The world's oldest book in a private collection, known as the Crosby-Schoyen Codex, fetched over £3 million at an auction in London.
As per multiple outlets, the codex, previously owned by Norwegian businessman Martin Schoyen, contains complete copies of two Bible texts, Jonah and Peter's first epistle.
Bidding at Christie's auction house started at £1.7 million and attracted enthusiastic online and in-person bidders.
Eventually, the codex was sold for £3,065,000 ($3,898,000) to an anonymous phone bidder.
Discovered by Egyptian farmers in the 1950s, the codex dates back to the fourth century AD, making it at least 1,600 years old.
It is written in Coptic script on double-sided papyrus leaves, showcasing advancements in written technology for its time.
Accompanying the codex, twelve additional select pieces from the Schoyen Collection were also auctioned.
The entire collection boasts over 20,000 pieces, spanning 5,000 years of history from 3,500 BC to the present day.
While, the sale of the Crosby-Schoyen Codex falls short of the record for rare text sales.
Last year, the Codex Sassoon, a Hebrew Bible over 1,000 years old, sold for $38.1 million, setting a new record.
The highest-selling historical document remains one of the first prints of the US Constitution, which sold for $43 million in November 2021 at Sotheby's.
