Alla Nagorskaya. Russian Bells in the Bell Towers of Jerusalem. Zoom.

A bell is one of the oldest musical and ritual objects, having made a long journey from small bronze bells to enormous church bells.

We will trace the history of bells and the development of bell-ringing traditions in different cultures and Christian traditions. Particular attention will be paid to the ancient bell complexes preserved in Jerusalem’s bell towers.

We will discuss the medieval bell tower of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, its history and architecture, and its surviving collection of bells.

Bells will be considered not only as musical instruments, but also as historical objects carrying information about the time and place of their manufacture, the craftsmen, patrons, and circumstances of their arrival in Jerusalem. Of particular interest are the inscriptions, marks, medals, and images of saints decorating many of them.

Using the example of a large 1886 bourdon bell, we will see how text, ornament, iconography, and the memory of the place for which it was created come together in a bell’s design.
We will also note the differences between bells: their sizes, suspension techniques, and methods of ringing.

The bells preserved in Jerusalem allow us to literally “read” the history of the bell tower through their form, decoration, inscriptions, and traces of time.

This will be a talk not only about the history of bells, but also about Jerusalem’s bell towers themselves as unique repositories of historical memory.

We will talk about bells on September 27 at 7:30 p.m. Israel time on Zoom with our beloved archaeologist and educator Alla Nagorskaya—we have missed her so much!

Tickets for the lectures currently start at 60 shekels, but if the apocalypse is not over for you yet, you can make a donation of any amount by any convenient method: at the box office, via Bit, PayBox, PayPal, or by bank transfer.

On weekdays from 1 to 8 p.m., the easiest way to purchase a ticket is by phone: 0542067957.

All details are available by phone. The Zoom meeting link will be sent on the day of the lecture upon request via Facebook Messenger to Yana Bukchina or on WhatsApp at +972542067957. The recording link will be sent the following day.

If you cannot attend online, purchase the recording.