1,100-Year-Old Hebrew Bible Sells for $38 Million at Auction
TimeMAR 31 2023
The Hebrew Bible is the foundation of the three Abrahamic faiths, which is why its value is universal. It is certainly positive news that the item didn't go to an anonymous collector who would have locked it in a vault and likely reauctioned it for a profit later. This book will finally be treated and displayed as a holy item, allowing the faithful to see it.
While it is good news that this item is headed for Israel, the huge financial value imbued in it highlights the twisted way in which principles of private ownership can deny the vast majority access to objects morally intended for public use. There is an awkward dissonance in the way lucrative collecting practices can preserve and protect heritage items while, at the same time, making their use by society as cultural objects entirely dependent on the philanthropy of the ultra-wealthy.