The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-22


west Of the Euphrates. No wonder
then, that Israel knows no greater
king than David and that his name is
the expression to the most remote pos
terity, of all the magnitleenee and
splendor which could ever have been
imagined in Israel. David was and re-
mains the greatest man next to Moses
in the history of Israel and is, at the
same time, the most popular. David
was a born ruler. He recognized that
religion and national life needed
center, unity base, national power
place of assembly,
One of the great achievements of
David was the taking into possession of
Jebus- henceforth called Jerusalem in
the Old Recommendations had hitherto
been a relic of that large territory
forming Gideon, Beeroth, Klrjath
jearim and Chephirah, Canaanitish
strip of land which once, in the period
of the conquest and for a considerable
time after had extended into the pos
session OF Israel. In course of time,
most OF this land, so long beyond the
borders Of Israel, had been absorbed.
Finally, Saul had exerted himeslf in
the matter by the application Of force.
Only Jebus with its strong rock citadel
Zion, had resisted all attacks. Its
possessors seem to have formed a sing
ular little Canaanitish nation called,
from their town, the Jebusites.
Davids attempt to win the Jebusites
and their town for Israel by peaceful
means seem to have miscarried. Their
rocky eyrie, Zion, appeared to the Je-
busites so strong that the lame and
blind would suffice to defend it, I'm
dismayed by their scorn, David pro-
coded to use force and storrned town
and citadel. The citadel he took pos
session If himself and called it Da-
vid's citadel (the city of DAVID after
having first restored the building for
his own purposes. Hiram of Tyre,
to whom the friendship of his powerful
neighhor must have been a matter of
some Importance, is said to have as
sisted him with cedar wood and work.
men.
To dwell now upon the artistic life
Of David, it must be mentioned that
the observance of numerous musical
ordinances which Moses enjoned upon
his people were greatly increased by
the kings of Israel. The care of the
sacred music was placed in the hands
of the Levites. They had to provide
no less than four thousand singers and
musicians for the sacred service. They
were divided into twenty-four bands
total of two hundred lightweight.
/ ftryo1 civ
These latter were in course of time,
permitted to wear the priestly vest
ments when officiating in the temple,
According to Josephus. there were TWO
hundred thousand coats made by the
kings order of the thinnest silk for
the use of those Levites whose duty
consisted in singing sacred songs, and
forty thousand harps and psateries
made Of the purest copper which form
ed part Of the temple treasure,
Both David and Solomon instituted
bands composed of instrumentalists
and female vocalists for the execution
of secular music, They originally occu-
pied somewhat similar position to
that held by our modern court orches-
tras but their subsequent artistic and
moral degeneracy brought upon them
the anger of the prophet, 1saian who
exclaims; And the harp and the Nl)l,
the tahouret the pipe and wine are in
their feasts and they regard not the
work of the Lord, neither consider the
operation of His hand And the re-
proaches of the prophet Amos, Yea,
sleep upon beds of ivory and stretch
! yourself upon touches and chant to the
sound OF the VOL and invent instru-
ments of music like David, and anont
yourself with ointment butt Woe to
We" The female singers of this secular
chapel probably constituted a portion
of Solomon's household wherein music
was held in much esteem.
Both the poetical and musical endow-
ment of the people of Israel how
ever, approached the climax of devel-
opment in the time of David. David
himself was not only a poet but an ini-
Irritable and immortal genius, and was
also an inspired musician whose gold
en- stringed Tyre was seldom absent
from his hands whether he was pour
ing forth his sorrowful acknowledge
ment of his own shortcomings or offer
ing up joyful thanks for the b0undess
goodness Of God. The inspirations OF
David found vent in sacred hymns
and the great poetical and musical
gifts of the age of Solomon we're more
specially directed to secular song.
! The musical endowments of the Is
raeites and the gift of prophecy were
intimately associated, one with anoth-
er. When Elijah prophesied to King
Jehosaphat he exclaimed, Nov bring
me the minstrel and it came to pass
when the minstrel played that the
hand Of the Lord came upon them" q
Kings i'll 49, In Israel there were
whole schools Of prophets VINO pro-
phesied on cltharas and harps, and
timbrels" then the rest of the prophets
who went out to meet King Saul from
the hill of the Lord q Sam. 81 struck
the strings of their citharas and harps
and thus gave the stimulus it needed
to Sauls individual gift of prophecy.
Music was not only employed TO ex-
cite and intensity the prophetic facul-
ty but by it's magic charm mems
troubled spirits were Gained and
purified, Saul furnishes lis with an
instance where music banished the
gloomy thoughts that oppressed and
agitated his soul. The Jewish histori-
an, Josephus, who lived il. the time Of
Titus, says that the cole remedy pre-
scr!bed by the physicians to ouch tie
passionate rage of the king was the
harp playing and song of the shepherd
lad king.
There existed an intimate relation
between the music and the poetry of