Was This Bell Worn by the High Priest?

During an excavation beneath the Western Wall, inside the main drainage channel of Second Temple period Jerusalem, a small gold bell was uncovered. The prevailing opinion among archaeologists and the Antiquities Authority is that this bell was sewn into the garments of one of the Temple priests, potentially even the high priest..

The channel in question runs underneath a Herodian street that once connected the Pool of Siloam to the Temple Mount. Today, this channel links the City of David site with the Davidson Center adjacent to the Wall, continuing beneath the Western Wall Plaza. Excavations began seven years ago, during which coins from the Great Revolt, cookware, and more have been unearthed. The latest discovery — the bell — was found at the northern end of the channel, beneath Robinson's Arch at the Western Wall Plaza. The bell is crafted from pure gold, perfectly intact, featuring a loop for sewing onto a garment. It has delicate curves, thin walls, and visible decorations. When shaken, its sound can still be heard. It is believed that the owner of the bell lost it on the street, after which it rolled into the drainage channel, where it lay buried for nearly 2,000 years.

In a press release from the Antiquities Authority, Elad Foundation, and the Nature and Parks Authority, it is noted that "historical sources mention that high priests serving in the Temple would hang gold bells on the hem of their robes. For example, in the Tetzaveh portion of the Book of Exodus, the robe of the high priest, Aaron, is described: All of blue, of woven work, as the work of a weaver. And you shall make upon its hem pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, on its hem round about, and bells of gold between them all around. While it cannot be definitively stated that the bell belonged to a high priest, it cannot be ruled out either."

Illustration of the High Priest courtesy of Asher Cohen, Temple Institute

Photograph of the bell: Vladimir Nayhin