What's the Big Deal? The Oldest Ten Commandments Inscription Up for Auction in 2024!

Nov 18, 2024

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An ancient tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments in Hebrew will be auctioned in New York on December 18th. The event is set to take place at Sotheby's, one of the world's premier auction houses, which shares this distinction with Christie's in London.

According to Sotheby's, the marble tablet dates back to the Late Byzantine period. This extraordinary piece is around 1,500 years old and represents the only complete tablet of the Ten Commandments known to exist from that time. Sotheby’s dates the tablet to sometime between 300-500 A.D.

Ten Commandments on Auction — Sotheby’s will auction one of the most widely known and influential texts in history: the oldest inscribed stone tablet of the Ten Commandments

The Oldest Ten Commandments, What's Different?

The oldest known inscription of the Ten Commandments is more than just an artifact; it serves as a reminder of our historical roots and the principles that continue to guide our lives today. What distinguishes the Late Byzantine period stone copy from the original Ten Commandments? The stone tablet, dating back to the Late Byzantine period, is approximately 1,500 years old and is the only complete tablet of the Ten Commandments from this era. It omits the commandment "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain" and includes a new directive to worship on Mount Gerizim, which is specific to the Samaritan faith.

The Samaritans are notably referenced throughout the New Testament, particularly their custom of worshiping on Mount Gerizim, as highlighted in Jesus' dialogue with the Samaritan woman.

(John 4:20-21) "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. {21} Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father."

Details Regarding the Artifact

According to the Sotheby's website, the same company auctioning the item, it states:

Weighing 115 pounds and measuring approximately two feet in height, the marble tablet inscribed in Paleo-Hebrew script, was unearthed in 1913 during railway excavations along the southern coast of the Land of Israel, near the sites of early synagogues, mosques, and churches. The significance of the discovery went unrecognized for many decades, and for thirty years it served as a paving stone at the entrance to a local home, with the inscription facing upwards and exposed to foot traffic.

The inscription on the tablet up for auction is not in the modern Hebrew script currently used by Israelis, but in the ancient Paleo-Hebrew script. The item is expected to fetch an estimated $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 USD.