The Codex Sassoon

$38 million for a Bible? How much is your Bible worth?

It would become known as the Codex Sassoon — a volume of all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible.

In the shadows of a history dating back more than a thousand years, Jewish scholars labored over what in the 10^th century were already ancient scrolls. Masorete scribes and Talmudic rabbis were beginning to realize that a standard text of the Scriptures would be a boon to theological discussion and research.

Thus in A.D. 950 — before the foundations were laid for the great cathedrals of Notre Dame, Chartres and Canterbury, before a single Crusader set out from France for the Holy Land, before the great universities of Europe at Bologna or Paris were founded, before Aristotle had replaced Plato or the Neo-Platonists in esteemed philosophical circles, and even before the Great Schism of 1054 in which the Greek and Latin rite churches split into distinct branches of Christianity that exist to this day — a magnificent codex was in the making.

The codex was a manuscript of pages rather than a scroll, with three columns per page. Now known as the Codex Sassoon (CS), the book is more than 1,000 years old, consists of more than 750 pages of animal skins, and weighs a hefty 26.5 pounds.

It just sold at a Sotheby’s auction for more than a cool $38 million!

Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Leicester sold for about $30 million in 1994, and in 2021, a first edition print copy of the U.S. Constitution fetched $43.2 million at an auction, a record for any book, manuscript, historical document or printed text.

But $38 million for a Bible?

What makes the Bible, even what we Christians call the “old” half of the Bible, so valuable?

A number of factors come into play, of course. The provenance of a book might make it valuable to collectors. The CS, according to one source, “is the earliest surviving example of a single manuscript containing all 24 books of the Hebrew Bible with punctuation, vowels and accents.”

The rarity of the book might amp its value. A used, 1941 first edition copy of the Nancy Drew tale of The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion will set you back $32 on eBay.

Whether an antiquity is valuable depends on the eye of the beholder. If an artifact has perceived value, it is sought by collectors and aficionados.

So, the CS goes for $38 million.

Most reasonable people would agree that the Bible has value. Since Gutenberg inked up his press in the mid-1400s, the Bible has gone on to be history’s best-selling book ever. More than 5 billion copies have been sold or distributed, far outdistancing the Harry Potter series, the Quran, The Book of Mormon or The Little Prince. No one can say that the Bible has value because of its rarity. Thus, provenance is also not relevant, except possibly in the case of a thick 19^th-century family Bible with brittle, yellowed pages for family genealogies and picture pages for hoary black-and-white photographs of bearded ancestors and white-capped aunties wearing black dresses and a stern countenance. A buyer might be interested in the history of such a Bible.

But why does the Bible really matter? Is it the creation story of today’s text?

 

No Bible; no Christianity

We Christians cling to our Bibles. We cannot give them up. Without the Bible, our faith disappears like smoke from a crumbling chimney. Christianity without the Bible is like an Oreo without the creamy center; like a pie without the filling; like the Kansas City Chiefs without Patrick Mahomes; like a Tesla without a battery.

The Bible is our sacred book. Without it, we’re nothing. It is the written medium through which God has spoken to us and continues to speak today. In that sense, the Bible is superior to the natural world as an expression of the nature of God. The creative and majestic genius of God that we see in nature is amazing. Even the Bible acknowledges this. “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?” (Psalm 8:3-4). But the Bible surpasses nature as a media tool. The Bible explains everything we need to know about the Creator God and our relationship with God better than just nature itself.

This additional knowledge is critical, as we will see below. And so, Christians have historically protected the sacred texts of the Bible so that:

1. the Bible will never disappear from human experience, and
2. through a comparison of ancient texts, we can be assured that the text we read is the best text possible.

It is the foundation of our faith. No Bible; no Christianity.

 

The Rarity Factor

The Bible matters because there’s a rarity factor — its best-selling numbers notwithstanding.

While there may be nothing “as rare as a day in June,” as James Russell Lowell asserts, the Codex Sassoon comes close. Rare things have value — sometimes extravagant and exorbitant value.

Jesus understood the concept of value and rarity. He gave advice about the best places to store valuables (Matthew 6:19-21). He told stories about rare things, like the “merchant in search of fine pearls” who, after finding a “pearl of great value,” sold everything he had to possess it for himself (Matthew 13:44-45). Then there’s the report of a wealthy young man who wanted to follow Jesus, except … he could not divest himself of his financial portfolio.

But could there be something even more rare, perhaps, than treasure in a field, a pearl of great price or extensive financial holdings?

Yes. Perhaps rarest of all is the person who not only professes to follow Jesus, but actually does so!

Reports suggest that humorist Mark Twain made a shrewd observation along these lines. Evidently, a Boston businessman whose ethics were dodgy and who built his fortune on the misfortune of others confided in Twain about some of his religious aspiration. “Before I die,” he exclaimed, “I intend to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I want to climb to the top of Mount Sinai and read the Ten Commandments aloud.”

“I have a better idea,” suggested Twain. “Why don’t you stay home in Boston and keep them?”

What is rarer than a Christian who patterns his life on the template of Jesus himself, who practices what Jesus preaches, who loves as Jesus loves, who is as selfless as Jesus?

Critics outside the church often are not thrilled with Christians. Say you’re at the office, and word comes down about a new hire: “I hear that she’s a Christian!” Or worse, “I hear that he’s a born-again Christian!!” You’d think your co-workers were talking about a new variant of Covid.

The general unease in our culture with professing Christians is something we’ve brought upon ourselves. We have two choices: Walk the talk or shut up about it. If we cannot match our walk with our talk, then it might be best to opt out, and do as Peter once did. “Oh, no, I don’t know anything about Jesus at all. Never heard of him.”

The Indian reformer Mahatma Gandhi is often misquoted as saying, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Although it cannot be confirmed that he actually spoke those words, it is likely he said something similar. In The Christ of the Indian Road by E. Stanley Jones, the Methodist, theologian and author asked Gandhi (with whom he had become a close friend) how to better introduce Christianity into India. Gandhi replied in part: “I would suggest first of all that all of you Christians, missionaries and all begin to live more like Jesus Christ.”

Gandhi might also have read the Hindu Indian philosopher, Bara Dada, who, in the mid-1920s, said that “Jesus is ideal and wonderful, but you Christians, you are not like him.”

Bottom line: We are walking codices. People read us. But do they keep us as one would keep and treasure a rare book? Or are we tossed into the used book bin like a trash novel?

 

A Book with All the Answers: Priceless!

The Bible matters because of its wisdom.

Wisdom is where it’s at. And Americans know exactly where to get it: the self-help section of major bookstores, live events and seminars, motivational speakers, personal life coaches, audiobooks, weight-loss programs and holistic institutes.

Add this up and the self-help industry is an $11 billion juggernaut. But in the Bible, we have everything we need to live lives that are healthy, circumspect, meaningful and actualized. We can live our entire lives as good citizens, no arrests and rap sheets, no delinquencies, no addictions and be joyful and happy about it.

And when misfortune befalls us like disease, an accident or some kind of loss, it will not be trouble we brought on ourselves. And this gives us a 95% chance of getting through life as a successful person, spouse, parent or citizen.

Of course, all of this depends upon our willingness to make the right choices. And, alas, sometimes we don’t. Even the apostle Paul understood this from personal experience (see Romans 7). But the gospel gives us second and third chances.

The Bible is good for us. It offers wisdom, and as a reference guide, it’s really handy.

 

Why Do We Live as Though the Bible Doesn’t Exist?

Clearly, the Bible matters. It is valuable.

So, why do we live as though the Bible doesn’t exist? Why the disparity?

Maybe we’ve never taken the “Christ Challenge” pledge. Usually when someone is challenged to run a marathon, they begin training. When one signs up for a weight loss program, one abides by the rules of the program. When one decides to live sober, AA meetings might be a part of the plan. Could you be a Jesus person? Can you go one day without being a smart mouth, without being ungracious and impatient, snide or rude?

Great! Now practice Jesus living for two days.

Maybe we haven’t read the manual for a while. The Bible is the manual. Be honest. When is the last time you read the Bible at home or outside of the church? The last time you studied the Bible? Perhaps, like Twain, it “ain’t the parts of the Bible I don’t understand that bother me; it’s the parts I do understand.” The Bible can be demanding and challenging, often asking for more than we’re willing to give. Yet, the Scriptures are sacred words for Jesus people. We don’t know the cost until we read the catalogue. We are called People of the Book. So, let’s read the book!

Maybe we haven’t been too regular at church. Understandable. Lots of calls and tugs on our time these days. And it’s true that going to church won’t convert anybody. It’s like Billy Sunday, professional outfielder and blunt-talking evangelist of yesteryear said: “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you an automobile.”

Point taken. But, without a strong connection with local believers, we get weak and flabby.

Runners meet with runners, doctors with doctors, teachers with teachers, lawyers with lawyers.

Think of church as a weekly workshop that enhance your Jesus skills, helping you to succeed at the Christ Challenge. The challenge calls us to live authentically. To stop the hypocrisy. To end the disconnect between the walk and the talk.

There are thousands of books that collectors today call “rare books.” The Codex Sassoon is in a stratosphere of its own. At $38 million, the codex is beyond rare. It beggars description. Thirty-eight million is a ton of denarii.

But remember: the Codex Sassoon is a manuscript of part of … the Bible.

And the case can be made that there is no other book than the Bible — ever — that has been more influential and changed the lives of countless millions for the better.

The Bible is valuable and important to others, for perhaps the wrong reasons.

May it be valuable and important to us for the right ones.

Amen.

—Timothy Merrill and Carl Wilton contributed to this material.

 

Sources:

“Codex Sassoon 1053.” Wikipedia. Retrieved June 24, 2023.

“David Solomon Sassoon.” Wikipedia. Retrieved June 24, 2023.

Gritten, David. “Oldest most complete Hebrew Bible sells for $38m at auction.” bbc.com, May 18, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.

Hills, Megan C. “First-edition copy of US Constitution sells for record $43.2 million.” cnn.com, November 19, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2023.

LaRosa, John. “$10.4 billion self-improvement market pivots to virtual delivery during the pandemic.” https://blog.marketresearch.com, August 2, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2023.

Schuessler, Jennifer. “Oldest nearly complete Hebrew Bible sells for $38.1 million.” nytimes.com, May 17, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023.

The Other Texts

What Is One Possible Approach to the Text?

Vox Dei. The voice of God, or “the Lord,” is referenced seven times in this psalm of 11 verses. This is no ordinary voice: It is “powerful,” “full of majesty,” “breaks the cedars of Lebanon,” “flashes forth flames of fire,” “shakes the wilderness,” “causes the oaks to whirl” and more. The human voice, compared to the voice of God, is much more human. Literally, it can only break fine crystal and then, only at a certain pitch and frequency. The sermon might discuss the role of the voice of God in creation, and then move from the vox Dei to the voice of humans and a consideration of what kind of power we have in our voice. Not the power to break “the cedars of Lebanon,” certainly, but the power to wound and to heal, to destroy and to build up, to irritate and to soothe.

What Does the Text Say?

This psalm echoes, in part, the description of Genesis 1:1-5. Beings who are described as “heavenly” are called to ascribe glory and strength to the Lord, the same Lord whose “powerful” and “majestic” voice hung over the “mighty waters.” This God is a God whose power extends over the natural world, whether the “cedars of Lebanon” or the “wilderness of Kadesh.” The psalm begins with Genesis 1 and seems, at its conclusion, to echo Genesis 6, when the Lord sits “enthroned over the flood.” Only one prayer can be offered to such a powerful deity: May this God grant strength to “his people,” and “bless his people with peace.”

What Is One Possible Approach to the Text?

An Unbaptized Christian? This text clearly has relevance on this Baptism of our Lord Sunday. That Paul baptizes these believers “in the name of the Lord” — “John's baptism” notwithstanding — indicates that the apostle regarded baptism to be a critical step in the faith development of Christians, as well as their practical walk in their new life. Today, unfortunately, baptism for many is a long-forgotten event, if indeed it was ever remembered, and confirmation is but a rite of religious passage undertaken at a tender age and of insufficient meaning and strength to make a practical difference in one’s life as an adult. Fair statement? Would not confirmation be better suited for young adults in today’s culture? For those traditions that practice baptism by immersion as adults, is it not expected of the freshly minted Christians that their subsequent and post-baptism behavior will be above reproach? The sermon, then, is an opportunity to remind Christians of their baptism and urge them to take it seriously.

What Does the Text Say?

The gist of this story seems clear enough. Returning to Ephesus, Paul encounters a group of “disciples” (or as the Greek may just as accurately be rendered, “Christians”) whose theological training appears to be sadly lacking. When questioned about their experience of the Holy Spirit, this band of believers is clueless. Paul’s first question to them in verse 3 indicates their problem, which was apparently quite evident. Paul asks nothing about their faith in Christ. He asks only: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit?” Not only do they claim no personal experience of the Holy Spirit, but they deny having ever heard about the Holy Spirit’s existence. When Paul presses them on their baptism experience, they claim to have received “John’s baptism” (v. 3). Paul never voices any dismay at the ignorance of these disciples, but he does move quickly to rectify the situation. After a remedial theological briefing, Paul re-baptizes these followers “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (v. 5). As “proof” that this second baptism has “taken,” the men immediately begin to speak in tongues and to prophesy — clear signs that the Holy Spirit has come upon them.

What Is One Possible Approach to the Text?

Back Where It All Begins. The sermon title is a dated reference to a 1994 The Allman Brothers Band studio album called Where It All Begins. The album included the song, “Back Where It All Begins.” Check out some of the lyrics: “When I was younger I was hard to hold/Seem like I was always goin’/Whichever way the wind would blow/Now that travelin’ spirit calls me again/Callin’ me back to where it all begins.” For Jesus, in three years it would all be — in a certain sense — over. But today’s text recounts “back where it all begins.” Tell the story. Then revisit the theme of the Allman Brothers’ song to discuss our longing and yearning sometimes to get back to “where it all begins.” That is, our longing to go back to when life seemed simpler, our faith seemed stronger, our ideals were purer, and our strength was fresh. The baptism of Jesus reminds us of our own baptism, i.e., “where it all began,” and we can covenant to begin the new year with a fresh starting point, a new locus and focus, so that someday we can say that this day was the day it all began.

What Does the Text Say?

This week’s gospel reading presents the story of Jesus’ own baptism at the hands of John the Baptist. Since Jesus does not need his heart opened to repentance, nor does he need divine forgiveness, this event clearly serves a different purpose in his life. First, Jesus’ baptism formally announces his presence, and inaugurates the beginning of his public ministry. Second, this event reveals Jesus’ true identity and relationship to God as “my Son, the Beloved” (v. 11). Finally, Jesus’ baptism serves as the impetus for the arrival of the foretold Holy Spirit, whose presence has been proclaimed as the special mark of Jesus’ ministry. The simile used by Mark to describe the descent of the Spirit, “like a dove,” is not a particularly common one in Hebrew theology. The Hebrew text most frequently linked with this baptismal appearance of the Spirit is Isaiah 11:1-3. There, the “spirit of the Lord shall rest on” the long-awaited descendant of Jesse, empowering this chosen one with “wisdom and understanding,” “counsel and might,” “knowledge and the fear of the Lord.” The dove symbol underlines the “descending” nature of God’s spirit. The Spirit did not simply appear. The heavens were torn open so that the long-absent Spirit could formally descend upon God’s chosen one. Mark also records the message of the heavenly voice that personally addressed Jesus at this moment. “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Only here and at the transfiguration does a divine voice directly address Jesus, both times identifying him as “my Son.”

Worship Resources

As we leave this place, may the Word of God light our path and illumine our way.

And may God’s spirit empower us to be a light for others.

In the name of the triune God, Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer, Amen.

One: Out of the blue

All: God comes to us.

One: In the midst of turmoil

All: Jesus walks toward us.

One: As darkness closes in

All: The Spirit lights a way for us.

One: Out of the blue

All: Jesus comes through.

One: When times are tough

All: God can be enough.

One: As questions arise

All: The Spirit is wise.

One: Let us raise our voices in song;

All: May our praise be loud and strong.

Author of all creation, we go about our lives filled with frustration and often feeling lost. Culture wants to point us down one path, yet we know there is a better road to follow. We are more likely to turn to Google Maps for directions than to you. We forget that you have provided us with a compass — the Bible. Instill in us a desire to turn to you first; to delve into your teachings; to not only read your laws on an intellectual level but to take them into our hearts. If we choose to live our lives according to your ways, we need never fear getting lost. Amen.

Hymns
O Wondrous Sight, O Vision Fair
When Jesus Came to Jordan
We Sing the Mighty Power of God

Worship and Praise*
Good Good Father (Brown, Barrett)
Ancient Words (DeShazo)
Every Promise of Your Word (Getty, Townend)

*For licensing and permission to reprint or display these songs on screen, go to ccli.com. The worship and praise songs suggested by Homiletics can be found in most cases on Google by using the title as the search term.

COMMENTARY

on Genesis 1:1-5