Apr 17, 2023 - Things to Do

Ancient Hebrew Bible stopping at SMU before Sotheby's auction

Michael Mooney

A photo of the Codex Sassoon — The Codex Sassoon. Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s

The world's oldest, most complete Hebrew Bible will be on display at SMU's Bridwell Library from Tuesday to Thursday before going up for auction next month at Sotheby's in New York.

The big picture: Almost 1,100 years old and nearly 800 pages long, the Codex Sassoon is the basis of biblical translations used today by Jews and Christians, according to a statement from SMU.

With an estimated value of $30 million to $50 million, it could become the most valuable historical document ever sold at auction, per Sotheby's.

What they're saying: "The Codex Sassoon is one of those things that tie people together," Roy Heller, professor of the Hebrew Bible at the SMU Perkins School of Theology, said in the statement.

Details: The book is named for its 1929 purchaser, David Solomon Sassoon, who assembled one of the largest private collections of Judaica and Hebraica manuscripts in the world.

The book was lettered on parchment by a master scribe and includes 24 books of the Hebrew Bible.
The Codex Sassoon is missing fewer than eight parchment leaves of biblical text. In comparison, the Aleppo Codex, the only other Hebrew Bible dating around the 10th century, is missing more than two-fifths of its pages, per Sotheby's.

How to see it: Public attendance is free, but tickets are required.

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Ancient Hebrew Bible stopping at SMU before Sotheby's auction

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