The Aleppo Codex: In Pursuit of One of the World's Most Coveted, Sacred, and Mysterious Books

Name: The Aleppo Codex: In Pursuit of One of the World's Most Coveted, Sacred, and Mysterious Books
Price: 10.62 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.4 (743 reviews)
Author: Matti Friedman

by Matti Friedman

Nonfiction Historical Fiction

4.4 (743)

4.4 stars from 743 reviews. Top 93% of Nonfiction books we track.

315 pages~5.3 hr readPublished by Scribe PublicationsPublished 2012-01-01

$10.62Near peak price

Last checked: Jun 1, 2026

Price history: $1.99 – $11.99

While not the biggest discount we've seen for this book, it's still a great deal and we recommend grabbing it before price returns to its normal range.

Price range: $1.99 – $11.99

Buy on Amazon - $10.62

0 readers are tracking this book's price

Fans of these authors will like this...

Alan Furst
Erik Larson
Simon Sebag Montefiore

Fans of these books will like this...

The Lost City of Z
In Cold Blood
The Splendid and the Vile

Perfect for you if...

You love detective stories that happen to be true, where following the evidence means unravelling government secrets and theft at the highest level.
You're interested in how sacred objects shape national identity and what people will risk to possess them.
You enjoy narrative nonfiction that reads like a thriller but teaches you something real about Middle Eastern history and Jewish heritage.

Maybe not for you if...

You want a straightforward historical account without moral ambiguity or unsolved mysteries.
You prefer books that celebrate institutions rather than scrutinise them, especially when it comes to government and religious authorities.
You're looking for a quick read about a simple subject. This one demands attention to detail and accepts that some questions don't have neat answers.

About this book

A thousand years ago, the most perfect copy of the Hebrew Bible was written. Kept safe through successive upheavals in the Middle East, by the 1940s it was housed in a dark grotto in Aleppo, Syria, and became known worldwide as the Aleppo Codex. Journalist Matti Friedman's account traces how this precious manuscript was smuggled from Syria into the newly founded state of Israel, and how and why many of its most sacred and valuable pages went missing. The narrative involves secret agents, clergymen, antiquities collectors, and national figures who sought to obtain the ancient, decaying book. The work reveals uncomfortable truths about greed, state cover-ups, and the role of historical treasures in creating national identity. Winner of the 2014 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature.

Get the best deal every time

We track price drops, sale patterns, and predict when this book will go on offer next.

Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$1.99 – $11.99

Price has dropped 6 times over the last 5 years. Goes on sale roughly every 356 days. Typically stays discounted for 18 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently around #79K in the Kindle store — a steady mid-list seller.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.4★ from 743 reviews

Gaining approximately 3 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.4 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Actual Predicted

This book goes on sale roughly every 356 days. Next drop estimated in about 48 weeks. Typical discount: 83% off.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.