A rare, 1,500-year-old stone tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments—the biblical laws given to Moses, according to the Book of Exodus—is set to be auctioned.
On Wednesday, CNN reported that Sotheby’s will auction the ancient artifact, which dates back to the Roman-Byzantine period, on December 18 in New York. The tablet weighs approximately 52 kg (114 pounds) and stands about 61 cm (24 inches) tall. It was discovered in 1913 at a railway construction site in southern Israel, near the ruins of early Jewish synagogues, mosques, and churches. At first, the tablet’s historical significance went unrecognized, and it was used as a paving stone for several decades. It wasn’t until 1943 that a scholar identified its importance, prompting experts to study and preserve the piece.
The tablet bears nine of the Ten Commandments inscribed in Hebrew, though the full set of ten is not completely intact.
Sotheby’s has called the Ten Commandments the cornerstone of law and morality and the foundational document of Western civilization. They highlighted that this stone tablet is not only a priceless historical artifact, but also a tangible connection to the religious and philosophical beliefs that helped shape Western society. The auction house also suggested that the tablet’s original location may have been destroyed during Roman invasions between the 4th and 6th centuries or possibly during the Crusades in the late 11th century.
Experts anticipate the tablet could fetch up to $2 million at auction.