“The Great Bell of the Palace”

One of the points called to the attention of the staff at Elmshaven, and Ellen White, in connection with the study of The Great Controversy was regarding St. Bartholomew's massacre and the bell that gave the signal. Page 272 states that it was “the great bell of the palace” tolling in the dead of night that was the signal for the slaughter. Among the criticisms and suggestions received, one reads thus:6BIO 330.4

All the histories dealing with the French Revolution which I have been able to consult state that it was the original plan to toll the bell of the palace as the signal, but owing to special circumstances, the signal was given by the ringing of the bell of the church of St. Germain.—W. W. Prescott to WCW, April 26, 1910.6BIO 330.5

An investigation by the staff at Elmshaven revealed that historians differed as to just which bell rang first. They found ample support for Ellen White's statement. Most likely in vision she had heard the tolling of a bell. For the detail, she had depended upon the historians. When it was learned that they differed, and that one of three bells might have been involved—the bell of the palace, the bell of the palace of justice, and the bell of the church of St. Germain, all within the distance of a city block—Ellen White, having no desire to settle fine historical points, modified the wording to the simple statement as it reads in the 1911 book: “A bell, tolling at dead of night, was a signal for the slaughter.”6BIO 330.6