Bible signed by Albert Einstein to be auctioned

The inside cover of a Bible inscribed and signed by Albert Einstein(Photo: Bonhams)

Bonhams will be offering a Bible signed by Albert Einstein at auction later this month.

In an inscription written in German, Einstein refers to the Bible as a source of "inexhaustible wisdom and consolation" that should be read often.

The Bible was also signed by his wife Elsa and was given to their American friend, Harriet Hamilton, as a gift.

It will go up for auction on June 25 at the Madison Avenue salesroom. It is expected to fetch between $1,500 and $2,500.

Einstein distanced himself from atheism, preferring instead to define himself as agnostic.

"Any opinion expressed by Einstein on the Bible is of intense interest," explained Christina Geiger, the Director of the Fine Books & Manuscripts Department at Bonhams New York.

"Although it is well-known that Einstein went through a devout phase as a young child, he never subscribed to organised religion as an adult.

"This Bible offers a fascinating window to his sentiments in the early 1930s."