Historical musical instrument dates back 4,000 years

Their voices have celebrated the birth of a baby and mourned the death of an elder. They have tolled in remembrance of historic events, marked the beginning of a new marriage and summoned worshipers to church. For centuries, bells have been a part of the history of Christianity as well as the history of man.
   
Because bells speak the universal language of music, they speak all languages and appeal to all cultures. Bells have been a part of the history of man since its early beginnings, with the first bells being no more than simple gourds or nutshells struck with a piece of wood. The making of metal implements can be traced back to around 3000 B.C. when man learned to make bronze by mixing copper and tin.
   
Bells were mentioned in the early writings of the ancient Chinese. Evidence of their use has been found inscribed on the walls of Assyrian palaces, in ancient tombs and in the ruins of early civilizations. Where civilization grew, the voices of bells could be heard. For more than 4,000 years, the history of man and the history of bells have been linked.
   
The earliest biblical evidence of the use of bells comes from the adornment of Aaron’s robe with crotala, small bells. Crotala were first used by herdsmen who tied the tiny instruments around the necks of animals so that they could easily be found if the animal was lost. In Aaron’s day, the small bells were attached to the robes of the priests so that any slight movement produced a jingle. According to some scholars, this was used as a warning that the priest was approaching the holy tabernacle of God. Others have suggested that crotala were used as instruments of praises, ringing out music as the priest walked past. Of all the ancient bells found during archaeological digs, more crotala have been found than any other kind of bell.
   
The use of bells to announce certain times and events dates back as far as 3,000 years. Evidence shows that during that time city watchmen in Peking struck a massive bell four times a night to call out the hours. In Egypt 2,500 years ago, many religious feasts were announced by the ringing of bells.
   
Around the time of Christ’s birth, the Romans announced the time of public bathing and public business with the clamor of small handbells. The Jewish author Josephus reported that the golden roof of Solomon’s temple had bells on top. Perhaps the earliest story about the use of bells in biblical times was told by Oriental author Dionysius Bar Salibi who ascribed the use of bells to Noah. Bar Salibi claimed that Noah used bells to summon his workmen to the ark three times a day.
   
Although bell-ringing has been closely associated with Christianity, its uses have been attributed to religions far older than ours. Early religions used bells for calling together the worshipers and for calling the gods themselves. From earliest times, bells have been associated with both magic and religion.
   
A popular belief that has lingered throughout the centuries is the idea that bells have power over evil spirits. In most ancient religions, it was thought that a loud noise could drive away demons. When Christianity grew more popular than pagan faiths, the people still held on to that belief.
   
As Christianity grew more widespread, the followers gradually began to put aside those traces of pagan belief, yet the use of bells continued.
    
In Rome, in the early days of the faith, churches used bells to announce the time of meetings. Larger bells were soon placed in towers above churches so that ringing could be heard for greater distances.
    
Long ropes were strung from the bell so that the bell ringer could pull the heavy rope and send a message to the community for miles around. As the population of the world grew, the use of church bells grew along with it, spreading to England and soon to other European countries.
   
Bells had great influence in the architecture of churches from the Middle Ages until modern times. Bell towers, which began simply as a means to protect the bell, became important in their own right. Church buildings were constructed so as to incorporate elaborate bell towers, which were once considered perhaps the most important part of the building.
   
Over time, many churches graduated from the use of single bells in church towers to using sets of bells of various sizes in an effort to produce the complete musical scale. These bells, called carillons, were not sounded by the use of a rope but were struck from inside by a clapper that was worked by a keyboard. Many modern versions of the carillon are still in use today and are operated by mechanical devices that are regulated to sound the bells at certain times. One of the largest carillons today is in the tower of Riverside Church in New York City. It boasts 72 bells, covering five octaves.
   
By the mid-1600s, a new art in church bell ringing had been born. “Change-ringing” began as a combination of music, mathematics and sport. In change-ringing, bells were rung with the pull of ropes, one after another, following precise and intricate mathematical rules. The art of change-ringing became a competitive sport, requiring skill and strength. Change-ringing is still popular in England but has not gained such popularity in the United States.
   
The once-familiar voices of church bells in the community have grown increasingly silent over the years. With the passage of time and the coming of the electronic age, the use of bells to announce meeting times was no longer a necessity. Many older churches simply stopped using their bells, and new churches were built without bell towers.
   
But, for some who still remember, the sound of bells on Sunday morning meant more than just the announcement of time. It was a call to worship, a sound that beckoned them to turn away from the busyness of the week gone by. It was a call for renewal of spirit.
   
Today, perhaps from a sense of nostalgia or the desire to go back to a simpler time, many churches are returning to the use of bells. Older churches are refurbishing bells that had been dormant for decades. Even some new churches are installing bell towers.
   
Children whose grandparents once listened to the ringing of the church bell on Sunday mornings are now hearing those same sounds announcing the birth of a baby, the beginning of a marriage or the summoning of believers to worship. Bells, so long a part of the history of Christianity, are still playing a role in church today.