The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-08-30
AMUSIC OF ANCIENT ISRAEL.
The SplendOr of the Services in the Temple
in the Days of King David.

The musical performances in the
Temple of Jerusalem in ancient ages
were of varied character. and. in try
ing to get an idea of them in modern
times 1t Is necessary that account
should be taken not only of the instru-
ments then in use. according to the
bible, but also of the choral and or
chestral music and the Levitical must
Clans There have been many Specula-
tions upon the subject, and there are
many books about it, but it would be
hard to find a more satisfactory digest
,of existing knowledge concerning it
than that recently prepared by must
cal scholar, Rabbi Wolfers, for publica-
tlon in a British periodical.
The first biblical reference to must
cal instrument is in the book of Gene
sis: ''Jubal was the father of all such
as handle the harp and the organ"
The 'khenor," or harp, was employed
by Egyptians and Assyrians, as well as
by the Israelites upon joyous occasions,
such as CONSIDERATIONS, festive assem-
blies and triumphs. 1t was used by
King David when singing songs of
praise, and he danced as he played
~ it, The Levites also danced to
> cd, music. Though there is no exact
description of it in ancient records, it
is known that it was small and light,
that the frame of it was of wood, that
it had ten strings, and that it was
played not with the fingers but with a
small stick, plectrum. or quill. 1t is
often called the pleasant harp.
The organ or ''ongal" of antiquity
did not resemble the modern instru-
ment of that name, though the Hebrew
word by which it was known bears evil
dence that it was a wind instrument.
According to tradition it was composed
of a number of slender reeds or pipes
strung together and played with the
mouth. These two musical devices,
the harp and the organ, are all that are
associated with the illustrious name of
Jubal.
Many other musical instruments came
into use in lsreal after Jubal's time,
and were employed in the sacred serv-
ices. The mabel" bore some resem-
blance to the modern guitar. 1t was
an instrument of ten or twelve strings.
was made of tirwood, was played with
plectrum, was used in sacred mnsic in
the time of David, was exceedingly
popular for ages, and was probably OF
PhGnician invention. 1t is spoken OF
in the Bible. Its name leads to the
opinion that it bore the shape of some
of the primitive Ph9nician jars. The
instrument known as ''thof' was like
the tambourine of modern times. 1t
was of shallow on saucerlike shape its
body of leather or parchment, and its
rim of wood, in which iingling disks of
metal were inserted. 1t was held in
one hand and beaten with the other
1t served as an accompaniment to the
Song of Moses on the shore of the
Red Sea, and its sounds We're evoked
by David in days of gladncss. The
piped instrument, "chalil," which was
blown only upon twelve days of the
year, was made of bone and wood, and
was heard upon sorrowful as well as
upon joyful occasions. The Prophet
Isaiah speaks of it repeatedly lin the
English translation of the Bible as
''the pipe" There was in the temple
service an instrument called ''metzalt-
zin," or the cymbals, a pair of shallow
metal plates which, when struck to-
gether, produced ringing, musical
sound, or series of sounds. David and
all the house of Israel played on Gym
balls before the Lord" The rams horn.
Or ''yobel," was the ancient trumpet of
Israel, and its sound proclaimed the
jubilee. There We're two other kinds
of trumpet, one of which was Ordina-
rily used in the musical service of the
temple, to be played, not by the Lee
vites, but by the priests. Moses was
commanded to make two trumpets of
silver, and the objects of blowing one
or both of them at different times ac-
cording to divine order, are set forth in
the tenth chapter of the book of Num-
berS.
Several of the Instruments referred
to in the Bible cannot be described, as
their character is wholly unknown.
No knowledge of them is to be OBJ
tanned from the writings of the ancient
rabbis. In Israel, however. as may be
seen by the accounts here given. there
WAS d SulllSlchI variety VI IluSlCdl ue-
vices.
1t does not appear that the musical
art had grown beyond its simpler forms
up to the time of Moses, but it was
evidently advanced in the days of Job,
who speaks of the organ, the harp and
the timbrel. During the reign of David
in Jerusalem there were many stringed
and wind and other instruments of
high quality. Rabbi Wolfers believes
that the power of prophesying was
closely associated with music, which
seems, indeed, to have been an indis-
pensable feature of the prophetic func-
ton. There are illusions to this pecu-
liarity in the first book of Chronicles
and the second book of Kings.
The instrumental music was per-
formed mainly by the Levites, one class
Of whom formed the temple musicians.
A full choir consisted of as many as
$4,000 men, divided into three great
bands, and separated one from another
upon vast platforms. This enormous
body was instructed by 2SS masters,
who were themselves under the direc-
ton of three superiors, the names of
vhom-Asaph, Heman and Yeduthun-
hre prefiXed to some of David's Psalms.
The Levites appointed to sing or play