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The Stone Sculpture of the Ten Commandments, Considered the Oldest Ever Found, Is About to Be Auctioned and Could Reach the Impressive Value of US$ 2 Million.
A historic piece is ready to shake up the world of collectors and archaeology enthusiasts. A 1,500-year-old stone tablet, containing the oldest known inscription of the Ten Commandments, will be auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York.
Weighing an impressive 52 kg and dated to the Roman-Byzantine period (300–800 AD), the tablet will be displayed to the public on December 5, before its sale at an exclusive event on December 18.
Experts estimate that the final value of the object could reach between US$ 1 million and US$ 2 million. This amount is a significant jump from the US$ 850,000 paid by bidders at the previous auction, held in 2016 in Beverly Hills.
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History Full of Coincidences and Discoveries
Sotheby’s
The journey of the tablet began in 1913, when it was discovered during railway excavations along the southern coast of Israel. However, there is little knowledge about its proven significance in an unusual destiny.
Sold by workers to a local man, the piece was used as paving stone at the entrance of his home. For years, people walked over it unaware that they were standing on a treasure.
The true value of the artifact was only revealed in 1943, when the archaeologist Jacob Kaplan acquired it and recognized its significance.
With the help of Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, who would later become Israel’s second president, Kaplan deciphered the inscription and integrated the piece as a rare relic belonging to the Samaritan tradition.
Interestingly, the tablet does not contain all the commandments from the Book of Exodus. One of them, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,” was replaced by a specific instruction for Samaritans: the construction of a temple on Mount Gerizim, a sacred site located above Nablus in present-day West Bank.
Historical and Spiritual Significance
Described as “the oldest complete tablet of the known Ten Commandments,” the piece is a tangible testament to the cultural and religious roots that shaped Western civilization. “These artifacts are more than a historical object; they are a direct connection to implications and practices that have stood the test of time,” stated Sharon Liberman Mintz, senior specialist at Sotheby’s in manuscripts and Jewish articles.
Richard Austin, global head of books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s, highlighted the piece’s impact in cultural and spiritual terms. “It is a link to humanity’s oldest and most enduring moral codes that transcend millennia and connect diverse cultures.”
A Relic of the Ten Commandments of Inestimable Value
With its twenty written lines, the tablet signifies not only the literal weight of its composition in marble but also a profound historical and spiritual legacy.
As the auction approaches, anticipation builds around what its fate will be. This artifact, which was once a simple paving stone, is about to resume its role as one of the most emblematic symbols of human faith and morality.
For those wishing to acquire not just a piece of history but a legacy that transcends time, the upcoming December 18 will mark a unique — and possibly million-dollar — opportunity.
A 7 anos atrás Eu ouvia esse hino, Muito loko nas madrugadas, menor de idade , Vários até falaram que eu nem ia passar dos 18, hoje completo 20 anos , E ainda escutando essa reliquia🎉❤❤❤🎉
Alguém 2018? essa é raiz!
Melhor tempo!! Ninguém andava triste, hoje a tristeza bate e corremos pra ka pra tirar esses sentimentos ruins