Christianity's oldest ever pipe organ set to be played again after disappearing for nearly 800 years

The instrument, originally crafted in France during the 11th century, has emerged from centuries of burial to emit its distinctive tones at Saint Saviour's Monastery in Jerusalem's Old City.

Eight pipes from the medieval organ retained their acoustic properties despite their lengthy interment.

They produced what project director David Catalunya described as "surprising and with a lot of character, very rich and varied throughout the register between bass, mid, and treble pipes".

French craftsmen created the instrument during the 11th century before it journeyed to the Holy Land in the following century.

The organ found its home at Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, where it provided musical accompaniment for Crusader religious services.

The instrument's use continued for approximately a hundred years until Latin clergy faced expulsion in the 13th century.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Roman helmet lost in ancient sea battle found deep beneath Mediterranean
• Ancient Britons gathered for 'mega meat feasts' as Bronze Age came to a close
• Christian symbols linked to APOCALYPSE discovered in biblical city

Crusaders then concealed the organ underground alongside bells and additional liturgical items, hoping to shield these treasures from advancing Muslim forces.

This deliberate burial preserved the instrument for future generations, with the Crusaders anticipating its eventual rediscovery and return to service.

Workers constructing a Franciscan pilgrim hospice in Bethlehem unearthed the buried treasure in 1906 within an ancient burial ground.

Excavations revealed 222 bronze pipes alongside bells and various religious artefacts concealed by the Crusaders.

The instrument's significance remained largely unrecognised for over a century until 2019, when David Catalunya discovered a historical reference whilst conducting research at Oxford University.

This finding prompted Mr Catalunya to spearhead the Resound project through Madrid's Complutense Institute of Musical Sciences, with funding from the European Research Council.

The restoration team comprised four researchers who embarked on recreating the organ whilst preserving its original components.

The restoration process revealed remarkable details about ancient craftsmanship, with original pipes displaying guidelines from Ottoman artisans and musical notation markings.

Mr Catalunya explained: "This is an amazing set of information that allows us to reconstruct the manufacturing process so that we can build pipes exactly as they were made about a thousand years ago."

Koos van de Linde, an organ specialist involved in the restoration, expressed profound emotion at the achievement.

He said: "It was extremely moving to hear how some of these pipes came to life again after about 700 years under the earth and 800 years of silence."

The team plans to complete the organ's restoration within six to eight months, with ambitions to produce replicas for churches globally.