(ZENIT News / New York, 01.07.2024).- In a dramatic auction on December 18 in New York City, Sotheby’s sold what it described as “the oldest inscribed tablet of the Ten Commandments” for an astonishing $5.04 million—more than double its estimated value. But while the hefty price tag grabbed headlines, the sale ignited fierce debates among scholars over the artifact’s authenticity, provenance, and ethical implications.
A Fragment of Religious History?
The marble slab, weighing approximately 52 kilograms, is believed by Sotheby’s to date back to the late Roman-Byzantine era. According to the auction house, the tablet was discovered in 1913 during railway construction in modern-day Israel. Initially dismissed as insignificant, it reportedly served as a doorstep for decades until it was acquired in 1943 by scholar Jacob Kaplan, who identified its possible significance as a Samaritan Decalogue.
Sotheby’s used Kaplan’s narrative and the wear patterns on the stone to bolster its claims of antiquity. The artifact omits the commandment prohibiting misuse of God’s name—a feature consistent with some Samaritan Pentateuch traditions but not universally accepted among scholars.
Skepticism and Scrutiny
Despite Sotheby’s assertions, experts remain divided. Christopher Rollston, a leading scholar of ancient languages at George Washington University, voiced serious concerns. “It might be ancient, or it might not,” Rollston said, pointing out that decades of use as a threshold could explain the erosion cited as evidence of age.
In a blog post for The Times of Israel, Rollston raised another red flag: deviations in the text that he suggested could be deliberate anomalies added by forgers to heighten intrigue. “Falsifiers have been producing inscriptions with surprising content for centuries,” he wrote, urging caution against taking the artifact at face value.
Auction Ethics Under the Spotlight
Sotheby’s defended its practices, emphasizing that the tablet had been reviewed by scholars and appeared in academic publications dating back to 1947 without major authenticity disputes. “Our due diligence process for this property was no different from any other,” a spokesperson said.
Yet critics argue that the sale highlights a troubling gap in accountability. Patty Gerstenblith, an expert in art and cultural heritage law, pointed out that auction houses generally have no legal obligation to verify the authenticity of artifacts. “Their fiduciary duty lies with the consignor, not the buyer,” Gerstenblith noted, adding that disputes over authenticity often leave buyers with limited legal recourse.
Cultural Significance or Commercial Prize?
The tablet’s staggering final price reflects enduring market demand for rare artifacts with religious or historical resonance. But the sale also underscores persistent tensions in the antiquities trade, where legal, ethical, and academic concerns often collide with financial incentives.
For some, the auction’s outcome represents a triumph of commerce over caution. “Without definitive proof of authenticity, this isn’t just a gamble—it’s a risky precedent,” one historian remarked.
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