In addition to my many articles on the lyres and harps of the ancient world (to be found in the "Blogs" section), this section is also one of the most detailed & fascinating section of this website - describing the incredibly ancient spiritual background & historical research behind my attempts to recreate for the first time in almost 2000 years, since the tragic destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem in 70CE, the actual sound of The Lyre of the Ancient Hebrews...
In my extensive research at restoring the sound of the amazing Biblical Lyres, I have also discovered incredible parallels to the other lyres played throughout the ancient world, which to me, strongly suggest the possibility of many ancient cross-cultural musical connections...
This seems evident in the similarity between the Biblical lyres & the lyres played in Canaan & Mesopotamia, the lyres played during the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt, over 3000 years ago, and also to theKithara& Lyralyres played in Ancient Greece over 2000 years ago (these ancient instruments are examined in the "Blogs" section)
Going back to the ultimate ancestor of the both the the harp & lyre, I have also researched the incredible Mesolithic Musical Bow - which incredibly, is still being made & played in Africa today: a living musical tradition dating back some 60,000 years...
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE LYRE AND THE HARP
The fundamental difference between a lyre and a harp, is that in a harp, the strings enter directly into the hollow body of the instrument, whereas on a lyre, the strings pass over a bridge, which transmits the vibrations of the strings to the body of the instrument – just as on a modern guitar.
Here is a clip from a fascinating documentary, "The History of the Harp", presented by Catrin Finch, featuring the sounds of amazing ancient lyres which still can be heard today...
The Lyreseems to have been an evolution from the much more ancient harp, and what I think drove this evolution, was the desire by specifically nomadic cultures in the ancient Middle East, to create a harp-like instrument which unlike the larger harp, was portable.
The harp is an incredibly ancient instruments, and the very first illustrations of the harp can be found from c.3300BCE – 3000BCE, in rock etchings found in Megiddo, in the northwestern Valley of Jezreel in ancient Israel:
Further details about of this ancient etching of the first known depiction of the fully evolved triangular harp, complete with harmonic curve, can be seen in of Joachim Braun's highly informative book, available from Amazon:
These rock etchings date from an incredibly ancient era, before the Bronze Age, and before the First Dynasty of ancient Egypt. This remote era in archaeology, is known as the "Chalcolithic" period (4000 - 3200 BCE) - the "Copper Age". The triangular harp depicted in the Megiddo etchings is so fully evolved, that the history of the harp must predate even this ancient illustration by at least a few thousand years! The ultimate ancient evolution of the harp, may have been the result of a long, progressive series of developments in refining the plucked sound made by the basic strung bow and arrow of the Stone Age.
Incredibly, this Mesolithic ancestor of both the harp & lyre, the basic musical bow, is still very much alive & well today in Africa - a continuous musical tradtion, dating back at least 60,000 years or more...
For more details on the incredibly archaic ancient harps & lyres still being played throughout the African continent, please see my blog:
The very first lyres were harp-sized, and were discovered at Ur. Incredibly, they predate the building of the Pyramids in Egypt - they date back to c.2600BCE. These lyres became known as the Golden Bull Lyre of Ur and the Silver Lyre of Ur:
Here is another incredible video, featuring an actual performance on a replica of the 4600 year old Golden Lyre of Ur....
Below is another fascinating series of videos, featuring the reconstruction, tuning & performance by Prof. Richard Dumbrill of a replica of the 2600 year old Silver Lyre of Ur:
For all details of Prof. Dumbrill's incredible research, including the deciphering of the 3400 year old Hurrian Hymn (text H6), please see his book, available from Amazon:
THE FIRST APPEARANCE OF A TRANSITIONAL FORM OF LYRE
By about 2000BCE, a transitional form of lyre seems to have evolved from these first harp-sized Temple Lyres from Ur - although still not yet portable, they certainly appear reduced in size. These early large, cumbersome lyres were still played vertically, like a harp. This early form of lyre can be seen in the Negev Rock Etchings (p.73-74, "Music in Ancient Israel/Palestine", by Joachim Braun):
In my exploration of the history of the lyre, we will see how these early, cumbersome lyres became the portable ancestor of the Biblical lyres played in the Temple of Jerusalem, the lyre played in the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt & later to become the Kithara-style lyres of ancient Greece & Rome...
THE CANAANITE ANCESTOR OF THE LYRE OF THE ANCIENT HEBREWS?
By the time of the Lyre of the Ancient Hebrews (c. 1900 BCE) the lyre had become portable, & unlike the harp, could be played horizontally - ideal for wandering groups of Semitic nomads to play whilst constantly on the move.
This could well be due to the nomadic origins of the Hebrews, as described in the Biblical text! Since the same Biblical text describes how Abraham was actually born in Ur, it could even have been Abraham himself, who actually had the idea of scaling down the “Harp-Lyres” he heard at Ur, to a played a convenient-sized, portable lyre, which could be played on the move?
The very first illustration of nomadic Semites playing such a lyre, is seen in the tomb of a prosperous ancient Egyptian baron named Knumhotpe - he had a forty-foot-long mural painted in his tomb at Beni Hassan, about halfway up the Nile to Nubia:
The mural clearly depicts "A group of Semitic traders, smiths, and musicians at a custom post set up on the Middle Nile by an Egyptian Baron, Knumhotpe about 1892. The leader is identified with the Hebrew name Abushei, the same as that of one of King David’s two generals. The lyre being carried by one of the family group was at that time unknown in Egypt. During a two-hundred-year period, referred to by archaeologists as the Second Intermediate Period, Semitic kings ruled Egypt. In that period Egypt was thrust from the Chalcolithic (Copper-Stone) Age into the Late Bronze Age. In addition to many technological and agronomic innovations, the Semites introduced the lute, harp, tambourine, chalil (a precursor of the oboe), new forms of music and dance" (quoted from:
"By commemorating the lucrative trade he had had with the nomaidc Semites in his final resting place, Knumhotpe sought to assure an eternal traffic of tradesmen paying tribute to him in the afterworld.
The painting evidently registers an actual event which Knumhotpe felt worthy of eternal repetition.. It depicts a group of thirty-seven Semites in full size in the act of paying customs duties to the nomarch's officials. A bold hieroglyphic text states that these Asiatics are supplying him with such important items as stibium, a mineral required for eye makeup acquired in Mesopotamia. Knumhotpe evidently feared that the place he would occupy in the hereafter might lack the mineral, as was the case in Egypt. The date given is the fourth year of Sinusert II's rule, or about 1892 B.C.E" (quoted from:
The most fascinating details, which are immediately evidient in this magnificant ancient mural, is the striking similarity between the illustrations of the these ancient Semites, and the Biblical narrative of the patriarch Joseph - this group of nomadic Semites can clearly be seen, wearing their immediately distinctive "coats of many colours", so vividly mentioned in the timeless Biblical text!
The musicologically unique appearance of this first type of portable lyre, as depicted in the Beni Hasan Mural, is discussed at length, by Joachim Braun:
"One of the nomads is holding a completely new instrument. Unlike the older, larger, rather cumbersome lyre, which was held vertically, this instrument was smaller (ca.50x30cm), portable, and almost symmetrical in form. It was held horizontally so that it could even be played comfortably while walking, as in the case in the representation here, whilst simultaneously allowing the musician to breath more easily whilst singing. This particular instrument, portrayed in the hands of distinctly Semitic nomads and yet to the southwest of Canaan proper, is richly attested and doubtless represents an early example of th horizontal lyre, a logical development for musicians who, as part of a nomadic group such as this one, were constantly in motion and thus needed a more portable instrument" (p78-79, "Music in Ancient Israel/Palestine", by Joachim Braun)
THE BIBLICAL LYRES ONCE PLAYED IN THE TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM
From the first portable Canaanite lyres described earlier, during Biblical times in ancient Israel, there eventually became two specific lyres, played in the Temple of Jerusalem, from the time of Solomon's Temple, c.900BCE to the time of the destruction of Herod's Second Temple by the Romans, in 70CE - these were the "Kinnor" & "Nevel"...
THE LYRES OF THE LEVITES
The video below is a general introduction to the historical background behind my attempts to restore the sound of the Lyres of the Levites...
THE KINNOR
כנור
The truly ancient "Kinnor"( in ancient Hebrew: כנור )was the very first lyre to be mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, where it is now commonly translated as "harp" - Jubal was the son of Lamech and Adah, a brother of Jabal, a descendant of Cain, and according to the Bible, "he was the ancestor of all who played the lyre and pipe" (Genesis 4:21).
The identification of the Kinnor as a lyre is confirmed by the abundance of archaelogical evidence – since the end of the Chalcolithic Age(4000 – 3200BCE), no other stringed instruments besides lyres have ever been found in the areas which formed the land of Canaan, ancient Israel and ancient Palestine. The lyre seems to have completely replaced the use of the harp in the Levant in the Biblical era, and indeed, the only illustrations we have of harps being played in ancient Israel, dates to a time far before Biblical times; from c.3300BCE – 3000BCE, in rock etchings found in Megiddo.
The root of the word “Kinnor” is incredibly ancient, and can be found throughout the entire anient Near East, long before the writings of the Old Testament – as early as the 3rd millenium BCE! A letter from the 18th century BCE from the archives at Mari describes lyre as “kinnaratim”, and the root of the word was even incorporated into the names of deites, such as the Canaanite “kinyras”. It was also used as a designation for “lotus wood” from the 18th/19th Egyptian Dynasty. In ancient Egypt at this time, the word “knwrw” definately refers to a lyre.
THE KINNOR AS DESCRIBED IN THE BIBLICAL COMMENTARY OF ALBERT BARNES
The 19th century theologian Albert Barnestells us the following about the Biblical Kinnor in his commentary "Notes on the Bible", reference, Isaiah 5:12.:
(Isaiah 5:12 KJV) And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands. (Isaiah 5:12 RSV) They have lyre and harp, timbrel and flute and wine at their feasts; but they do not regard the deeds of the LORD, or see the work of his hands.
"The harp - - כנור kinnor. This is a well-known stringed instrument, employed commonly in sacred music. It is often mentioned as having been used to express the pious feelings of David; Psa_32:2; Psa_43:4; Psa_49:5. It is early mentioned as having been invented by Jubal; Gen_4:21. It is supposed usually to have had ten strings (Josephus, “Ant.” B. x. ch. xii. Section 3). It was played by the hand; 1Sa_16:23; 1Sa_18:9. The “root” of the word כנור kinnôr, is unknown. The word “kinnor” is used in all the languages cognate to the Hebrew, and is recognized even in the Persian. It is probable that the instrument here referred to was common in all the oriental nations, as it seems to have been known before the Flood, and of course the knowledge of it would be extended far. It is an oriental name and instrument, and from this word the Greeks derived their word κινύρα kinura. The Septuagint renders it κιθάρα kithara and κινύρα kinura.
Once they substitute for it οργανον organon, Psa_136:2; and five times ψαλτήριον psalterion, Gen_4:20; Psa_48:4; Psa_80:2; Psa_149:3; Eze_26:13. The harp - כנור kinnor - is not only mentioned as having been invented by Jubal, but it is also mentioned by Laban in the description which be gives of various solemnities, in regard to which he assures the fleeing Jacob that it had been his wish to accompany him with all the testimonials of joy - ‘with music - תף toph and כנור kinnor;’ Gen_31:27. In the first age it was consecrated to joy and exultation. Hence, it is referred to as the instrument employed by David to drive away the melancholy of Saul 1Sa_16:16-22, and is the instrument usually employed to celebrate the praises of God; Psa_33:1-2; Psa_43:4; Psa_49:5; Psa_71:22-23. But the harp was not only used on sacred occasions. Isaiah also mentions it as carried about by courtezans Isa_23:16, and also refers to it as used on occasions of gathering in the vintage, and of increasing the joy of the festival occasion.
So also it was used in military triumphs. Under the reign of Jehoshaphat, after a victory which had been gained over the Moabites, they returned in triumph to Jerusalem, accompanied with playing on the כנור kinnor;” 2Ch_20:27-28. The harp was generally used on occasions of joy. Only in one place, in Isaiah Isa_16:11, is it referred to as having been employed in times of mourning. There is no ancient figure of the כנור kinnôr that can be relied on as genuine. We can only say that it was an instrument made of sounding wood, and furnished with strings. Josephus says that it was furnished with ten strings, and was played with the plectrum (“Ant.” B. viii. ch. x.) Suidas, in his explanation of it, makes express mention of strings or sinews (p. 318); and Pollux speaks of goats’ claws as being used for the plectrum. David made it out of the ברושׁ berosh, or fir, and Solomon out of the almug. Pfeiffer supposes, that the strings were drawn over the belly of a hollow piece of wood, and that it had some resemblance to our violin. But it is more probable that the common representation of the harp as nearly in the form of a triangle, with one side or the front part missing, is the correct one. For a full discussion of the subject, see Pfeiffer on the Music of the ancient Hebrews, “Bib. Repos.” vol. vi. pp. 366-373. Montfaucon has furnished a drawing of what was supposed to be the ancient כנור kinnor, which is represented in the book. But, after all, the usual form is not quite certain.
Bruce found a sculpture of a harp resembling that usually put into the hands of David, or nearly in the form of a triangle, and under circumstances which led him to suppose that it was as old as the times of Sesostris."
DR. RICHARD DUMBRILL ON THE KINNOR
Biblical Musicologist, John Wheeler, also recently provided me with the following little gem of information, about just how wide-spread the radiation of the root of the word "Kinnor" was throughout the ancient Middle East:
"We find in the lexicon of Richard J. Dumbrill, THE ARCHAEOMUSICOLOGY OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST (Trafford Publishing, 2005, pp. 426-427) the following information: kinnar uhili A Hurrian lyre player. kinirtalla A Hittite lyre player. kinnaru Substantive. A stringed instrument. Probably a lyre. The kinnor of the Bible. Mari, ca. 1770 BC; Alalakh, 1500-1400 BC.
Found on a Hittlte tablet from. [sic] A hapx legomenon, kinir is cognate with kinnor and Tall indicates 'player of the instrument'. The large lyre was called hunzinar and the small one ippizinar in Hittite. The word zinar is probably Hattic. In fact the words zinar and kinir show a shift of k > z, which is seen in Luwian words derived from the Hittite. It could be suspected that zinar was Luwian and not Hattic. However, this cannot be since both hunzinar and ippizinar can have the suffix -nu which is not Luwian. The kinnor was loaned into Hattian with the same shift (Hattusas 1500-1200 BC).
In Ugarit, 1400-1300 BC, we have knr in alphabetic cuneiform and kinaru in syllabic, in several texts. In Emar, 1300 BC, there is kinnaru. In Egypt, about 1200 BC, the term knnr or kinnuru. The Hebrew Bible mentions the kinnor 42 times.
Also: 'With regards to the five lyres my lord wrote to me about', 'Person x made two lyres, now I am sending my lord the two lyres person x made.' It is composed of the lyre loan word and the Hurrian word huli which indicates a profession, that is either the player or the maker of the instrument. On page 454 we have these related entries (noting the letter shift from k > z mentioned above): zannaru See zinar Substantive. A lyre. (...) zinar See zannaru above. Hattic word used in hittite. Akkadian zannaru. A stringed musical instrument. It has two sizes, gal and tur which are identified as Hittite hunzinar and ippizinar respectively.
'Then the great master of ceremonies goes out to the forecourt and says to the herald: zinar, zinar. Then the musicians lift the Istar instruments. The herald marches in front of the musicians who carr in the Istar instruments.' "
The Kinnor was used for an incredibly diverse range of occasions, as described in its 42 references throughout th Old Testament. It was used for secular celebrations (Genesis 31:27) ,in times of lament (Job 30:31), praise, and was even descibed being played during the transporting of the Ark of the Covenant (Chronicles 15:16, Psalms 43:3, 98:5,149:3,150:3)
REFERENCES TO THE KINNOR IN THE TEXT OF THE HEBREW BIBLE
References to this beautiful Biblical lyre of antiquity can also be found thoughout the entire text of the Hebrew Bible:
In Biblical times, the Kinnor was usually made of cypress or, in very precious instruments, of sandalwood (I Kings 10: 12; described as "almug"). According to the ancient writings of the Jewish historian Josepus Flavius, who actually witnessed the Kinnor being played by the Levites in the Temple of Jerusalem, the lyre had ten strings, made of sheep gut (Antiquites vii.12.3). He also says that some Kinnors were made of electrum (Antiquities viii 3.8) – an alloy of silver and gold!
This could possibly mean the external decoration of these lyres - but after recently discovering from the research of Richard Dumbrill, that the soundboard of the Silver Lyre of Ur (dating to c.2600BCE) was, in fact, itself made of Silver (and not silver-plated wood), maybe the soundboard of some of the Biblical Kinnors were themselves made of electrum. What a fascinating possibility, that somewhere under the Temple Mount, that a Biblical Kinnor made of such durable metals may still be waiting to be discovered!
Josephus informs us that the Kinnor was usually played with a plectrum,although it could also be played with the fingers, to achieve a more soothing sound ( as when David soothed King Saul).
The Biblical Kinnor Lyre was the actual "Harp of David", once played by King David himself, 3000 years ago, as he danced before the very Ark of the Covenant (II Samuel 6:5), and for over 1000 years, the mystical resonance of the Kinnor could be heard wafting down from Temple Mount, as my very own, very ancient Levite ancestors played their Kinnors in the Courtyard of the Temple of Jerusalem, to accompany the almost legendary singing of the Levitical Choir (II Chronicles 5:12)...
Illustrations of the Kinnor players from the time of Solomon’s Temple, can be seen in an early 7th century BCE Assyrian bas-relief in the Southern Palace at Nineveh of Assurbanipal (704 - 681 BCE) depicting the Assyrian King Sennacherib’s conquest of Israel. The relief depicts the fall of the Judean city of Lachish - 3 Jewish lyre players are depicted amongst the other Jewish prisoners taken from Lachish to slavery in Nineveh:
In my opinion, the vertical line seen down the centre of the lyre depicted on the Simon Bar Kochba coins, could simply be a representation of the strap with which the lyre was held whilst being played (I think that the reverse of the lyres were depicted, simply for pragmatic reasons - it is an easier image to mass produce than the additional detail required to depict all the strings and bridge etc, as seen from the front of the lyre).
In an attempt for me to illustrate my hypothesis, when I take a photo of my own replica Kinnor as seen from behind, it now looks almost identical to the lyre seen on the Simon Bar Kochba coins:
The image of the elongated lyres seen on the Simon Bar Kochba coins was first seen over 200 years earlier on the coins from Acco(Acre) in ancient Israel:
After almost 2000 years of empty, desolate silence, after the tragic destruction of the Jewish Temple by the Roman Legions under Titus in 70 C.E, the haunting strains of the ancient Jewish Kinnor can now finally be heard, once again...
THE BIBLICAL "NEVEL" LYRE
Below is a video featuring a detailed discussion of this most elusive of the ancient Biblical stringed instruments...
נבל
As discussed in the video above, the other Biblical lyre referred to throughout the Biblical Text is the “Nevel”(in ancient Hebrew: נבל). It is mistranslated in the Old Testament as “harp” – as discussed above, there is absoutely no archeaological evidence that harp was used in ancient Israel after the end of the Copper Age, around 3200BCE.
Here is my arrangement for replica Biblical Nevel, of the timeless Jewish folk song "Hava Nagila" ( in Hebrew: הבה נגילה "Let Us Rejoice"):
Below is another video featuring my replica Biblical Nevel, featuring my arrangement of an ancient Babylonian Jewish Wedding Song, "Ashir Shirim":
This ancient wedding song of the Babylonian Jews in Israel was carefully collected and transcribed almost a century ago by the musicologist A.Z Idelsohn.
The translation of the song is:
"I will sing songs to God at the coming of the redeemer.This terrified,innocent,& fair daughter - hurry to redeem her now.Elijah will come &∓ she will be redeemed"
The traditional music of the Babylonian Jews is unique, as it may well be the "Invisible Baggage" of the Jews who were sent into exile there, after the destruction of the First Temple of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadrezzar II, in 586BC! These melodies therefore, may be representative of the very earliest aural memory of Jewish music, ever - from the almost Legendary Era of the Ark of the Covenant, & King Solomon's Temple...
Finally, here is a video of one of my series of "Online Lyre Lessons" describing how to play an ancient melody tradionally sang to Psalm 114, "When Israel Went Forth From Egypt":
THE AMBIGUITY OF THE ACTUAL HEBREW MEANING OF "NEVEL"
Unlike the Kinnor, the exact meaning of the word “Nevel” is ambiguous, as the Hebrew root “nvl” (נבל ) can be pronounced in two different ways – either “naval” or “nevel”.
In the Hebrew language, only the consonants are written down - the vowels are added by the speaker...which causes no end of problems once the original pronunciation of an ancient Hebrew word is lost in the mists of time! John Wheeler explains:
"Nevel is such a difficult instrument to understand precisely because
1) leather was used for soundboards both for some harps and for some lyres;
2) the root word itself has several different meanings. The name could just as well refer to a wineskin used for a soundbox, and while we don't have anything that I know of earlier than bar Kokhba illustrating that for the Hebrews, it's certainly possible given how animals' stomachs were used for other instruments"
THE TWO INTERPRETATIONS OF THE ORIGINAL MEANING OF THE HEBREW WORD "NVL" (נבל )
1) If "NVL" is pronounced “Naval”, in Hebrew thiscan mean “carcass”, implying that the Biblical Nevel was a lyre with a skin membrane as a soundboard (similar to the ancient Greek “Lyra” – the lyre with a tortoise shell resonator, over which was stretched a soundboard of taut animal skin).
Below is a fascinating video of the legendary Luis Paniagua (who was one of the artists on the epic album from 1979, "Musique de la Grece Antique") performing on a replica ancient Greek Lyra:
Mid East Ethnic Instrument Manufactures use this interpretation of the Biblical Nevel. Their interpretation of the Biblical Nevel is ideally suited to playing ancient Greek music – below is my own arrangement of“Song of Seikilos”(c.200BCE – 100CE) on their interpretation of the Nevel:
2) The alternative interpretation, if the word is pronounced “Nevel”, means “Skin bottle”. This could mean a lyre with a regular wooden soundboard, but shaped like a skin bottle.
As discussed in more detail below, I now believe that it is more likely that meaning (1) seems more likely from th available evidence - that the elusive Biblical Nevel may have been a skin-membrane lyre.
HOW WAS THE BIBLICAL NEVEL LYRE CONSTRUCTED?
The Nevel was made of the same materials as the Kinnor, namely Almug wood, (Kings 10:5), and was plucked by hand,as opposed to being plucked with a plectrum, as in the case of the Kinnor – we know this fromthe writings of Flavius Josephus (Antiquities vii 12.3) and the Biblical text (Amos 6:5). Josephus also describes the Nevel as having 12 strings, whereas the Kinnor had 10 strings.
EVIDENCE THAT THE NEVEL A BASS REGISTER LYRE IN THE LEVITICAL ENESMBLE?
The ancient Jewish text, the Mishnah, also provides some fascinating details. It limits the number of Nevels in the Temple Ensemble to “no fewer than two and no more than six”, but “never fewer than nine Kinnorot, and more may be added” (Mishna, Arak 2:5).
This is the first piece of evidence that the Biblical Nevel could have been a bass register lyre - just as in a modern string orchesta, there are proportionately many more violins in the upper register, than the cellos and basses. From this piece of evidence from the Mishnah about the ratio of the numbers of Kinnors to the number of Nevels, I think that it is quite reasonale to infer, that the Biblical Nevels provided the bass line of the Levitical Ensemble and to he singing of the Levitical Choir.
The Mishnah also informs us that the strings of the Nevel were made of sheeps large intestines, whilst those of the Kinnor were made of the small intestines (Mishnah, Quinnim 3:6).
As the Nevel had more numerous and also thicker strings than the Kinnor, this implies it could be played more loudly than the Kinnor, even without a plectrum. The resonator may have been a similar shape to a wine skin or leather bag (hence the Hebrew root “Nevel”). Indeed, Isiah 14:11 informs us that the Nevel had a powerful drone. The evidence for the thicker strings used on the Nevel also implies that the Nevel was a bass register lyre in the orchestra of the Second Temple.
POSSIBLE ANCIENT ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BIBLICAL "NEVEL"?
The larger lyre depicted on some of the Simon Bar Kochba coinsmay well depict the elusive Biblical Nevel:
Many musicolgical sources suggest that the strings on this particular representation of this elusive Biblical lyre mysteriously "enter the soundbox", just as on a harp.
However, to me, the picture seen on this coin, so obviously depicts the reverseof the instrument - just as illustrations of the Biblical Kinnor also seen on the Bar Kochba coins are of the reverse of this lyre as well (these depict the strap with which the Kinnor was held).
The reason why the reverse of the Biblical lyres are shown on the Bar Kochba coins seems to me, simply to be a pragmatic one - it is simply easier to stamp a design of the reverse of a lyre onto a coin, rather than the front of the lyre..which has far more detail, and therefore is much harder to quickly mass produce by a gang of brave Jewish rebels, intent on quickly bringing about an uprising against the Roman Occupation...
In my opinion, the resonator was made of ribbed wood, and the strings passed over a bridge, transmitting their vibration to a soundboard of taut animal skin.
THE NEVEL AS DESCRIBED IN THE BIBLICAL COMMENTARY OF ALBERT BARNES
The 19th century theologian Albert Barnes tells us the following about the Biblical Nevel, in his commentary "Notes on the Bible", reference, Isaiah 5:12.:
(Isaiah 5:12 KJV) And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of his hands.
"nebel נבל . From this word is derived the Greek word νάβλαnabla, and the Latin nablium and nabla. But it is not very easy to form a correct idea of this instrument. The derivation would lead us to suppose that it was something in the shape of a “bottle,” and it is probable that it had a form in the shape of a leather bottle, such as is used in the East, or at least a vessel in which wine was preserved; 1Sa_10:3; 1Sa_25:18; 2Sa_16:1. It was at first made of the ברושׁberosh or fir; afterward it was made of the almug tree, and occasionally it seems to have been made of metal; 2Sa_6:5; 1Ch_13:8. The external parts of the instrument were of wood, over which strings were drawn in various ways. Josephus says it had twelve strings (“Ant.” B. viii. ch. x.) He says also that it was played with the fingers. - “Ibid.” Hesychius and Pollux reckon it among stringed instruments. The resonance had its origin in the vessel or the bottom part of the instrument, upon which the strings were drawn. According to Ovid, this instrument was played on with both hands:
Quaravis mutus erat, voci favisse putatur
Piscis, Aroniae fabula nora lyrae.
Disce etiam duplice genialia palmaVerrere.
De Arte Amandi, lib. iii. 327.
According to Jerome, Isodorus, and Cassiodorus, it had the form of an inverted Greek Delta δd. Pfeiffer supposes that this instrument was probably the same as is found represented on ancient monument. The belly of the instrument is a wooden bowl, having a small hole in the under part, and is covered over with a stretched skin, which is higher in the middle than at the sides. Two posts, which are fastened together at the top by a cross piece, pass obliquely through this skin. Five strings pass over this skin, having a bridge for their support on the cross piece. The instrument has no pins or screws, but every string is fastened by means of some linen wound with it around this cross piece. The description of this instrument is furnished by Niebuhr (“Thess.” i. p. 179). It is played on in two ways, either by being struck with the finger, or by a piece of leather, or perhaps a quill hung at its side and drawn across the strings. It cannot with certainty be determined when this instrument was invented, or when it came into use among the Hebrews. It is first mentioned in the time of Saul 1Sa_10:5, and from this time onward it is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. It was used particularly in the public worship of God; 2Sa_6:5; 1Ki_10:12; 2Ch_20:28; 2Ch_29:25; 1Ch_15:16; 1Ch_16:5. It was usually accompanied with other instruments, and was also used in festivals and entertainments; see “Bib. Repos.” vol. vi. pp. 357-365. The usual form of representing it is shown in the preceding cut, and is the form in which the lyre appears on ancient monuments, in connection with the statues of Apollo"
THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN THE ANCIENT GREEK BASS "BARBITOS" LYRE AND THE ANCIENT HEBREW NEVEL?
From the pictorial evidence on the Simon Bar Kochba coins, and the Hebrew meaning of "carcass" which can be infered from the Hebrew root "NVL", I think it is most reasonable to Nevel was probably bass register lyre, with a taut leather soundboard - very similar to the ancient Greek bass register skin-membrane lyre, known as the barbitos (βάρβιτος). This form of bass register skin-membrane lyre with a tortoise shell resonator, was particularly associated with the cult of Dionysus:
If indeed the Biblical Nevel did resemble the ancient Greek Barbitos, coul this be purely coincidence, or possible evidence of an ancient cross-cultural exchange of musical ideas? A fascinating possibility!
THE BIBLICAL NEVEL AND THE PHOENICIAN NABLA?
Despite the initial similarity between the Barbitos and the Nevel, a more likely ancestor of the Biblical Nevel was the Phoenician Nabla - crucially, this instrument also had 12 strings!
The Phonecian Nabla was twelve-stringed instrument of the psalterion family, of Phoenician origin - significantly, just as in the description of the playing-style of the Biblical Nevel as described in the writings of Josephus Flavius, the Phonecian Nabla also was played with the bare fingers, without a plectrum.
MORE PICTORIAL EVIDENCE
The two designs of lyres depicted on the Bar Kochba coins certainly seem to represent 2 distinct types of lyres which exip style=/pspan style=/span sted in ancient Israel for quite some time - earlier representations of these 2 basic lyre types seen on the Simon Bar Kochba coins, as mentioned earlier, can also be found on coins from Acco from at least 200 years before the time of the Simon Bar Kochba. Acco (also known as Acre) was a city port on the northern coast of ancient Israel from about the 9th-8th centuries BCE (For further details, please see pages 288 - 289 of Joachim Braun's book "Music in Ancient Israel/Palestine").
These earlier illustrations on the Acco coins, of the 2 types of lyres probably used in ancient Israel, can also be seen in the video of my talk on this subject of the Nevel, at the beginning of this section of the website...
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nbsp; bass register lyre, with a taut leather soundboard - very similar to the ancient Greek bass register skin-membrane lyre, known as the/p sr=1-1-spell
HAVE THE BIBLICAL LYRES SURVIVED TO THE PRESENT DAY?
In parts of East Africa, there is tantalising evidence, that a lyre still played today by musicians of this region, and traditionally known by them as the "Begena", is an almost exact replica of the one of ancient Jewish Temple Lyres.
There is a fascinating video clip of a Begena Lyre player which I have recently found on Youtube:
According to Ethiopian tradition, Menelik I brought the Temple Lyres to Ethiopia from Israel...crucially, the Begena Lyre also has 10 strings - identical in number to the 10 sheep gut strings of the original, ancient Hebrew Kinnor of King David!
I am almost certain that there is an amazing spiritual significance to this number of strings used on the Biblical Lyre - 10 strings, to represent the 10 Commandments? The possible links between ancient Israel and ancient Ethiopia go much further than this - also according to Ethiopian tradition, Menelik I also brought over to Ethiopia none other than the actual Ark of the Covenant, which according to the same tradition, is still kept under guard at the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum...
COULD THE ETHIOPIAN BEGENA BE IDENTIFIED AS EITHER THE BIBLICAL KINNOR OR THE BIBLICAL NEVEL?
The only difference I can think of, between the contemporary Begena, and the ancient Jewish Kinnor, may be one of pitch - the Begena is a bass instrument. This leads me to believe that the Begena could maybe regarded as a relic of the Biblical Nevel lyre, rather than the Kinnor. As discussed earlier, according the the Mishnah, the Biblical Nevel had thicker strings made of the sheep's large intestines, whereas the Kinnor's thinner strings were made from the small intestines.
Another clue to the hypothesis that the Nevel was a bass instrument, also comes from the number of Nevels which were used in comparision to the number of Kinnors used in the Levtical Ensemble - according to the Mishna, the use of the Nevel in th Levitical Ensemble was limited to "no fewer than two and no more than six", whereas "never fewer than nine Kinnorot, and more may be added" (Mishnah, Arak 2:5)
This implies that the Nevels provided the bass, over which the softer, treble/alto Kinnors provided the melodic lines - just as in a modern string orchestra, where the number of violins greatly outnumbers the number of double basses/cellos.
Further evidence in my attempt at identifying the Begena with the Biblical Nevel, can also be deduced from the playing style itself - according to the contemporary observations and records by Josephus Flavius, who actually witnessed the Levitical Ensemble in the 1st century CE, the Nevel was played with the fingers, whereas the Kinnor was played with a plectrum (Antiquities, vii.12.3). The Begena is always played with the fingers...just like the Biblical Nevel!
Quite often, the Begea has a soundboard of taut leather, as in the video clip - this could be evidence of the interpretation mentioned above, of the elusive Biblical Nevel as having a skin membrane.
However, what of the twelve strings of the original Biblical Nevel, which Josephus also informs us of in his Antiquities vii. 12.3? The modern Begena has ten strings, like the Biblical Kinnor. This anomaly can be explained by the Biblical reference to another type of Nevel - the "Nevel Asor". This name literally means "A Nevel With Ten Strings"!
Here is John Wheeler's thoughts on this fascinating possibility: "The ten-stringed wooden lyre I've seen from Ethiopia might well be a descendent of Egypt's version of what the Bible calls kinnor al - ha-Sheminit. SHV thought that might be like the Greek magadis with ten pairs of strings, but another possibility is that it was simply a bass lyre - a kinnor tuned an octave lover, "upon the Eighth" in Hebrew. Whereas the nevel `al -alamot "upon Maidens" or of "maidenly pitch" was more numerous and thus apparently of higher pitch than the specialized kinnor (all this referring to 1 Chronicles 15). The regular kinnor and nevel likely had a reverse pitch relationship, with the kinnor higher than the nevel (given the latter's thicker strings).
As far as I've ever seen in archaeology, bass versions of the kinnor and other bass lyres were only played with the fingers - that practice going back to ancient Mesopotamia. Lyres with plectra are at lowest of about high tenor range. I can play my Celtic harp with a guitar pick readily enough all the way down, but it sounds a whole lot better on the upper monofilament strings, again from high tenor range up."
If this hypothesis is true, then the Ethiopian Begena, therefore, could be quite literally described as the elusive Biblical Nevel...unchanged, in over 3000 years! A truly fascinating possibility...
THE SOUND OF THE BEGENA AND THE SOUND OF THE RESTORED BULL LYRE OF UR...
It is also fascinating just how similar the contemporary Begena Lyre sounds, compared to the playable reconstruction of the famous 47500 or so year old "Lyre of Ur". Mark Hammer has posted some simply fantastic videos on Youtube, of this lyre being played:
A POSSIBLE REASON FOR THE ORIGIN OF THE HEBREW WORD FOR "MELODY"?
It is particularly interesting to hear the same "buzz" the gut strings make, in both the replica Lyre of Ur, and the Begena - maybe, the reason the Hebrew word for melody; "Zemer", זמר sounds like it does, is because originally, the word was onomatopoeic - the actual sound of the word "Zemer", sounds like the buzzing of the gut strings as they would have sounded on the original, ancient Jewish Kinnor Lyre? Yet another fascinating possibility!
FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS
Josephus(AD 37 – c. 100), also known as Yosef Ben Matityahu (Joseph, son of Matthias) and, after he became a Roman citizen, as Titus Flavius Josephus, was a first-century Jewish historian who survived and recorded the destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem in 70CE...
His writings in the 1st century CE, give an important insight into first-century Judaism..including an invaluable extra-Biblical description of both the Kinnor & Nevel Lyres, onces played by the Levitical Ensemble in the Coutyard of the Temple of Jerusalem, to accompany the singing of the Levitical Choir...
3. (305) "And now David being freed from wars and dangers, and enjoying for the future a profound peace,{a}{This section is a very remarkable one, and shows that, in the opinion of Josephus, David composed the Book of Psalms, not at several times before, as their present inscriptions frequently imply, but generally at the latter end of his life, or after his wars were over. Nor does Josephus, nor the authors of the known books of the Old and New Testament, nor the Apostolical Constitutions, seem to have ascribed any of them to any other author than to David himself. See Essay on the Old Testament, pp. 174–75. Of these meters of the Psalms, see the note on Antiq. 2.16.4. However, we must observe here, that as Josephus says, Antiq. 2.16.4, that the song at the Red Sea, Exod. 15:1–21, was composed by Moses in the hexameter tune, or meter; as also, Antiq. 4.8.44, that the Song of Moses, Deut. 32:1–43, was an hexameter poem; so does he say that the Psalms of David were of various kinds of meter, and particularly, that they contained trimeters and penta meters, Antiq. 2.12.3; all which implies, that he thought these Hebrew poems might be best described to the Greeks and Romans under those names and characters of Hexameters, Trimeters, and Pentameters. Now, it appears that the instruments of music that were originally used, by the command of king David and Solomon, and were carried to Babylon at the captivity of the two tribes, were brought back after that captivity; as also, that the singers and musicians, who outlived that captivity, came back with those instruments, Ezra 2:41; 7:24; Neh. 7:44; Antiq. 11.3.8; and 4.2; and that this music, and these instruments at the temple, could not but be well known to Josephus, a priest belonging to that temple; who accordingly gives us a short description of three of the instruments, Antiq. 7.12.3; and gives us a distinct account, that such psalms and hymns were sung in his days at that temple, Antiq. 20.9.6; so that Josephus's authority is beyond exception in these matters. Nor can any hypothesis of the moderns that does not agree with Josephus's characters, be justly supposed the true meter of the ancient Hebrews; nor indeed is there, I think, any other original authority now extant, hereto relating, to be opposed to these testimonies before us. That the ancient music of the Hebrews was very complete also, and had in it great variety of tunes, is evident by the number of their musical instruments, and by the testimony of another most authentic witness, Jesus, the son of Sirach, Sir. 1:18, who says that, at the temple, in his days, "The singers sang praises with their voice; with great variety of sounds was there made sweet melody."} composed songs and hymns to God, of several sorts of meter; some of those which he made were trimeters, and some were pentameters. He also made instruments of music, and taught the Levites to sing hymns to God, both on that called the sabbath day, and on other festivals. (306) Now the construction of the instruments was thus: The viol [kinnor] was an instrument of ten strings, it was played upon with a bow [plectrum]; the psaltery [nevel] had twelve musical notes, and was played upon by the fingers; the cymbals were broad and large instruments, and were made of brass. And so much shall suffice to be spoken by us about these instruments, that the readers may not be wholly unacquainted with their nature."
The complete writings of Josephus can be viewed in the link below:
Special thanks to John Wheeler, for providing me with the ancient 1st century literary source quoted above. John Wheeler is a Biblical musicologist with whom I have corresponded considerably during the course of my own research into the music once played in the Temple of Jerusalem
KABBALAH AND THE SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NUMBER OF STRINGS ON THE BIBLICAL LYRES?
I recently have realized an absolutely astonishing implication about the number of strings used on the Biblical Kinnor and Nevel Lyres, whch I am quite dumfounded that nobody else to my knowledge, seems to have realized before! The Kinnor specifically had ten strings - what is the most likely reason for this? The most obvious explanation to me, is as a reminder of the Ten Commandments?
What of the specific number of twelve strings on the Biblical Nevel? I am almost certain, that this also was not just a random number, but that this specific number of strings also had profound spiritual significance - the most obvious reason to me, that the Nevel was made with 12 strings, was surely to represent The Twelve tribes of Israel? Indeed, the Levitical Priests of the Temple of the Jersualem also wore a breastplate with 12 gems to represent the 12 Tribes...
I then realized another astonishing fact - the total number of musical tones which could be played on the Kinnor and Nevel, were 12 tones on the 12 strings of the Nevel, plus 10 tones produced on the 10 strings of the Kinnor - totalling 22 possible tones...corresponding to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet!
If I am correct in there being an intended spiritual significance in connection with the relationship between the total number of 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet corresponding with the total number of 22 tones capable of being played by the combination of the ancient Kinnor and Nevel lyres once played by the Levitical Ensemble in the Temple of Jerusalem, then this must surely be one of the earliest examples of Kabbalistic philosophy...
Kaballahis an ancient form of Jewish mysticism, and amongst its many fascinating views of the Universe, it places enormous significance on the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet - according to the Kabbalists, since it was the "Word of God" which brought about Creation, and the "Word of God" was spoken in Hebrew, the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet are therfore regarded by the Kabbalists as the literal "Building Blocks of Creation"...
Below is a link I found, with further information on this intriguing aspect of Kabbalah:
ANCIENT EGYPT, CANAAN AND THE MUSIC OF THE ANCIENT HEBREWS?
Canaanite female lyre player - The Megiddo Ivory, c.1300BCE
INTRODUCTION
In this final section, I wish to explore fascinating evidence of the influence that both the musical culture of Canaan & ancient Egypt had on the evolution of the music of the ancient Hebrews. During the course of my research, I have also found some compelling arguments that these ancient cross-cultural influences may have gone even deeper - and that just possibly, the ancient Canaanites and even some of the ancient Egyptians themselves, may have actually been the ancient Hebrews!
CANAANITES AND THE ISRAELITES?
The influence of the musical culture of ancient Egypt, was firmly in place in ancient Canaan, well before the Biblical narrative of the conquest of the the land of Canaan by the ancient Israelites! Indeed, the pre-existing Canaanite musicians guilds found in Canaanite cultural centres, such as Ugarit, may in fact be the ultimate origin which influenced the formation of the Levitical Musicians Guild for the music which was to be later performed in the Temple of Jerusalem...
Indeed, according to the fascinating archaeological research of Israel Finkelstein, in his book "The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of Its Sacred Texts ", there is a growing body of evidence that the Israelites, were, in fact, originally Canaanites! In short, Dr Finkelstein's extensive research has revealed that Canaan was a city state, two-tier society, of monarchs & ruling classes who were under Egyptian control, and an oppressed lower class of society.
In 1200 BCE, there began what is now referred to in archeology, as the "Bronze Age Collapse"
This was a dramatic period of social revolution, migrations and upheavals which eventually spread through the entire ancient Near East, as described here in Wikipedia:
"The Bronze Age collapse is a transition in southwestern Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age that some historians believe was violent, sudden and culturally disruptive. The palace economies of the Aegean and Anatolia which characterized the Late Bronze Age were replaced, after a hiatus, by the isolated village cultures of the Ancient Dark Age. Between 1206 and 1150 BCE, the cultural collapse of the Mycenaean kingdoms, the Hittite Empire in Anatolia and Syria, and the Egyptian Empire in Syria and Canaan interrupted trade routes and severely reduced literacy. In the first phase of this period, almost every city between Troy and Gaza was violently destroyed, and often left unoccupied thereafter: examples include Hattusa, Mycenae, Ugarit. The gradual end of the Dark Age that ensued saw the rise of settled Neo-Hittite Aramaean kingdoms of the mid-10th century BCE and the Neo-Assyrian Empire."
The waves of this immense social revolution also made themselves felt in Canaan - leading to the collapse of the Canaanite ruling classes from about 1200 BCE. There was a social revolution, in which the formerly oppressed lower classes took over the vacuum left by the former ruling classes of the Canaan, and in the process of striving to set themselves apart from the old Canaanite gods and the old Canaanite society, forged for themselves a new identity & a new religion, as the Israelites:
"But if the Israelites did not flee Egypt and invade Canaan, who were they? After the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, Jewish archaeologists began to thoroughly explore, map, and analyze the hill country of Judah, looking for settlement patterns, evidence of lifestyles, and changes in demography and the environment. These surveys revolutionized the study of early Israel. The discovery of the remains of a dense network of highland villages -- all apparently established within the span of a few generations -- indicated that a dramatic social transformation had taken place in the central hill country of Canaan around 1200 BCE. There was no sign of violent invasion or even the infiltration of a clearly defined ethnic group. Instead, it seemed to be a revolution in lifestyle. In the formerly sparsely populated highlands from the Judean hills in the south to the hills of Samaria in the north, far from the Canaanite cities that were in the process of collapse and disintegration, about two-hundred fifty hilltop communities suddenly sprang up. Here were the first Israelites. Further research showed that there had been two previous waves of settlement: first in the Early Bronze Age around 3500 BCE, peaking at about 100 villages and towns, which were abandoned around 2200 BCE; and again in the Middle Bronze Age shortly after 2000 BCE, resulting in 220 settlements ranging from villages to towns and fortified centers, comprising perhaps 40,000 people. This period ended sometime in the sixteenth century BCE, and the highlands remained sparsely populated for 400 years. The Israelite settlements of around 1200 BCE contained 45,000 people in 250 sites, climaxing in the eighth century BCE with 160,000 people in over 500 sites. During settled times, farming was common; in unsettled times, herding sheep and goats dominated, a pattern found throughout the Middle East. As Canaanite cities collapsed, the pastoralists in the hills were forced to grow their own grain and produce, resulting in settlements. Thus, the emergence of early Israel was an outcome of the collapse of the Canaanite culture, not its cause. And most of the Israelites did not come from outside Canaan -- they emerged from within it. There was no mass Exodus from Egypt. There was no violent conquest of Canaan. Most of the people who formed early Israel were local people -- the same people whom we see in the highlands throughout the Bronze and Iron Ages. The early Israelites were -- irony of ironies -- themselves originally Canaanites!" Archaeology & The Old Testament, Review By Sarah Belle Dougherty
THE MUSIC & MUSICIANS OF CANAAN
In the 18th and 19th Dynasties of ancient Egypt, Canaanite slave girls, particularly musicians and dancers, "were a highly valued commodity..." ( p.86,"Music in Ancient Israel/Palestine", Joachim Braun).
Fascinating contemporary descriptions from ancient Egypt of this phenomenon can be found in the Amarna Letters, from the 14th century BCE, "To Milkilu, Prince of Gezer. Thus the King. Now I have sent thee this tablet to say to thee: Behold, I am sending to thee Hanya, the commissioner of the archers, together with goods, in order to procure fine concubines: silver, gold, garments, turquoise, all sort of precious stones, chairs of ebony, as well as every good thing. Total: 40 concubines in whom there is no blemish" (ANET, 487; Amarna-Letter RA, xxxi) . These Canaanite slave girls were also dancers and musicians...
Braun goes onto say "The singers of the local Canaanite aristocracy, however, were even more popular", and quotes a further fascinating ancient Egyptian letter from c.1500BCE - in the fifteenth century BCE, an Egyptian governor in Canaan wrote to Rewasha, Prince of Tannnach near Megiddo, regarding Rewasha's daughter, " As for your duaghter who is in the town of Rubutu, let me know concerning her welfare; and if she grows up you shall give her to beomce a singer" (Albright, 1944; ANET, 490). In other words, a daughter from the Canaanite aristocracy was to become a singer in the Temple of Amun at Karnak, and to take a vow of chastity.
One of the actual names of these musicians from Canaan who went to Egypt to become a singer in the Temple of Amun is also documented - she was called Kerker, and she was the minstrel of the ancient Egyptian god Ptah, who also had a shrine in Ashkelon. Braun goes on to describe how four ivory tablets dating from the 14-13th century BCE describe both the god Ptah and his servant and musician together: "Servant of her Mistress every day, the singer of Ptah, Lord of the Life of the Two Lands, and Great Prince of Ashkelon, Kerker" (Loud, 1939; ANET, 263).
Regarding Kerker, Braun goes on to mention the work in a paper from 1956 of the musicologist, Albright: "Albright believes that the Kerker goes back to biblical Calcol, whom in I Chronicles 2:6 mentions together with the musicians Heman and Ethan, possibly documenting the emergence of musicians' guilds and as such a Canaanite origin of Judean Temple music"
In the "Blogs"section of this website discussing the work of Suzanne Haik-Vantoura, in my blig entitled "The 3000 Year Old Music of the Bible Revealed?" (which describes how she claimedto have found representations of "chironomy": a form of ancient Egyptian-based musical notation in the mysterious "Te Amim" accents, attached to the oldest surviving Masoretic text of the Hebrew Old Testament! ), this ancient musical exchange of ideas between ancient Egypt and the land of Canaan, prior to the the emergence of the Israelites in around the 12th century BCE, may well be one explanation of how this ancient Egyptian-based musical notation found its way into the Hebrew Bible...
COULD THE SOME OF THE ANCIENT HEBREWS ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS?
Taking the connections between the ancient Hebrews, Canaanites and the ancient Egyptians even further, to its ultimate concIusion, I have recently found the following video documentary, presenting fascinating arguments that not only were the ancient Hebrews influenced by the culture of the ancient Egyptians - some of them may have actually been the ancient Egyptians!
The video docuentary below cites the archaeological research, which presents evidence in claiming that the Biblical Joseph can be indentifed as the Grand Vizier Yuya, who served under two 18th Dynasty Pharaohs, Thutmosis IV and Amenhotep III, in the middle of the 14th Century BCE.
The documentary also puts forward intriguing arguments that none other than the Biblical character of Moses himself, may have actually been the rebel Egyptian Pharaoh, Akenhaten..who is significantly, having banished worship of the entire pantheon of traditional ancient Egyptian gods, is already known to be first founder of any form of Monothesism in History, in the worship of the only the Aten (Sun Disk) as the one true god...:
I am not an Egyptologist, so I cannot comment or critically appraise these arguments in any great detail , other than to simply present them -
"Was Yuya the Biblical Joseph? In the Cairo Museum resides the remarkably well-preserved mummy of the Grand Vizier Yuya, who served under two 18th Dynasty Pharaohs, Thutmosis IV and Amenhotep III, in the middle of the 14th Century BCE. Yuya and his wife, Thuya, are the only non-royal persons buried among the Pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings, the New Kingdom's famous royal burial ground. Prior to the discovery of the boy king Tutankhamun's fabled tomb in 1923, the tomb of Yuya and Thuya was the only almost-intact burial found in the Valley of the Kings. Yuya is, in fact, the Biblical patriarch Joseph. Yuya matches up with the Biblical Joseph in virtually every particular. And the recent DNA study published in the Journal of the AMA 2/17/10 shows that Yuya's genes were represented throughout the Royal Family to the end of the dynasty, making his family, the Israelites, very closely related to the Royal Family during the last four generations of the 18th Dynasty. And his son, Aye was the very last Pharaoh of that Dynasty." (the detailed notes about the video above which I found on Youtube)
...the possible evidence of ancient cross-cultural connections between ancient Egypt, Canaan and the ancient Hebrews, may infact, have been at a level as deep as their actual DNA itself!
There are lots of inaccuracies in this documentary, though, as kindly pointed out to me by acquaintances I have corresponded with on theFacebook Archaeology News Network- for example, Ay was the Grand Vizier not Yuya!
However, the arguments presented in the documentary below, certainly add plenty of fuel to further verify my own research, in my quest to explain the evidence of the overwhelming influence of ancient Egyptian culture had on the music of ancient Canaan, and ultimately, on the music of the ancient Hebrews, since it seems that (according to the research of Dr Israel Finkelstein discussed earlier), that the ancient Hebrews were in fact, descendants of the Canaanite underclass, who forged their new identity as the Israelites, along their new revolutionary brand of Monotheism, in the void left by the collapse of their former Canaanite elite ruling class, which collapsed along with so many other cultures & civilizations around 1200 BCE, during the period now known as the Bronze Age Collapse...
INTERESTING LINKS & HISTORICAL RESOURCES
Below are the hyper-text URL links to titles of some invaluable books relating to music in the ancient world, all of which are available from Amazon:
"The Music of the Bible Revealed?" - Reconstructions of the original 3000 year old music of the Hebrew Bible once sang by the Levitical Choir in the Temple of Jerusalem, as claimed to have been deciphered by the late Suzanne Haik-Vantoura, from the mysterious "Te Amim" accents attached to the oldest surviving Masoretic Text of the Old Testament...
Here is a link to videos of this incredible music, complete with Hebrew text and English translation on the fascinating Youtube Channel of Biblical Musicologist, John Wheeler: John's Youtube Channel
Below are some other fascinating links relating to the monumental musical discovery of Suzanne Haik-Vantoura:
