A rare and exquisitely ornate Hebrew Bible, dating back to the 14th century, has been sold at a Sotheby's auction in New York for an astounding $6.9 million (£5.3 million). This sale marks a significant milestone in the biblical manuscript's extraordinary 700-year journey.
The Tanach, known as the "Shem Tov Bible," was owned by the Safra banking family, and the sale represents a significant profit for them.
The Shem Tov Bible, written around 1312 in the Kingdom of Castile (modern-day Spain), is considered one of the most accurate handwritten versions of the Hebrew Bible. Jacob (Jackie) Safra purchased it in 1994 for only $825,000, making the current sale an enormous profit. The story was first published in Walla!.
It was written during the "Golden Age" of Spain, a period of cultural prosperity shared by Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Its complex design incorporates artistic elements from all three cultures, making it particularly unique.
Rabbi Shem Tov ben Abraham ibn Gaon, the scribe and artist who wrote and illustrated this Tanach, incorporated stunning ornaments, symbols from the animal and plant world, and even mystical images. The combination of text and illustrations testifies to both his great talent and the importance of the manuscript.
For the Safra family, originally from Syria and Lebanon, this sale symbolizes not only a financial gain but also a change in their approach to their Jewish heritage: In the past, they tended to downplay their connections with Israel and Judaism to maintain business relationships in the Arab world. Now, the public sale of such a significant Jewish item highlights their growing openness on this issue.
Sharon Liberman Mintz, Sotheby's international senior Judaica specialist, described the Bible as "a tour de force of biblical and kabbalistic scholarship and a precious witness to the medieval tradition of Sephardic book art."
The Bible's journey through history is as remarkable as its content. It has survived numerous wars, traveling from Spain to Jerusalem, Baghdad, Tripoli, London, and Geneva over seven centuries. Its survival through events such as the Spanish Inquisition, Crusader invasions, and World War II is described by experts as "miraculous."
One of the Bible's most fascinating features is its incorporation of about 2,000 "anomalous" letters – characters that are smaller or larger than normal, imbued with special, secret meanings according to Kabbalistic traditions. It also frequently cites the legendary Hilleli codex, a lost ancient Hebrew Bible.
The new owners plan to make it available for public viewing. This decision marks a shift from its long history in private collections and aligns with the growing trend of making significant historical artifacts accessible to a wider audience.
For Jews and art enthusiasts alike, the Shem Tov Bible is not only a religious text, but also a window into a pivotal period of cultural exchange and artistic innovation in medieval Europe.
Arutz Sheva and The Guardian contributed to this article.
