A 1,500-year-old stone tablet inscribed with the oldest known rendition of the Ten Commandments is set to make history as it heads to auction at Sotheby’s in New York next month. This 115-pound relic dates back to the Late Roman-Byzantine period and stands as a rare and powerful testament to Judeo-Christian beliefs.

The tablet is expected to fetch between $1 million and $2 million at auction on December 18, with a public viewing scheduled for December 5. Sotheby’s Sharon Liberman Mintz, an international senior specialist in Judaica, described the artifact as a “one-of-a-kind find,” highlighting its unmatched historical and religious significance. “We understood how powerful the object was,” she said, “and we were really thrilled to be able to offer it for sale to the public.”

Originally discovered during a 1913 railway excavation along Israel’s southern coast, the stone has a fascinating history. After its discovery, it passed hands to an Arab man who, unaware of its biblical importance, used it as a paving stone at his home. For decades, this ancient inscription lay face up, allowing passersby to walk across it until 1943, when archaeologist Jacob Kaplan identified its religious significance and worked to decode its text.

Kaplan’s findings revealed that the tablet was inscribed with nine of the traditional Ten Commandments, with one unique adaptation. The inscription replaces the commandment “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain” with a directive for Samaritan worshipers to “raise up a temple” on Mount Gerizim, a holy site located above Nablus in the modern-day West Bank. This substitution reflects the ancient beliefs of the Samaritans, an Israelite group with a unique version of the Decalogue.

The tablet is more than just an artifact; it’s a tangible link to a shared history that has shaped moral frameworks for millions around the world. Richard Austin, Sotheby’s Global Head of Books & Manuscripts, emphasized the tablet’s historical and cultural importance: “This remarkable tablet is not only a vastly important historical artifact but a tangible link to the beliefs that helped shape Western civilization. To encounter this shared piece of cultural heritage is to journey through millennia and connect with cultures and faiths told through one of humanity’s earliest and most enduring moral codes.”

This auction presents a rare opportunity for collectors and faith communities alike to acquire a piece of biblical history — a 1,500-year-old testament to the principles that continue to shape Christian and Jewish faiths to this day. As bidding wars potentially escalate to biblical proportions, the artifact reminds us of the timeless power and influence of these commandments and their role in Western civilization.