It is the oldest almost complete Bible in Hebrew. Its price is one of the highest ever paid for a historical document at auction.

Codex Sassoon

• Known as the Codex Sassoon, the volume contains all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible except for about eight leaves, including the first 10 chapters of Genesis.
• Scholars date it to the late 9th or early 10th century, making it the oldest known nearly complete Hebrew Bible.
• This painting, which has been owned by Swiss financier and collector Jacqui Safra since 1989, has only been seen by a few academics.

Shortly after the auction, Sotheby’s announced that the ANU’s American Friends – Museum of the Jewish People organization was the buyer. This was made possible by the donation of Alfred H. Moses, the former ambassador to Romania, and his family. The manuscript will be donated to the museum (formerly the Museum of the Jewish Diaspora) and will be part of the main exhibit.

The Hebrew Bible is the most influential in history and is the foundation of Western civilization. I am glad to know that it belongs to the Jewish people. Recognizing the historical significance of the Sassoon Codex, my mission was to make sure it was in a place with global reach for all people.
– says Moses

The $38.1 million price tag, including buyer’s commission, may seem small compared to the exorbitant prices regularly charged for artwork, but for books and historical documents, the amount is almost a record.

Codex Sassoon was last sold at auction in 1989 for $3.19 million (about $8 million in today’s equivalent). An unnamed buyer later sold it to Safra for an undisclosed price.