Charles Ellicott Commentary Exodus 28:33

"And upon the skirts of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the skirts thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:" — Exodus 28:33 (ASV)

Pomegranates. The pomegranate was a favourite ornament in Assyria, but not in Egypt. It appears from Joshua 7:21 that the fabrics of Babylon were carried by the merchants into Syria at a date not much later than this, from which we may conclude that they circulated also in Arabia and Egypt.

Bells of gold. The bell is also more Assyrian than Egyptian. Its use as an article of priestly costume has no direct parallel, nor are bells known to have been employed in the religious services of any ancient nation. The statement that Persian kings wore bells rests upon no sufficient authority. We seem to have here the introduction of an entirely new religious usage.