Letter written by Albert Einstein doubting God's existence auctioned for $2.9m

A letter written by Albert Einstein in which he doubts the existence of God has been auctioned for $2.9m in New York.

Letter written by Albert Einstein doubting God's existence auctioned for $2.9m

A letter written by Albert Einstein in which he doubts the existence of God has been auctioned for $2.9m (€2.6m) in New York.

The letter, dated 1954, was written in German to philosopher Eric Gutkind and in it, Einstein said that he did not believe in God.

Einstein wrote: "The word God is for me nothing but the expression and product of human weaknesses."

"The Bible, a collection of venerable but still rather primitive legends."

The first page of Albert Einstein's "God Letter," dated January 3, 1954.in which he offers his candid and unvarnished opinion that: "The word God is for me nothing but the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of venerable but still rather primitive legends." (Christie's via AP)
The first page of Albert Einstein's "God Letter," dated January 3, 1954.in which he offers his candid and unvarnished opinion that: "The word God is for me nothing but the expression and product of human weaknesses, the Bible a collection of venerable but still rather primitive legends." (Christie's via AP)

In 2002, a letter dated 1939 from Einstein to US president Franklin D Roosevelt warning him about Nazi atom bomb preparations was auctioned for $2.1m.

According to Christie's Auction House, the 'God Letter' sold for a record price, surpassing its estimated $1-1.5m (€880k - 1.3m) valuation.

The letter was last sold to a private collector in 2008 for $404,000 (€356k).

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