The oldest most complete Hebrew Bible will be going up for sale in May at Sotheby's in New York. According to MailOnline, the 1,100-year-old Hebrew Bible is estimated to fetch between $30 million and $50 million.
If the winning bid goes beyond $43.4 million, which was paid for the first-edition copy of the United States Constitution, then the Codex Sassoon might become the most expensive historical document ever sold at an auction.
History of the Codex Sassoon
An unnamed scribe carefully transcribed the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, known as the Old Testament to Christians, into a parchment over a thousand years ago.
According to Amazing Facts, the humble origins of this codex began in the 13th century when it passed through the hands of several men before becoming the property of a synagogue in obscure Makisin, a bygone town once located in what is now Syria.
The synagogue, along with the whole town, was afterward demolished; but the codex was saved. Although, it seemed that it is destined for the hidden historical graveyard.
But the "famous collector of Jewish manuscripts David Solomon Sassoon tracked it down in Frankfurt, Germany, half a century later in 1929. He purchased it for £350, a sum "that at the time was more than all but four other manuscripts in his collection."
The sought relic derives its present name from the famed Sassoon, yet it was only in his family until 1978, some 30 years after Sassoon's death. Jacqui Safra, the current owner, paid $4.19 million for it in 1989.
The only other historical documents that are perhaps as old as the Sassoon is the Aleppo Codex from the 10th century and Leningrad Codex from the early 11th century, as per MailOnline. Although, the Sassoon still is regarded as the most complete as it is only missing 15 chapters from the entire 792 pages.
In what is known as the 'Masorah,' the codex also provides instructions on how to correctly spell, pronounce, punctuate, and chant the words. This distinguishes it from Torah scrolls, which are written in an easy-to-read script known as 'Ktav Ashuri' or 'Assyrian script,' which lacks vowels and punctuation.
For Sale: The Codex Sassoon
Jacqueline Safra, a banker and art collector, purchased the Codex Sassoon in 1989 for $3.19 million (£2.60 million) and is now selling it. As per Sharon Liberman Mintz, a senior Judaica specialist at Sotheby's, the estimated amount it could get during the auction could make it the most valuable printed manuscript.
Ms. Mintz said that they came to this estimate because it is the most significant document or manuscript they come up for sale, The National News reports. She added that the only comparable measures to the Hebrew Bible include the Codex Leicester or Leonardo da Vinci's notebook which was purchased by Bill Gates in 1994 for $30.8 million.
Given that the Hebrew Bible is over a thousand years old, it is remarkably in good condition. Its parchment shows extreme durability after undergoing numerous restorations and has been rebounded multiple times.
Next week, it will be displayed at Sotheby's London after 40 years of being kept from public view. Then, it will be on display in Tel Aviv in Israel, as well as in Dallas and Los Angeles in the US.
RELATED ARTICLE: Tel Aviv Researchers Unlock Genetic Mysteries of the 2,000 Year-old Dead Sea Scrolls
Check out more news and information on History in Science Times.
