Upon Newton's death in Cambridge in 1727, his relatives, the Conduitts, took possession of his papers. Newton's papers reflected an array of various interests and occupations: papers in mathematics and physics, documents written as part of his function as head of the Royal Mint and President of the Royal Society, and more obscure and intriguing papers on theology, history and alchemy.

In 1872, one of Newton's descendants, the 5th Earl of Portsmouth, donated the papers to the University of Cambridge, where Newton had studied and taught. The committee appointed by the University to review the papers, selected only Newton's scientific papers, not wanting to blemish his reputation as an enlightened intellectual and scientist.

His theological papers, as well as the alchemical and the historical papers were returned to the family.

In July 1936 the papers which had been given back to the family were put up for sale by Sotheby's in London. The auction was poorly attended since at the same time in London Impressionist paintings were being sold at Christie's. Newton's papers were thus sold to a variety of people for the mere sum of 9,000 pounds.

Having found out belatedly about the sale, two important scholars were resolved to purchase the papers. The first was the famous British economist, John Maynard Keynes, who strove to buy all the alchemical papers; the second was the Jerusalem born well-known Orientalist, Abraham Shalom Yahuda. At some point, they even exchanged some of the papers between them.

While the Alchemical papers, acquired by Keynes, were bequeathed by him to Cambridge (1946), A.S. Yahuda bequeathed his papers upon his death in 1951 to the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. Along with Newton's theological papers, he bequeathed to the library many other important Jewish, Muslim and Christian manuscripts. (see under A.S. Yahuda, Madrid - New-Haven-Jerusalem,  "An Exquisite Manuscript Collection").