Einstein’s ‘God letter’ fetches $2.9M at auction
NEW YORK — A 1954 letter written by Albert Einstein and known as the “God letter” because he discussed his thoughts about God and religion has fetched close to $2.9 million at an auction in New York.
The letter, which was sold at Christie’s on Tuesday, was written the year before the Nobel prize-winning physicist’s death. It was addressed to philosopher Eric Gutkind, who had written a book about Jewish spirituality and the pursuit of science.
In the letter, Einstein declared: “The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of honourable but still primitive legends.”
Einstein was constantly questioned about his religious beliefs during his lifetime.
The letter had previously sold for $404,000 at Bloomsbury Auctions in London in 2008.