Israeli Archaeologists Uncover 2nd Temple Gold Bell

[Mark]

Israeli Archaeologists Uncover 2nd Temple Gold Bell

Archaeologists in Jerusalem uncovered a rare gold bell believed to be part of a priestly garment from the time of Jesus.
 
"It's not one bell that was on the coat. It was more than 70 bell[s ] that [were] on the coat. The man was walking with that bell on his coat," Israel Antiquities Authority head archaeologist Eli Shukronof told CBN News.
 
"Everyone heard [him] when he was coming. [The bells] make a small noise, you know, it's not a big noise, just to give some respect to the man," he said.

Archaeologists uncovered the bell while excavating an ancient drainage channel. It begins at the pool of Siloam and continues underground to an area near the Western Wall called Robinson's Arch. That's where Jewish worshippers would have entered the Temple Mount in the time of Jesus.

"And this bell we found under the main street of Jerusalem from the Second Temple period 2,000 years ago," Shukron said.

The bell has a tiny loop at the top. It would have been attached to the garment of a wealthy person.

Exodus 28:33 describes the robe of Aaron, the high priest.

"Upon its hem, you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its hem; and bells of gold between them all around."

Shukron said there is no way to know for sure if the bell came from a priestly garment.

rest + video: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/insideisrael/2011/July/Israeli-Archaeologists-Uncover-2nd-Temple-Gold-Bell-/

[Kilika]

Shukron said there is no way to know for sure if the bell came from a priestly garment.

I don't think I can agree with that. I suspect that it is/was documented at some point how those bells should be designed. Judaism is quite particular about that kind of stuff being, so legalistic (of the law). Part of it is that there will be no images of the bells, as that is against the law on graven images, so any mention of them outside scripture will be in print.

Being honest, this discovery cannot be labeled what they are claiming. Yes, it's a gold bell, and scripture talks of gold bells, but what is it about the item that identifies it as a bell from scripture? What seperates it from any other bells made of gold at the time? And how do they date the gold, seeing it could be an item MADE many years prior, though it was found in the ground at a specific timeline.

If an item is found say...50 feet below the surface, and they have determined that depth of soil is the second temple period, you cannot assume because an item is found at that depth, that item was made at that time. They need some more evidence to clarify the item's design, etc.

It's circumstantial, but it may well be an item from a priest's garment. That area has a very high chance that temple workers would be in that area, wearing certain things. If the same bell was found in South America, it would be thought of as a Mayan or Aztec item most likely, and virtually no chance it's a temple item, based soley on geography alone. You expect to find these type things in that area of Israel, and Islam, Jordan, and the "Palistinians" know it.

[Mark]

It is in reference to this passage.

Exodus 28:32-34

 32And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.

 33And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:

 34A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

How they came up with the date? no idea.