Earliest Most Complete' Hebrew Bible Fetches Record-Breaking Bid of $38 Million

In a historic auction held at Sotheby's in New York, the Codex Sassoon Hebrew Bible has garnered an astonishing winning bid of $38 million. This exceptional Bible is hailed as the earliest and most complete surviving Hebrew Bible.

Believed to have been written around 900 A.D. by Jewish scholars residing in what is now modern-day Israel or Syria, the Codex Sassoon disappeared for centuries before resurfacing in 1929. It was then acquired by collector David Solomon Sassoon, renowned for possessing the world's largest private collection of Hebrew manuscripts.

Sotheby's auction house reveres the Codex Sassoon as an unparalleled treasure, noting it as "the earliest surviving example of a single codex containing all the books of the Hebrew Bible."

The victorious bidder in this momentous sale was Alfred H. Moses, the former U.S. Ambassador to Romania, who made the purchase on behalf of the American Friends of ANU. The esteemed Codex will find its new home at the ANU Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, where it had previously been publicly displayed from March 23 to March 29.

Jacqui Safra, the seller of this extraordinary biblical artifact, acquired the Codex in 1989 for $3.19 million, which, adjusted for inflation, amounts to approximately $7.7 million.

The sale of the Codex Sassoon Hebrew Bible not only sets a new benchmark in the realm of rare manuscripts but also signifies the invaluable cultural and historical significance of this ancient text. Its acquisition by the ANU Museum ensures that it will be preserved and shared with generations to come, solidifying its place as a cherished testament to the rich heritage of the Jewish people.