Winchesters sought after this: an ancient tablet with the Ten Commandments has been sold for $5 million.

The oldest known stone tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament was sold at a Sotheby’s auction in New York for $5.04 million. This amount is more than double the initial estimate. The anonymous buyer plans to donate the artifact to an Israeli institute. This was reported by CNN.

Discovery History

The tablet is approximately 1,500 years old and dates back to the late Roman-Byzantine period. The stone slab, weighing 115 pounds (about 52 kg) and standing two feet tall (60 cm), was discovered in 1913 during excavations for a railway line in the southern part of present-day Israel.

Interestingly, the significance of the find was not recognized immediately. The stone, inscribed with commandments in ancient Hebrew, was used for 30 years as pavement in front of a house. The text faced upwards, leading to partial wear from exposure to the elements and foot traffic.

It wasn’t until 1943 that the historical value of the artifact was acknowledged when a scholar acquired it and identified it as a Samaritan Decalogue — a version of the Ten Commandments that could have been displayed in a synagogue or a private home.

Features of the Samaritan Version of the Commandments

The tablet contains 20 lines of text that are similar to biblical verses shared by both Jewish and Christian traditions. However, unlike the traditional Decalogue, one of the commandments — "You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain" — is missing. Instead, it records a commandment to worship on Mount Gerizim, which is considered a sacred site in Samaritan religion.

According to Sotheby’s experts, the tablet may have been lost during Roman invasions in the 4th to 6th centuries AD or during the Crusades in the 11th century.

Cultural Heritage

Richard Austin, head of the books and manuscripts department at Sotheby’s, stated that the tablet is not only a historical artifact but also a symbol of faith that has shaped the foundations of Western civilization. It presents a unique opportunity to connect with cultural heritage that unites millions through one of humanity's earliest and most significant moral value systems.

Sales of Ancient Texts at Auctions

It is worth noting that a year earlier, at the same auction, an ancient Hebrew Bible — the Sassoon Codex — was sold. This manuscript, dating from the 9th to 10th centuries AD, was valued at $38.1 million and is regarded as one of the most important texts in human history.

Connection to "Supernatural" Mythology

This artifact was mentioned in the series "Supernatural," where brothers Sam and Dean Winchester frequently encountered ancient tablets and texts. In one episode, "God's tablets" are referenced — sacred texts containing keys to understanding magic and the mysteries of the universe. In the show's world, these tablets could be used to control angels, demons, and even Adam, the first man.

As a reminder, the British auction house RR Auction has put up for auction a unique Christmas exhibit — a miniature atomic laboratory Gilbert U-238, which contains real radioactive uranium-238.