Sotheby’s to Auction Kiddush Cup, Oldest Known Piece of Medieval Judaica

A Kiddush cup dating back nearly a thousand years is set to go on the auction block this fall, and it’s already making waves as the earliest known Jewish artifact of its kind from the Middle Ages.

Sotheby’s announced that the ancient silver goblet believed to have passed through hands during the time of Genghis Khan will be auctioned on October 29 in New York with an estimated value between $3 million and $5 million. Before the auction, the cup will be publicly displayed in London from April 25 to 29.

Known as the “Cup of Joy,” this extraordinary relic originates from Jewish communities along the Silk Road in Central Asia. Dated to the 11th or 12th century, it reflects a time when Jewish life in Europe was under siege during the Crusades, while other Jewish communities flourished in parts of the Islamic world.

The cup is engraved with blessings in both Hebrew and Arabic and names its owner as “Simcha son of Salman.” According to Sharon Liberman Mintz, Sotheby’s international senior Judaica specialist, the piece is “an extraordinarily rare record of the existence and importance of Jewish communities in Central Asia in the Middle Ages, and of their cultural and artistic exchanges with the surrounding Islamic world.”

She added, “No other medieval Judaica artifact of this early date is known to exist.”

The dual-language inscriptions offer a glimpse into a time of vibrant interfaith cultural expression. Used to sanctify Shabbat with wine, the cup is both a ritual object and a historical testament to coexistence and creativity. Its survival for nearly a millennium underscores the depth and richness of Jewish history far beyond the borders of Europe and the Levant.

The auction comes on the heels of another significant Judaica sale by Sotheby’s: a 1,500-year-old stone inscription of the Ten Commandments, which sold for over $5 million last year and was later donated to an Israeli institution.

This upcoming auction is more than a sale it’s a rediscovery of a once-forgotten chapter in Jewish history, now ready to inspire new generations.

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