Exciting Archaeological Find - High Priests Golden Bell.

It is always exciting when evidence is uncovered that has been hidden for thousands of years. Often the find is unexpected as in the case of the tiny golden bell that was discovered buried between the layers of dirt in a drainage channel near the Siloam Pool in the City of David National Park. It was found during excavations by archaeologists who were working near the western wall. The work was undertaken by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the National Parks Authority and financed by The City of David Foundation.                 Photo credit: Vladimir Neichin. 18th-century Dutch oak statue portraying the high priest. Image created by Sharon Mooney, modified for Wikipedia from photograph of an 18th Century Dutch oak statue of a high priest, Who's Who in the Bible Comay and Brownrigg, Wings Books. Image may be re-distributed under condition all original credits remain intact. Just imagine being the one to find this most exciting biblical discovery that would take us right back in time to the pages of the Bible to Aaron, the brother of Moses, when he was the High Priest.  We know that evidence of the use of these type of bells were documented right back to the time of Aaron in Exodus 28:4. These are the garments they are to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. They are to make these sacred garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so they may serve me as priests. Have them use gold, and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, and fine linen. Exodus 28:34-35 King James Version (KJV) 34 A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about. 35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the Lord, and when he cometh out, that he die not.  The bell would have been attached to the hem of the priests robe by a small loop. This particular bell would have hanging on the bottom of the High Priests robe and could quite easily date back to the period of the second temple.     The second temple was destroyed in 70AD. It was prophesied by Jesus himself in Matthew 24:2. "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down."  You can still find the stones here which were once toppled down by the Roman army when they invaded the Temple Mount, Just as Jesus had  prophesied.   stones here which were once toppled by the Roman army when they invaded the Temple Mount in 70 C.E. Photo by Simon Brown. Photo by Simon Brown   Model of Herod's Temple at the Israel Museum . Fotografía del Templo de Jerusalén en la maqueta del Jerusalén bíblico del jardín del Hotel Holyland en Jerusalén, Author Juan R. Cuadra My understanding is that many of these golden bells were hung upon the robes of the High Priests so that when they would walk into the most Holy place on the earth called the Holy of Holies, with the blood of the sin offering on Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement, in the Temple of Jerusalem, people who were outside would hear the High Priest walking and would know if he was still alive. They would then know that God had accepted the sin offering for the people of Israel ie. the blood of bulls and goats. If they could not hear the bells ringing they would know that he was dead. Why did Gods people have to offer animal sacrifices for our sins? If we commit a crime in this life we are likely to be punished. It is a similar thing with God. God is Holy, which means God hates sin as in his eyes ALL sin is evil. Any sin that we might commit is in Gods eyes breaking his commands which he demands must be paid for. The only way God can forgive us for breaking his commandants is to shed innocent blood. But God is merciful. We should die for our own sin and wrong doing but in the Old Testament times God would allow the blood of animals to cover our wrong doing and sin. The animal was carefully chosen according to certain procedures laid out by God and the animal had to be spotless. When the sacrifice was done in faith it provided a temporary covering of sin. The animal served as a substitute and died in place of the sinner. Animal sacrifice foreshadowed what Jesus would do by his death on the cross.  Why do we not offer animal sacrifices today? The animal sacrifices ceased when the final sacrifice was made on the cross by Messiah Jesus.  Jesus on the cross. Let's give thanks to God the Father who sent his one and only son Jesus Christ who gave his life for us and became our Great High Priest and paid the ultimate and perfect sacrifice. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God "who takes away the sin of the world'. John 1:29. NIV. We no longer have to shed blood and kill bulls and goats for our sins. When we believe that what Jesus did for us on the cross, and become born again believers, and confess our sins, in Jesus name, God then takes away our sins. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Hebrews 9:26 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy. Hebrews 10:14 Today every one of us as human beings fail to come up to Gods standards, we all sin, a term used to mean in archery terms that we have 'missed the mark'. Our coming to understand that we can be made right with God means coming to understand that Jesus lived and then died so that if we believe in him and ask God for forgiveness for our wrongdoing then our sins will be taken away . This is not something to be taken lightly as once we understand that we have a choice to make as to whether we choose to become a follower of Christ or choose to reject him - which will you choose? Thank you for taking the time to read this article and I pray it has been of interest and that you will be blessed.  I am Simon Brown, may God bless those who seek him, in Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary 28:1-5 Hitherto the heads of families were the priests, and offered sacrifices; but now this office was confined to the family of Aaron only; and so continued till the gospel dispensation. The holy garments not only distinguished the priests from the people, but were emblems of that holy conduct which should ever be the glory and beauty, the mark of the ministers of religion, without which their persons and ministrations will be had in contempt. They also typified the glory of the Divine majesty, and the beauty of complete holiness, which rendered Jesus Christ the great High Priest. But our adorning under the gospel, is not to be of gold and costly array, but the garments of salvation, the robe of righteousness. ALSO READ Golden bell found from Second Temple. by Chris Perver Tuesday, 26 July 2011 Is There Any Evidence of The Bible?