A late Byzantine stone tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments and found as a stepping stone in a private home will be auctioned next month.
According to some sources, the tablet's sales are estimated to be between $1 million and $2 million. press release From Sotheby's, an international broker of arts, crafts, and collectibles.
This stone weighs 115 pounds, is 2 feet tall, and is believed to be the oldest known tablet containing the entire Ten Commandments. The tablet is estimated to be approximately 1,500 years old.
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A late Byzantine stone tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments will be auctioned at Sotheby's in New York in December. (Courtesy of Sotheby's)
“This is truly one of a kind. It's one of the most important historical artifacts I've ever worked with,” said Sotheby's Senior International Specialist in Judaism, Books and Manuscripts. Sharon Liberman Mintz says. told ARTnews.
The tablets were first discovered in 1913 during railway construction near Israel's southern coast. For many years, it remained unnoticed and was used as a paving stone in front of a house, its inscription facing normal foot traffic.
In 1943, a scholar purchased the stone and identified it as the Ten Commandments of the Samaritans, an important piece of religious history that may be displayed in synagogues or private homes. The original location of this tablet may have been destroyed during the Roman invasions of 400-600 AD or during the Crusades of the 11th century.
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The stone inscription contains 20 lines closely related to the Biblical text, familiar to both Christians and Jews.
This tablet is unique in that it only includes nine of the Ten Commandments, omitting the statement “Do not take the name of the Lord in vain,” and instead worshiping at Mount Gerizim, a holy site for the Samaritans. A command has been added to do so.
This board contains only nine of the original Ten Commandments, and instead this version chooses worship on Mount Gerizim. (Courtesy of Sotheby's)
“This remarkable tablet is not only an extremely important historical artifact, but also a tangible link to beliefs that helped shape Western civilization,” said Richard, Sotheby's Global Head of Books and Manuscripts.・Austin said in a release.
“To discover this shared cultural heritage is to connect with a culture and faith that has traveled thousands of years and been told through one of humanity's oldest and most enduring moral codes,” Austin added.
The tablet will be on display at Sotheby's in New York from December 5th to December 17th, and will be auctioned on December 18th.
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Sotheby's did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
