Israel Welcomes Back the Oldest Known Complete Tanach

In a deeply symbolic and historic homecoming, the world’s oldest known complete Tanach the Codex Sassoon has returned to Israel. Unveiled at the Anu-Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv, this priceless manuscript, dating back to around 900 CE, now rests in the land where the Jewish story first took root.

What sets the Codex Sassoon apart is its remarkable completeness. Unlike the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are older but exist only in fragments, this manuscript contains all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, written in Biblical Hebrew using a proto-Masoretic text. It represents the earliest surviving comprehensive version of the Tanach in existence.

President Isaac Herzog, speaking at the unveiling, called the Codex “a bridge between generations and a light for the future,” capturing the profound spiritual and national importance of this acquisition. Other public figures echoed the sentiment, hailing its return as a moment of unity and inspiration for the Jewish people worldwide.

Originally part of the legendary library of David Solomon Sassoon a collector from a renowned Iraqi-Jewish family the manuscript made headlines in May 2023 when it was sold at auction for $38.1 million, making it the most expensive Jewish manuscript ever purchased. Only a select few documents in human history have reached comparable cultural and financial value.

But rather than letting it remain in private hands, the manuscript’s purchaser, former U.S. Ambassador to Romania Alfred Moses, made a decision that resonated far beyond the auction room. He donated it to the Anu-Museum, ensuring that this sacred text would be preserved, studied, and admired by future generations in Israel.

“This Bible belongs to the Jewish people. It is fitting that it be displayed in Israel, the heart of Jewish history and identity,” Moses wrote in a message read aloud at the ceremony. His vision that this ancient text would inspire renewed respect for Jewish heritage, not just as a relic, but as a living source of faith and knowledge.

Now, scholars and visitors alike can view the Codex in Tel Aviv where the story of the Jewish people continues to unfold, rooted in a legacy that spans millennia. Share this powerful moment with others and subscribe to our newsletter for more on the preservation and celebration of Jewish heritage.