A rare stone tablet inscribed with the 10 Commandments has been sold for a staggering $5 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York.
Despite doubts about its authenticity and origin, the ancient artifact attracted intense bidding interest, far exceeding its initial valuation of $1-2 million.
Weighing 115 pounds (52 kilograms), the stone slab, believed to have been unearthed in 1913 during rail line construction in modern-day Israel, features Paleo-Hebrew inscriptions.
However, unlike traditional depictions of the 10 Commandments, this version only contains nine of the moral edicts revered in Judaism and Christianity.
The tablet’s provenance remains a topic of scholarly debate, with estimates placing its origin between 300 and 800 CE.
While Sotheby’s stated that leading scholars have studied and published research on the stone, some experts remain skeptical.
Christopher Rollston, a professor of Biblical and Near Eastern studies at George Washington University, expressed doubt, pointing to the lack of solid documentation from 1913.
“There is no way to verify the age of the inscription,” Rollston noted, adding that forgers often create elaborate backstories to increase an artifact’s value.
Similar concerns were raised by Brian Daniels of the Penn Cultural Heritage Center in Philadelphia. While Daniels admitted it “might be absolutely authentic,” he warned that the region where it was found is known for producing counterfeit antiquities.
Despite these doubts, the artifact’s allure was undeniable. Bidding escalated to $4.2 million before fees brought the total to $5 million.
Sharon Liberman Mintz, a Jewish texts expert at Sotheby’s, described the experience as “thrilling,” noting that the tablet is a one-of-a-kind artifact in private hands.
The stone tablet had been part of the collection of the Living Torah Museum in Brooklyn before being put up for sale. Its sale to a private collector signals the growing demand for rare historical artifacts, even amid questions of authenticity.
The irony of the story wasn’t lost on some commentators, as the commandment against using the Lord’s name in vain was notably absent from the inscription. Whether authentic or not, this stone tablet has carved out its own place in history — and in the world of high-stakes auctions.
