The Oldest Inscribed Ten Commandments Tablet Is Headed to Sotheby’s
A timeless piece of human history is heading to auction this December at Sotheby’s. On December 18, the oldest inscribed stone tablet of the Ten Commandments will take center stage as a single-lot sale as part of the Books and Manuscripts auction with an estimate of $1-2 million. Dating back to the Late Roman-Byzantine period (ca. 300–800 CE) and weighing a hefty 115 pounds, this 1,500-year-old stone tablet stands about two feet tall and is considered the only complete example of its kind from this era. Inscribed in Paleo-Hebrew, its version of the commandments features a unique twist: a directive to worship on Mount Gerizim replaces the more familiar commandment not to take the Lord’s name in vain.
The tablet’s story is as intriguing as its contents. Unearthed in 1913 during railway excavations on Israel’s southern coast, it was initially dismissed as an ordinary paving stone and spent three decades as just that—a literal stepping stone at the entrance of a local home, with its inscription exposed to daily foot traffic. It wasn’t until 1943, when a scholar acquired it, that its true significance as one of humanity’s most influential written documents was recognized. Scholars believe it originally adorned the entrance of a synagogue near modern-day Yavneh, later destroyed by invaders—possibly Romans, Byzantines, Muslims, or Crusaders—between the mid-400s and the 12th century.
The tablet’s twenty lines of text closely follow the Biblical verses familiar to Jewish and Christian traditions, though with some notable differences. The omission of “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain” and the addition of the directive to worship on Mount Gerizim reflect its Samaritan origins. This ancient artifact serves as a profound link to one of the most enduring moral codes underpinning Western civilization, connecting Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
“This remarkable tablet is not only a vastly important historical artifact, but a tangible link to the beliefs that helped shape Western civilization,” said Richard Austin, Sotheby’s Head of Books and Manuscripts, in a statement. “To encounter this shared cultural heritage is to journey through millennia and connect with cultures and faiths told through one of humanity’s earliest and most enduring moral codes.”
This isn’t the tablet’s first time at auction. It sold in 2016 at a Heritage Auctions sale in Beverly Hills for $850,000, starting with an opening bid of $250,000. Its previous journey included ownership by Mr. Kaplan, who rediscovered its significance after purchasing it in 1943. Kaplan sold it to antiquities dealer Robert Deutsch in the 1990s, who later passed it to Rabbi Saul Deutsch. Deutsch made it the centerpiece of his Living Torah Museum in Brooklyn in 2005.
Since its rediscovery, the tablet has been featured in publications like Biblical Archaeology Review and studied by scholars, including Dr. Ben-Zvi. Although it is designated a “National Treasure” by Israel, the Israeli Antiquities Authority (IAA) approved its export to the United States in 2005 under one condition: it must be displayed in a public museum. Sotheby’s upholds this stipulation in its sale, with a notice to buyers stating that the tablet must remain accessible to the public through loan or donation to educational institutions.
The tablet sale is just one of several notable Judaica auctions
Sotheby’s is no stranger to high-profile Judaica sales. Last year, it auctioned the 1,100-year-old Hebrew Bible known as the “Codex Sassoon” for $38.1 million, making it the second most expensive manuscript ever sold. Acquired by the American Friends of the ANU Museum of Jewish People in Tel Aviv, the manuscript was heralded as the “earliest and most complete Bible,” drawing its name from its notable collector, David Solomon Sassoon. Earlier this year, Sotheby’s also sold the 700-year-old “Shem Tova Bible” for $7 million, underscoring the strong demand for these rare cultural artifacts.
Meanwhile, Christie’s has also made its mark in the Judaica market, achieving top results with sales of Hebrew manuscripts, books, and silver artifacts. Highlights include the £225,000 sale of a German parcel-gilt bessamim tower in 2020, the $1,565,000 sale of the Rothschild Torah ark in 2014 and a Mahzor manuscript written in Tuscany around 1490, which sold for €1.9 million in 2012.