But the new owner of the stone slab — which was declared a “national treasure” of Israel — faces a strict condition, according to the Texas-based auction house Heritage Auctions.
"The new owner is under obligation to display the tablet for the benefit of the public,” said David Michaels, who oversees ancient coins and antiquities for Heritage Auctions. "The sale of this tablet does not mean it will be hidden away.”
Michaels said the tablet probably adorned a synagogue in Yavneh, in what is now western Israel. But the synagogue is believed to have been destroyed by either the 11th century crusaders or by Romans between 400 and 600 A.D.