Bells and Pomegranates

 

A second temple golden bell, shaped like a pomegranate was discovered beneath the ancient road, in a drainage channel on the route between the upper Temple Mount and the lower Gihon Spring. It may indicate the object was one of seventy two alternating pomegranates that adorned the hem of the High Priest's garment worn on special days that he would serve in the temple. If it was one of the adornments to the High Priests garment, it could have significant implications for the way we learn out various meanings of words in the original holy language of the Torah.  

The grammatists varying opinions struggle to definitively interpret the details in the following phrases. However, this discovery may finally put to rest any differences and establish an important precedent for the use of grammar in other phrases of the Torah that deploy similar grammatic structure.  For the benefit of those who do not understand Hebrew, words that mean bell are highlighted in in gold and pomegranate in blue.

Exodus 28:33-35

וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ עַל־שׁוּלָ֗יו רִמֹּנֵי֙ תְּכֵ֤לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן֙ וְתוֹלַ֣עַת שָׁנִ֔י עַל־שׁוּלָ֖יו סָבִ֑יב וּפַעֲמֹנֵ֥י זָהָ֛ב בְּתוֹכָ֖ם סָבִֽיב׃

On its hem make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, all around the hem, with bells of gold between them all around:

פַּעֲמֹ֤ן זָהָב֙ וְרִמּ֔וֹן פַּֽעֲמֹ֥ן זָהָ֖ב וְרִמּ֑וֹן עַל־שׁוּלֵ֥י הַמְּעִ֖יל סָבִֽיב׃

a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe.

וְהָיָ֥ה עַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לְשָׁרֵ֑ת וְנִשְׁמַ֣ע ק֠וֹלוֹ בְּבֹא֨וֹ אֶל־הַקֹּ֜דֶשׁ לִפְנֵ֧י יְהוָ֛ה וּבְצֵאת֖וֹ וְלֹ֥א יָמֽוּת׃ (ס)

Aaron shall wear it while officiating, so that the sound of it is heard when he comes into the sanctuary before the LORD and when he goes out—that he may not die.

Exodus 39:24-26

וַֽיַּעֲשׂוּ֙ עַל־שׁוּלֵ֣י הַמְּעִ֔יל רִמּוֹנֵ֕י תְּכֵ֥לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֖ן וְתוֹלַ֣עַת שָׁנִ֑י מָשְׁזָֽר׃

On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, twisted.

וַיַּעֲשׂ֥וּ פַעֲמֹנֵ֖י זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר וַיִּתְּנ֨וּ אֶת־הַפַּֽעֲמֹנִ֜ים בְּת֣וֹךְ הָרִמֹּנִ֗ים עַל־שׁוּלֵ֤י הַמְּעִיל֙ סָבִ֔יב בְּת֖וֹךְ הָרִמֹּנִֽים׃

They also made bells of pure gold, and attached the bells between the pomegranates, all around the hem of the robe, between the pomegranates:

פַּעֲמֹ֤ן וְרִמֹּן֙ פַּעֲמֹ֣ן וְרִמֹּ֔ן עַל־שׁוּלֵ֥י הַמְּעִ֖יל סָבִ֑יב לְשָׁרֵ֕ת כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (ס)

a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe for officiating in—as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Torah grammar has no redundancy, it's highly precise and must preferentially be interpreted as having particular meaning. Therefore, given the hindsight of discovery the presumption that it would be easy to say a golden pomegranate, as a bell alternating with a woven pomegranate, around the hem of the garment seems logical. However at the time, before the garment was made (Exodus 28) accurate description was crucial, but how will we retrospectively read the written instruction, with efficiency against this discovery?

Exodus 28:33

פַּעֲמֹ֤ן זָהָב֙ וְרִמּ֔וֹן פַּֽעֲמֹ֥ן זָהָ֖ב וְרִמּ֑וֹן - a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate.

By learning the Hebrew meaning and more precisely arranging the English interpretation, its possible the grammar could be saying (the design describes a) "gold bell and pomegranate" repeating to emphasize "gold bell and pomegranate". The first time for the bell and the second for the pomegranate that each become one object. The grammar may be duplicated here to emphasize the requirement in the ~3300 year old unconventional innovation for the golden pomegranate bell.  

Exodus 39:26

פַּעֲמֹ֤ן וְרִמֹּן֙ פַּעֲמֹ֣ן וְרִמֹּ֔ן

However, when we learn about the implementation of the innovative design, we are simply told "bell  and pomegranate, bell and pomegranate" where the Torah expects the design instruction of the golden pomegranate bell followed by a woven pomegranate, in an orderly fashion around the hem of the High Priests garment to be fully and efficiently expressed in the abridged grammar. 

If the repetition of words emphasizes the nuance in the unifying idea of a golden pomegranate bell, where else should we look at repetitions that teach what we may not have fully considered until this golden pomegranate bell provided the retrospect to re-learn what we thought we already knew?