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Historical Jewish Music
- From: JRJ <JRJ...>
- Subject: Historical Jewish Music
- Date: Fri 17 Feb 1995 13.13 (GMT)
Regarding ancient Jewish music, there are many references to
performance practice in the Bible, the Talmud, Josephus and the
Christian Bible. Also archaeologists have uncovered relics of
ancient instruments as well as statuary and murals and coins
depicting performers playing and singing. The Haifa Museum of
Biblical Music has issued a nice pamphlet with photographs of these.
There was a choir in the Bet HaMikdash consisting of at least
12 male Levites between the ages of 25 and 50. There may have
also been a children's choir, as well.
For further descriptions, look in:
1 Chronicles, chapters 15 and 23; Ezra, chapter 3; Mishna Arachin
chapter 2, Mishna Sukkah chapter 5 and Talmud Bavli, Yoma 38:b.
There are lots of other references, too. I'm in the process of
assembling an anthology of these ancioent sources about Jewish Music.
A great secondary source is Sendrey's MUSIC IN ANCIENT ISRAEL.
Regarding the first mention of choral singing in the Bible,
the SHIRAT HAYYAM: Moses led the men in singing and his sister
Mirian led the women in antiphonal singing as well as the
playing of percussion instruments.
Joshua R. Jacobson
Northeastern University
Boston, MA 02115
JRJ (at) neu(dot)edu
- Historical Jewish Music,
JRJ