A Hebrew Bible that’s more than 1,000 years old has been sold for $38.1 million at Sotheby’s in New York on Wednesday. It is described as “one of the most important and singular texts in human history”. It also become the most valuable manuscript ever sold at auction.

The Codex Sassoon, dating from the late 9th or early 10th century, is believed to be the earliest and most complete Hebrew Bible. The transcript fell short of its high estimate of $50 million, however, prior to the sale, it went on exhibit in the UK and Israel.

The leather-bound, handwritten parchment volume containing a nearly complete Hebrew Bible, was purchased by Alfred H Moses, a former United States ambassador to Romania.

Mintz described the Codex Sassoon, which weighs about 12kg, as a “lavish production that only the most wealthy could have afforded.”

The manuscript’s previous owner purchased it in 1989 and was “delighted to be able to share it with the world”. It was exhibited at the ANU Museum in March as part of a worldwide tour before the auction.

The Hebrew Bible is the foundation of the three Abrahamic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

The Codex Leicester

The last manuscript to top sales records was Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester, which sold for $30.8 million in 1994. The book was written in Leonardo’s signature mirror-writing style, and it provides a glimpse into his unique way of thinking.

The Codex Leicester was one of Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks full of scientific musings and sketches. The manuscript was sold to Bill Gates in 1994 for over $30 million.

Gates isn’t known to be a frivolous spender. He promised to give away most of his fortune to philanthropic causes, drives a Tesla, doesn’t like to buy pricey clothes, and can be seen quietly waiting in line for a burger at the same Seattle drive-in he’s been going to for years.

Despite all that, right before he first became the richest person in the world, Gates couldn’t resist splurging on the “Codex Leicester” – making it one of the most expensive books ever sold – well, before The Codex Sassoon. The 72-page document, which contains Leonardo’s sketches and ideas about subjects like astronomy, mechanics, botany, mathematics, and architecture, was written between 1506 and 1510.

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