The Materiality of the Religious Soundscape: Bells and Bell Casting in Lebanon

Abstract

This article looks at bells and bell casting in Lebanon from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. The topic, which has not received much scholarly attention, sheds light on a fascinating aspect of the material culture of the Christian communities in Lebanon. Through a combination of written sources and artifacts the article traces the history of bells and their production in the territory of the Republic of Lebanon. The core of the study is a catalog of ten bells, found in churches and monasteries across Lebanon, which were examined in 2020. Because of their location—usually on top of bell towers/gables—these musical instruments cannot be surveyed easily. Their analysis is a remarkable opportunity to visualize the materiality of bell ringing and its evolution throughout a period of about 200 years.