3D Laser Scanning Services Bring 800-Year-Old Church Organ Back To Life
The Organ Is Unique and Cannot Be Found Anywhere Else in the World
Jerusalem is not only known for being home to the three most symbolic religions but also for other things. The discovery of organ pipes during an archeological excavation is another detail that puts it in the limelight. During the summer, a musicologist and historian named David Catalunya traveled to the capital city to undertake a preliminary study of the organ pipes. And soon thereafter, 3D laser scanning services were used for the project.
The pipes were identified in a nativity church in Bethlehem and were discovered alongside other items. These include bells and liturgical ornaments at the Franciscan monastery of the native church. According to the musical historian, the organ dates back to the 12th century and cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
3D Laser Scanning Services Used to Reproduce Missing Parts
A team skilled in 3D scanning services and scientific studies such as metal analysis and CT scans was brought on board to gather knowledge of the musical instruments. With the help of a laser scan, the original organ pipes can be cloned and the missing parts rebuilt to produce sound again after a period of 800 years.
After the discovery of the musical instruments in the year 1906, they were moved to Jerusalem under the supervision of the Franciscan Custody of the land. For up to a century, the musical instrument was kept in the stadium Biblicum Fransciscanun. It will now be available at Terra Santa Museum for people to come and see in the holy land.
During the attack of 1187 of the sultan of Egypt, Saladin, it is believed the organ pipes would have been hidden and protected. That is why the pipes were not too damaged during the day of the actual threat.
The musical instruments came into sight in Hellenistic Greece and were made known to the Latin Christian community in the 10th century.
These organ pipes provide an excellent opportunity to study and learn how the instruments were developed in the early stages in the Christian community. Over the passing years, the organs have undergone a massive transformation to adapt to the new architectural schemes of modern churches.
Catalunya was able to recreate the initial design of the organ and determine its pitch through his expertise in mathematical calculations from the medieval text. He claims that the musical instruments were preserved in such great conditions that they give an impression that they were made just the other day, but in the real sense, they are from the early 12th century.