[Bell Historians] Re: Oldest Christian Bell

[John Camp]

At 18:27 on 13 August 2012, Richard Smith wrote:
> John Camp wrote:

>> Possibly.  But RAS's argument* is circular.  It goes like this: Egbert
>> directed his priests to ring their church bells.  How do we know?
>> Because he used the word "signa".  Therefore "signa" means church bells.

> Quite the contrary.  My point, though not terribly well 
> argued, was that we cannot tell precisely what is meant.

I did say, in my footnote, that there might be other reasons for
thinking that it meant "bells", but your assertion, as it stood,
contained circular argument.


At 18:29 on 13 August 2012, Richard Smith wrote:
> Richard Smith wrote:

>> Egbert's phrase, 'ecclesiarum signa', is commonly translated
>> as '[of the] church bell'

> Sorry.  That should be '[of the] church bells'.  It's 
> genitive plural.

"Signa" is nominative or accusative plural.  It is "ecclesiarum" which
is genitive plural: "the bells of the churches".

John Camp