(CNN) –– The oldest known tablet, inscribed with the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament, is expected to fetch $2 million when it goes up for auction next month.
The stone, which dates back about 1,500 years to the late Roman-Byzantine era, is a notable artifact of the ancient world, but it remained forgotten for hundreds of years.
The stone, which weighs 52 kilograms and measures 60 centimeters high, was discovered in 1913 during excavations for a new railway line in the southern part of what is now Israel.
It was found near the locations of early synagogues, mosques and churches and had the 10 biblical laws inscribed in Paleo-Hebrew script. Even so, the importance of the find was not fully appreciated and the stone continued to be used as paving outside a private individual’s house for three decades. The inscription was placed face up and the stone was exposed to heavy foot traffic.
Fortunately, the historical importance of the slab was eventually recognized and it became more preserved.
According to a press release sent to CNN by Sotheby’s, which will auction the plaque in New York next month, the stone was sold to a scholar in 1943. This anonymous individual “recognized it as an important Samaritan decalogue presenting the divine precepts central to many religions, one that may have originally been displayed in a synagogue or a private home,” the statement said.
Samaritanism is an ancient monotheistic religion based on the first five books of the Old Testament. Although related to Judaism, Samaritanism considers Mount Gerizim (in the present-day West Bank) to be the abode of Jehovah, rather than Mount Zion.
The site where the tablet originally stood is likely to have been destroyed by Roman invasions of 400-600 AD or as a result of the Crusades in the late 11th century, Sotheby’s explained.
In a short video clip Upon sale, the auction house describes the Ten Commandments from the Book of Exodus as the “cornerstone of law and morality” and the “founding text of Western civilization.”
The stone contains 20 lines of text that closely follow Bible verses common to Jewish and Christian traditions. However, only nine of the 10 commandments of Exodus are included; the one missing is: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain.” In its place is a new directive to worship on Mount Gerizim.
Richard Austin, global head of books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s, said in the press release: “This remarkable plaque is not only a historical artifact of enormous importance, but also a tangible link to the beliefs that helped shape Western civilization. . To encounter this shared piece of cultural heritage is to travel through millennia and connect with cultures and beliefs told through one of humanity’s oldest and most enduring moral codes.”
The auction will take place on December 18, but the board will be available for viewing at the auctioneer’s New York showroom starting December 5.
Last year, a more than 1,000-year-old Hebrew Bible sold for $38.1 million at Sotheby’s in New York. The Sassoon Codex, dating from the late 9th or early 10th century, was described as “one of the most important and unique texts in human history.”
