While most books depreciate with age, apparently the Bible isn't among them.
A Hebrew Bible that experts describe as "the earliest surviving example of a single codex containing all the books of the Hebrew Bible" has been auctioned off for an astonishing $38.1 million, according to Sotheby's Auction House in New York.
Alfred H. Moses, former U.S. Ambassador to Romania, submitted the winning bid Wednesday on behalf of a group called the American Friends of ANU.
The group has donated the book to the ANU Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, Israel -- the world's largest Jewish museum.
Known as the Codex Sassoon, the 1,100-year-old Bible contains sacred text that is considered the foundation of Jewish ethics and beliefs and is arguably the most influential book in human history.
"It was my mission, realizing the historic significance of Codex Sassoon, to see that it resides in a place with global access to all people," Moses said in a statement. "In my heart and mind that place was the land of Israel, the cradle of Judaism, where the Hebrew Bible was originated. In Israel at ANU, it will be preserved for generations to come as the centerpiece and gem of the entire and extensive display and presence of the Jewish story."
The previous owner of the Bible has made quite a profit on the sale. Jacqui Safra bought in 1989 for just $3.19 million, according to Sotheby's. Even when adjusted for inflation, that comes out to $7.7 million – far less than the $38.1 million it sold for.
The Codex Sassoon dates back to circa 900 CE and consists of 24 books presented in 792 pages made from several hundred sheepskins weighing a total of 26 pounds, according to the ANU Museum. The 24 books are divided into three sections: The Torah (Pentateuch), the Prophets, and the Writings. It is said to have been created by a Jewish scribe in Egypt or the Levant and has miraculously been preserved for over 1,000 years.
Up until 30 years ago, when it was last publicly displayed, the Bible has remained out of public view for centuries. Prior to auction, the book was on exhibit at the ANU Museum in March as part of a worldwide tour, the Associated Press reported.
Daniel Pincus, President of American Friends of ANU, called the book "one of the most important discoveries of our time."
"The Codex Sassoon Bible is a powerful and meaningful manuscript of faith, history and culture," Pincus said. "As the basis of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the Hebrew Bible is a seminal text to countless people."
The Codex Sassoon is named after its most notable owner and avid collector of Judaica, David Solomon Sassoon, who died in 1942, according to the ANU Museum.
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