In antiquity, bells were part of daily life. Their primary function was to serve as an acoustic signal, although depending on the context, they could have various uses. In the excavations at Magdala, small bronze bells have been found, most of them in contexts dating from the 1st and 2nd centuries CE. But is it possible to know their exact use and origin?

Bronze bells were common objects in antiquity, especially in the Roman world during the imperial period, and they were used and traded throughout the Mediterranean. One example is the shipwreck at Caesarea Maritima, where around fifteen metal bells were discovered.

Most interpretations of the use of these small bells tend to associate them with an apotropaic function (that is, as objects intended to ward off evil). Their use as tintinnabula – a kind of wind-chime that, when it sounded, would drive away evil spirits – was common. However, would this practice have been permitted in ancient Judaism?

Surely, the use of tintinnabula with anthropomorphic artistic representations as in Roman tradition would not have been accepted in the 1st Century Judean and Galilean context. However, acoustic signs with ritual function did exist in the Jewish tradition. For example, in Exodus 28, the priestly garments are described as including a blue robe with small golden bells and pomegranates on its lower hem:

“The gold bells and the pomegranates are to alternate around the hem of the robe. Aaron must wear it when he ministers. The sound of the bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place before the Lord and when he comes out, so that he will not die. (Exodus 28:34–35)

However, the bells found at Magdala are quite different from the golden bells (quite similar to jingles) worn by the priests in the Temple. So, what was their function?

Most likely, they served a practical purpose consistent with the local context. They may have been used for acoustic purposes: as musical objects to quiet a child, to attract attention from a distance, or as audible signals hung around the necks of livestock. In fact, the Mishnah mentions some of these uses, especially in connection with the restrictions of Shabbat. Since sounding musical instruments is forbidden on that day, bells must not produce sound – "even if it is to quiet a child" (Mishneh Torah, Shabbat 23:4). Likewise, livestock may not be taken out if they wear bells on their necks, – "even if it is plugged to prevent it from ringing" (Mishnah Shabbat 5:4).

is it possible to know their exact use and origin?Although bells may have had a variety of uses, the context of Magdala – a town predominantly inhabited by a Jewish population, located in the Galilee region – suggests that these bells were intended for everyday use in a rural setting.

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