An extraordinary artifact, believed to be the oldest known tablet inscribed with the Ten Commandments, is set to go under the hammer next month with an anticipated price of $2 million.
This remarkable stone, dating back approximately 1,500 years to the late Roman-Byzantine period, has remained largely forgotten until now.
Weighing 52 kilograms and standing 60 centimeters tall, the stone was unearthed in 1913 during railway excavation work in southern Israel. It was discovered near the sites of some of the earliest synagogues, mosques, and churches.
Inscribed in paleo-Hebrew, the tablet features the ten biblical laws. Despite its significance, the artifact was not fully appreciated at the time and was used as pavement outside a private residence for three decades, exposed to heavy foot traffic.