After nearly eight centuries of silence, the sound of an 11th-century ancient pipe organ filled the air once more at Saint Saviour’s Monastery in Jerusalem’s Old City. Researchers carefully played a series of original pipes, marking the first time this centuries-old instrument has been heard since the Middle Ages.
Believed to be the world’s oldest surviving pipe organ, the instrument dates back to the 11th century and was originally built in France. It was later brought to the Holy Land in the 12th century, where it played a central role in religious ceremonies.
Its music returned to life through a project led by music historian David Catalunya and a team of researchers who have worked on reconstructing the organ since 2019. The organ will soon be displayed at the Terra Sancta Museum near Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, the same area where it once was played during medieval liturgies.
Hidden for centuries, the world’s oldest pipe organ resurfaces in Jerusalem
According to researchers, Crusaders buried the organ in the 13th century to protect it from invading forces. It remained hidden underground in Bethlehem until 1906, when construction workers discovered the remnants in a cemetery. Archaeologists later recovered 222 bronze pipes and several religious artifacts from the site.
Recently, during a demonstration, Catalunya performed an ancient chant as the organ played for the first time in modern history. Of the pipes used, about half were original, and eight were still able to produce strong, full sounds.
Experts described the tone as remarkably rich and unlike anything heard from more modern or Renaissance-era instruments. Catalunya noted that hearing the organ again marked a rare and emotional moment in musical history.
Rebuilding the ancient sound
To bring the organ back to life, organ builder Winold van der Putten joined the project, crafting replicas of missing pipes using historical methods. He also developed a portable wind chest using a 3D model, allowing the team to safely test the acoustics of both original and replica parts.
Some of the original pipes included hand-drawn musical notations and markings, providing rare insight into how medieval organ builders worked. These findings have allowed the team to replicate the craftsmanship of the original makers with high precision.
The reconstruction project is based at the Complutense Institute of Musical Sciences in Madrid and is funded by the European Research Council. Researchers expect to complete a fully functional replica in the coming months, with plans to eventually build a complete restored version.
Music scholar Koos van de Linde described the experience as “deeply emotional,” while Alvaro Torrente, director of the institute, said hearing the pipes again was like finding a “living fossil” — a piece of history brought back to life.