Oldest Hebrew Bible up for auction

BY SOTHEBY'S: World's oldest Hebrew Bible could fetch up to $50 million at auction. If the 1,000-year-old holy book sells for near its estimated value, the Codex Sassoon would become the most valuable printed text or historical document ever sold at auction (Reuters via Jerusalem Post).

The world's oldest and most complete Hebrew Bible will go on display in London next week before an auction in May where it could sell for up to $50 million, Sotheby's said on Wednesday.

If the 1,000-year-old holy book sells for near its estimated value, the Codex Sassoon would become the most valuable printed text or historical document ever sold at auction, Sotheby's said.

[...]

Good. Then I hope the new owner donates it to a museum in Israel.

Nadia Khomami has additional details in the Guardian: Oldest complete Hebrew Bible expected to break auction records. Ninth-century Codex Sassoon, critical link between Dead Sea scrolls and today’s Bible, will have estimate of $30m-$50m.

Cross-file under It Belongs In A Museum.

UPDATE (3 March): For more on the Sassoon family and their antiquarian collections, see here.

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