Medieval Organ Uncovered After 800 Years

Published on 9.12.25

  A medieval organ, buried for 800 years near the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, has been restored and is now playing ancient melodies at a Jerusalem monastery. The 11th-century instrument, discovered in 1906, was reconstructed with painstaking care by a team led by Spanish researcher David Catalunya. The organ, which has 222 copper pipes and a bell carillon, is unique for its complexity and antiquity, predating the oldest known organs by centuries. It was built in France before being transported to Bethlehem by Crusaders and is set to be displayed in a museum of the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land.

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