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Codex Sassoon, oldest
complete copy of the Bible, returns to Israel
The ANU Museum will be permanently displaying the codex in
Tel Aviv starting on October 11, 2023.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFOCTOBER 5, 2023
18:02Updated: OCTOBER 6, 2023 11:43
The Codex Sassoon,
the earliest and most complete Hebrew Bible ever discovered.(photo credit:
ARDON BAR-HAMA/ANU - THE MUSEUM OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE)
The Codex Sassoon, the oldest
complete copy of the Hebrew Bible dating back over 1,000 years, arrived home in
Israel on Thursday after a world tour following its auction at Sotheby's in
May.
The codex will be shown in a permanent
display at ANU - The Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv.
The ancient manuscript flew on an
El Al passenger flight, although it flew in a seat more prestigious than first
class: The cockpit. This was deemed the safest place for it on the plane. Upon
landing, Captain Amos Aldaag removed the codex from its secure safe in the
cockpit and carried it out to a warm reception on the tarmac.
What exactly is a codex and why is it special?
A codex, in the context of ancient
texts, is a book or manuscript that is copied and bound with text appearing on
both sides of the page the way a modern book is printed.
Before codices became the norm in
publication, the Hebrew Bible was copied onto scrolls. The oldest of these, the
Dead Sea Scrolls, are located in Jerusalem.
The Codex Sassoon
lands in Israel on October 5, 2023. (credit: ITZIK BIRAN/ANU - THE MUSEUM OF
THE JEWISH PEOPLE)
However, the Dead Sea Scrolls and
texts like them do not divide the Bible into chapters and contain no
punctuation or indication of how the words should be read aloud. The Masoretic
notes, the marks found in modern copies of the Bible indicating how to pronounce
and chant the text, did not begin appearing in copies of the Bible until the
10th century CE. The Codex Sassoon is the oldest complete manuscript of the
Hebrew Bible that comes complete with the Masoretic notes.
The return of the codex to Israel
Ambassador Alfred Moses, chair of ANU’s
honorary board and the donor of Codex Sassoon to the museum stated upon its
return to the State of Israel:
“The Hebrew Bible is the most
influential book in history and constitutes the bedrock of Western
civilization. I rejoice in knowing that it belongs to the Jewish People. It was
my mission, realizing the historic significance of Codex Sassoon, to see that
it resides in a place with global access to all people. In my heart and mind
that place was the land of Israel, the cradle of Judaism, where the Hebrew
Bible originated.
"In Israel at ANU, it will be
preserved for generations to come as the centerpiece and crown, Keter,
of the entire and extensive display and presence of the Jewish story.”
The codex is named after its most
well-known owner of the modern era, David Solomon Sassoon (1880-1942). It was
part of an expansive collection and highly prized by the owner. Over the
decades, it changed hands and eventually came to Sotheby's auction house by way
of collector Ya'akov Safra.
The ANU Museum will be permanently
displaying the codex in Tel Aviv starting on October 11, 2023.
Related TagsTel AvivbibleartifactsSotheby'sMuseum of the Jewish People
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