Bible Dictionary
Bells
Bells were used as ornaments on the high priest’s robe and on horses. Their sound served ceremonial or decorative purposes rather than summoning Israel to worship.
Definition
Bells were small metal or brass ornaments used on the high priest’s robe and on horses. The high priest’s bells were golden and were attached around the hem of his official garment. Horse bells may have been concave or flat decorative pieces.
Biblical Usage
The bells on the high priest’s robe allowed his sound to be heard in the sanctuary. The horse ornaments served for decoration and pleasant sound rather than for summoning worshipers.
Historical Background
The sources describe numerous golden bells on the priestly garment and note that bells or similar ornaments were also attached to women’s anklets and horse harnesses.
Scripture References
Historical Bible Dictionaries
Smith's Bible Dictionary
In (Exodus 28:33) the bells alluded to were the golden ones 72 in number, round the hem of the his priest’s ephod. The object of them was so that his sound might be heard.” (Exodus 28:34) Ecclus. 45:9. To this day bells are frequently attached, for the sake of their pleasant sound, to the anklets of women. The little girls of Cairo wear strings of them around their feet. In (Zechariah 14:20) “bells of the horses” were concave or flat pieces of brass, which were sometimes attached to horses for the sake of ornament.