Elvis was known for his voracious reading of spiritual and religious material and one of Elvis’ favorite books was The Prophet, by Lebanese-American writer and philosopher Kahlil Gibran. Originally published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1923, the popularity of the book steadily increased over the years, with the millionth copy sold in 1957. Elvis was always sharing copies of the book with close friends and family, encouraging them to immerse themselves in its teachings as he had. The offered framed display, however, is perhaps unique among all the instances of Elvis’ gifting of The Prophet. This 33 1/3 RPM album is entitled The Prophet and touts itself as “A Musical Interpretation Featuring Richard Harris.” The accompanying December 22, 1999 letter from Elvis’ personal physician George C. Nichopoulos reads “This is to certify that this phonographic album ‘The Prophet’ Kahlil Gibran, a musical interpretation featuring Richard Harris, Music composed by Arif Mardin, was given to me by Elvis Presley.” The engraved plaque on the display reads “This album ‘The Profit’ [sic] was given to me by Elvis Presley - he wanted it to bring me as much comfort, as it did him.” The framed display measures 22 1/2 by 18 1/2 inches (57.15 x 46.99 cm) and is accompanied by a letter of authenticity from Graceland Authenticated.

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