Un piece of interweaving history archeology, religion And culture has found a new owner: the oldest stone tablet with the Ten Commandments was sold at an auction of Sotheby’s in New York. The initial estimated price was between 1 and 2 million dollars. $5,040,000 the final amount paid for the item. Heavy 52 kilograms and 60 centimeters high, the tablet tells a story ancient beyond 1,500 yearsconnecting to the roots of traditions Jewish And Christian.
The tablet with the Ten Commandments
Discovered in 1913 during railway excavations in Southern Land of Israelthe tablet remained forgotten for decades. Even used as paving stonewas subjected to pedestrian traffic until 1943when a scholar recognized its importance. According to Sotheby’s, its origin dates back to a period between 300 and 800 ADprobably linked to one synagogue or to one private residence. The inscription, in characters paleo-Jewishincludes nine commandments present in Book of Exodus and a specific directive for i Samaritans: worship on Mount Gerizim.
An exception among biblical texts
What makes this tablet unique is not just its own antiquitybut also the content. The third commandment, «Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain», is absent, replaced by the mention of Mount Gerizim, sacred place for the Samaritans. This detail reflects the importance of context cultural And religious specific, enriching the academic debate on the variants textual and on traditions ancient. «This extraordinary tablet is not only a historical artifact of enormous importance, but also a tangible link to the beliefs that helped shape Western civilization», he commented Richard Austinspokesperson for Sotheby’s.
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