Stone tablet with the Ten Commandments: Record price at Sotheby’s auction!

Stone tablet with the Ten Commandments: Record price at Sotheby’s auction!

In a spectacular auction in New York, the oldest known stone tablet with the Ten Commandments was sold for a breathtaking $5.04 million (4.85 million euros). Loud kathpress The approximately 1,500-year-old tablet, which was discovered during construction work for a railway line on the southern coast of Israel, was once used as a sidewalk slab for 30 years. It was not until 1943 that a scientist recognized the historical value of the artifact, which has 20 lines of text with ancient Hebrew inscriptions and is closely based on the biblical text of the Book of Exodus. It is noteworthy that one of the commandments, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,” is not found on this tablet. Instead, a commandment is added that does not belong to any other biblical text: worshiping God at Mount Gerizim, the Samaritans' most important holy place.

Striking discovery with doubtful authenticity

The staggering sum of $5.04 million far exceeds Sotheby's estimates, which only expected up to $2 million. The auction house describes the tablet as a significant historical artifact that provides a deep insight into the beliefs of Western civilization. However, there are also voices of skeptics. How daily news reported, experts have pointed out that the classification of such objects could often be incorrect. While some researchers do not rule out the possibility of an authentic story, others warn against overvaluing historical finds and emphasize the uncertainties surrounding the exact origin of the stone tablet.

The find has sparked discussion in the academic world about how important such artifacts still are today and what challenges authentication poses. The panel sparked discussion about religion, history and the value of cultural artifacts and will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most interesting objects in modern auction history.