The “Codex Sassoon” is an important document on Jewish culture and religion, arguably one of the most valuable manuscripts in the world .
The Codex Sassoon is considered the oldest and most complete Hebrew Bible record ever discovered. The series, which dates back to the 9th century, is an important link between ancient Dead Sea documents and the Bible today.
The Codex Sassoon has been largely hidden from the public for centuries – on display since February 22. (Photo: Sotheby’s).
The auction of the Bible notebook “Codex Sassoon” was held by Sothebys auction house in New York, USA at 2 pm (local time) on May 17.
Codex Sessoon was sold for 38,126 million USD (about 894 billion VND) . In the auction, the starting bid was million and ended in just over 6 minutes.
At this price, the Codex Session becomes the most expensive book in the world. Previously, this record belonged to Codex Leicester – Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook – bought by Bill Gates for $ 30.1 million.
The Codex Sassoon is named after its famous owner David Solomon Sassoon (1880-1942), who assembled the world’s most important collection of Jewish artifacts and Hebrew manuscripts.
Although the Codex Sassoon has been recognized by scholars for generations for its importance, it has barely appeared to the public for centuries.
According to Sotheby’s, current research shows that the series was written about 1,100 years ago by a scribe in present-day Israel or Syria.
With about 400 large sheets of parchment, it contained the entire Hebrew Bible, written in a script similar to the Torah scrolls found in synagogues today. After changing hands a few times, it ended up in a synagogue in northeastern Syria, which was demolished around the 13th or 14th century. Then it disappeared for nearly 600 years.
Since its reappearance in 1929, this Bible has been in private collections. David Solomon (Suleiman) Sassoon directed a lifelong search across the Middle East to build a religious library that would provide the world with codes and origin documents related to the Abrahamic faith. , Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
He acquired the artifact in 1929 and the Codex Sassoon , one of the Hebrew Bibles, has been a treasured item in his vast collection ever since.
The notebook also includes footnotes from several owners throughout the centuries, including an entry dating from the early 11th century mentioning a sale by Khalaf ben Abraham, believed to be a businessman. Near East operations in Palestine and Syria, for Isaac ben Ezekiel al-Attar.
The auction went very quickly. (Photo: Sothebys).
What makes the Codex Sassoon offered for sale at a record price lies in its historical value, the rarity of the manuscript, and its integrity . With 24 “books” compiled into three parts, the Codex Sassoon is the series that most closely resembles the Old Testament (with 39 “books” also forming the basis of Christian doctrine). Many ancient stories revolving around the character of Abraham are also found in early Islamic texts, all of which make this massive volume so precious.
Not only the oldest and most complete Hebrew Bible manuscript ever discovered, the Codex Sessoon is now considered an important link between ancient Dead Sea documents and the Bible today.