Ancient Stone Tablet Featuring Ten Commandments Sold for Over $5 Million

NEW YORK—A stone tablet believed to be the oldest known example of the Ten Commandments was sold for over $5 million at an auction held on Wednesday.

Sotheby’s reported that the 155-pound marble slab was purchased by an anonymous buyer, who intends to donate it to a cultural institution in Israel.

The auction house, based in New York, noted that the final bidding price surpassed the pre-auction estimates of $1 million to $2 million and followed more than 10 minutes of “intense bidding” in a global contest.

Dating from 300 to 800 A.D., the tablet features the commandments inscribed in Paleo-Hebrew script and is recognized as the only complete example of its type from antiquity, according to Sotheby’s.

Discovered during railroad excavations along Israel’s southern coast in 1913, the tablet initially went unrecognized for its historical importance.

Sotheby’s indicated that the tablet served as a paving stone at a local residence until 1943 when it was purchased by a scholar who recognized its significant value.

The auction house stated that the tablet represents a tangible connection to ancient beliefs that have significantly influenced religious and cultural traditions worldwide, marking it as a unique historical testament.

The text on the slab reflects Biblical verses recognized by Christian and Jewish faiths but omits the third commandment, which prohibits taking the Lord’s name in vain. It also adds a commandment instructing worship at Mount Gerizim, a sacred site particular to the Samaritans, according to Sotheby’s.