Reader’s Digest shares with readers some of the world’s rarest ancient books, with prices reaching tens of millions of USD.
At the top of the list is the Codex Sassoon, created by an anonymous scribe. This is the most complete and oldest Hebrew Bible, dating from the late 9th century or early 10th century. After acquiring the Codex Sassoon in 1989, Swiss financier and collector Jacqui Safra auctioned the book at Sotheby’s in 2023, achieving a record price of $38.1 million. (Photo: BI).
Second is the Book of Mormon by Joseph Smith. In September 2017, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) paid $35 million to purchase the Book of Mormon from the Community of Christ, which had owned the book since 1903. “We consider the Book of Mormon to be a sacred text just like the Bible,” said Steven E. Snow, historian and recorder of the LDS. (Photo: Salt Lake Tribune).
Next is the Codex Leicester by Leonardo da Vinci, which Bill Gates purchased in 1994 for $30.8 million. This 72-page notebook, containing over 300 illustrations, was compiled by da Vinci, who may have had the highest IQ ever recorded, between 1506 and 1510 in Florence and Milan, Italy. In the early 1700s, the Count of Leicester acquired it and named it after himself. (Photo: info-luxe).
In fourth place is the Sherborne Missal by John Whas and John Siferwas. This book was written between 1399 and 1407 for St. Mary’s Abbey in Sherborne, Dorset, England, and sold for approximately $24.56 million in 1998. Weighing nearly 20 kg, the book contains text on church services and thousands of illustrations on 347 parchment pages. (Photo: Amazon).
The fifth work is the Bestiary Northumberland by anonymous scribes. This medieval encyclopedia describes both real and mythical animals in detail. With rich content, the book was also used to teach moral lessons from a Christian perspective. In 2007, the J. Paul Getty Museum purchased the Northumberland Bestiary for an undisclosed amount, but experts estimate it was around $20 million. (Photo: Medievalists).
Ranked sixth is the New Book of Tang compiled by Ouyang Xiu. This historical work about the Tang Dynasty, which ruled China from 618 to 907 AD, was compiled by historian Ouyang Xiu in 1060. In 2018, China Guardian auctioned this work for a final price of 100 million CNY (approximately $17.1 million) to an anonymous buyer. (Photo: Reader’s Digest).
Next is the Bay Psalm Book created by a Puritan leadership committee. About 20 years after the first Puritan group arrived in New England, USA, a committee of 30 elders authorized the compilation of a new English translation of 150 Hebrew psalms. The result was the Bay Psalm Book, printed in Massachusetts in 1640. In 2013, American businessman David Rubenstein purchased a copy of the Bay Psalm Book at a Sotheby’s auction for $14.16 million. (Photo: NPR).
The Rothschild Prayer Book was compiled by Flemish scholars in the early 1500s. This collection of texts, hymns, and medieval Flemish Christian images sold for $13.6 million in 2014. Sandra Hindman, an antiquarian bookseller, told Forbes in 2014 that, “The images in the book were created by the greatest artists and illustrators of the time.” (Photo: Reader’s Digest).
The Einstein-Besso Manuscript by Albert Einstein and Michele Besso. Written from June 1913 to early 1914, this is one of the two surviving manuscripts documenting the development of the theory of relativity. The 54-page manuscript was sold to an anonymous bidder at a Christie’s auction in November 2021 for $13.2 million. Part of the appeal of the Einstein-Besso Manuscript is that Einstein often did not keep early drafts, making such documents particularly rare. (Photo: Yahoo).
The Gospels of Henry the Lion by Benedictine monks from the Helmarshausen monastery. In 1983, this edition was sold for $11.7 million at Sotheby’s London. The story of this book began in the 12th century when a Duke of Germany commissioned its creation as an altar piece for the church in Brunswick. When the monks completed the book around 1188, it was 266 pages long with 50 illustrations in the Romanesque style. (Photo: Reader’s Digest).
The Birds of America by John James Audubon sold for $11.5 million. From 1827 to 1838, naturalist John James Audubon documented a series of detailed, vibrant prints depicting hundreds of different bird species in North America. The first complete edition of Birds of America contains up to 435 illustrations, some of which depict species that are now extinct or endangered. (Photo: Reader’s Digest).
The St. Cuthbert Gospel was recorded by a scribe from the Northumbrian monastery in England in the late 600s. It is one of the earliest surviving examples of Western-style bookbinding, featuring leather cover and intricate decorations. This palm-sized book, measuring 138x92mm, was purchased by the British Library at an auction in 2012 for over $10.7 million. (Photo: Medieval Histories).
