 million (€1.57 million).
The artefact, described as a “cornerstone of law and morality” by auction house Sotheby’s, is one of the oldest known depictions of these biblical laws.
The stone tablet was used as a paving slab
The 115-pound, two-foot-tall slab was discovered in 1913 during railway construction in southern Israel. Despite its significance, it was repurposed as a paving stone and endured decades of foot traffic, causing some damage to its Paleo-Hebrew inscription.
The tablet contains 20 lines of text, closely following the Ten Commandments in the Book of Exodus. However, it notably excludes the third commandment, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain,” replacing it with a directive to worship on Mount Gerizim. This aligns with Samaritan traditions, which regard Mount Gerizim as a sacred site, distinct from Judaism’s devotion for Mount Zion.
According to Sotheby’s, the tablet was likely originally displayed in a synagogue or private dwelling before being damaged during Roman invasions (400-600 CE) or the Crusades (11th century). It was later sold in 1943 to an unnamed scholar who recognised its importance as a Samaritan Decalogue.
10 Commandments tablet to be sold at auction
The auction is set for December 18, with the tablet available for public viewing at Sotheby’s New York showroom from December 5. Richard Austin, Sotheby’s global Head of Books and Manuscripts, said: “This remarkable tablet is not only a vastly important historic artefact, but a tangible link to the beliefs that helped shape Western civilisation.”
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