A stone tablet believed to be the oldest inscribed with the Ten Commandments has been sold for over $5 million at an auction on Wednesday.
According to Sotheby’s, the 155-pound (52-kilogram) marble artifact was purchased by an anonymous bidder who intends to donate it to an Israeli institution.
The New York-based auction house revealed that the final bid significantly surpassed its initial estimate of $1 million to $2 million, following over ten minutes of “intense bidding” involving participants from around the world.
Dating back to between 300 and 800 A.D., the tablet is engraved in Paleo-Hebrew script and is described by Sotheby’s as the only complete example of its kind from antiquity.
The artifact was discovered in 1913 during railroad excavations on Israel’s southern coast.
Initially, its historical significance went unrecognized, and it was later used as a paving stone in a private residence until 1943.
At that time, it was acquired by a scholar who identified its importance.
“This tangible link to ancient beliefs that have profoundly shaped global religious and cultural traditions serves as a rare testament to history,” the auction house noted.
While the text inscribed on the slab aligns with Biblical verses central to Christian and Jewish traditions, Sotheby’s highlighted some unique features.
The third commandment, which prohibits taking the Lord’s name in vain, is absent. Additionally, the tablet includes an instruction to worship on Mount Gerizim, a sacred site for the Samaritans.
