World’s oldest complete bible goes on display in Tel Aviv

TEL AVIV: In a moving event marking both historical continuity and personal resilience, the Anu-Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv celebrated the permanent installation of the Codex Sassoon, the world’s oldest complete Bible, on Thursday, ahead of the upcoming Shavuot holiday.

The 1,100-year-old manuscript, purchased for $38.1 million at Sotheby’s in New York, was donated by Ambassador Alfred Moses, who designated the Anu-Museum as its home. Although Moses could not attend the event, the audience stood in applause to honor his gift. “This Bible belongs to the Jewish people”, he said in a message read aloud at the event. “It is fitting that it be displayed in Israel, the heart of Jewish history and identity”.

The Codex Sassoon is the oldest known nearly complete Hebrew Bible. It dates back to circa 900 CE, making it over 1,100 years old. The text includes all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible written in Biblical Hebrew on parchment, using a proto-Masoretic text — the authoritative version of the Bible preserved by Jewish scribes.

A moment of joy: this week i went to @Sothebys where Sharon Mintz showed me the Sassoon Codex the oldest near-full Hebrew Bible c880AD. Such beauty inscribed by one scribe. Many mysteries; inscriptions of sale & ownership, a vanishing of 6 centuries… here are some pages pic.twitter.com/YlGF4Zuz1R

— S Sebag Montefiore (@simonmontefiore) March 4, 2023

Unlike the older, more fragmentary Dead Sea Scrolls, the Codex Sassoon contains virtually all of Scripture. The Codex was part of the private collection of David Solomon Sassoon (1880-1942), a bibliophile and descendant of a prominent Iraqi-Jewish family. The manuscript was sold at Sotheby’s in New York for USD 38.1 million in May 2023, becoming the most expensive Jewish manuscript ever sold and one of the most valuable historical documents of any kind.

One of the most emotional moments came with the appearance of Agam Berger, a 21-year-old survivor of Hamas captivity, and her mother, Merav. Last summer, while Agam was still held hostage, a birthday event was held for her in the same hall.

By chance, Agam saw a recording of her mother’s blessing from that event while in Gaza. “It gave me strength when I needed it most,” Agam said. Merav reflected, “For us, the Codex symbolizes life. This is the closing of a circle”.

The event, held in partnership with Mifal HaPais, featured short lectures on the Bible’s cultural impact, personal significance, and role as a unifying foundation of Jewish life. In a recorded message, President Isaac Herzog called the Codex “a bridge between generations and a light for the future.” Other notable speakers included Israeli media personalities Kobi Arieli, Natalie Marcus, and Yair Sharki.

The Codex Sassoon is now on permanent display for the public. Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. The holiday begins at sundown on Sunday. (ANI/TPS)