5, 10; xix. 20; 1 Kings ii. 5; xxii. 14). Suitable edifices were erected for the residences of the prophets, and their disciples, who were called sons of the prophets. Some venerable and divinely inspired prophet presided over them, who was called their father (2 Kings ii. 12). It is probable that Samuel was the first of those fathers (1 Sam. xix. 20), Elijah another (2 Kings ii. 12), and Elisha the next (2 Kings vi. 1). The sons of the prophets lived together in a community or society (2 Kings iv. 38), and were instructed in the principles of the Hebrew religion, in the knowledge of the law, and in the sacred art of psalmody. This last is called prophesying with psalteries, harps, and cymbals (1 Sam. x. 5; 1 Chron. xxv. 1, 7). Calmet supposes that these schools continued until the Babylonish captivity. It is probable that God selected from them those who were suitable to exercise the prophetic office and make known to the people his will. The students or young prophets were frequently dispatched by their instructors to carry prophetic messages (2 Kings ix. 1). It is a fact which should be more frequently remembered, that in ancient times the greatest and best men acquired a knowledge of music, both vocal and instrumental. It seems that it was an indispensable requisite for the prophets, who were the holiest and generally the most learned men of their age, to be thoroughly trained in this sacred art. It was so important that even their prophecies must be uttered in poetry, and attended by instrumental if not vocal music. It is probable that they made great proficiency in the art, as they spent much time in its study and practice. David's great masters of music, Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, and his four thousand Levitical performers of vocal and instrumental music, were doubtless instructed in these colleges, and must have been very skillful performers, as they devoted a great part of their lives to the study of the art. Music and poetry reached a higher state of cultivation under the reign of David than ever before, and he commenced his reign soon after the occurrence mentioned in the passage under consideration.

When those seers prophesied, they probably uttered their poetic effusions in a chant accompanied by some musical instru ments. Hence it is said that they prophesied with "psalteries, cymbals, and harps " (1 Chron. xxv. 1). Probably some performed on musical instruments while a prophecy was being uttered. A pipe was one of the instruments mentioned in the passage before us, and the one who performed on it could not have uttered poetry, as the pipe is a wind instrument blown with the mouth.

Psaltery. This is an instrument which does not occur in any previous passage. The Hebrew term is nebhel, originally signifying a bottle, i. e., a leathern bag. It had the form of a pyramid or cone. A secondary meaning of the word is a musical instrument, and, like a bottle, its shape is supposed to have been that of an inverted cone or delta (v). Its form, it is believed, suggested its name. The Greek term is vá32a nabla or vava naula, and the Latin, nablium. Ná32a nabla, appears in the Septuagint. Gesenius supposes that it was a species of harp or lyre. Josephus (Ant. vii. xii. 3) describes it as a species of harp or lyre, having twelve strings, and played with the fingers and not with a key. nebhel asör, a ten (stringed) nebhel, in Ps. xxxiii. 2; exliv. 9, would seem to indicate that it was an instrument with ten strings. Jerome informs us that its figure was triangular, resembling an inverted delta, which also was the form of the harp or sambuca (Vitruv. vi. 1). Dr. Jahn asserts that the Greeks acknowledged the name of this instrument (nabla) to have been derived from the Phoenicians. The same learned author remarks, that in the time of Josephus it had twelve strings. At an earlier period, however, according to Ps. xxxiii. 2; exliv. 9, it had only ten. This view is probably the correct one, for the nebhel, like other stringed instruments, at first had a small number of strings, and subsequently their number was increased. From the derivation of the name one might suppose that the soundingboard was in the form of a leathern bag or bottle; but nebhel

very early signified a vessel of any kind, like dolium of the Romans, and the sounding-board was probably a round wooden dish. Niebuhr saw, in Egypt, an instrument of this kind in the Nubias (Reis. 1. Th. S. 179). Jahn has given an engraved profile of it (Kupfertaffel Nro. 1), which we here present.

Fig. XXXIII.

66

The belly of this instrument projects from a round wooden dish, having a small aperture beneath. A hide is drawn over the top of the dish, or, according to Wansleb. in P. Samml. iii. 36, a piece of red leather is drawn tightly over, which is higher in the middle than where the strings are tied." Through this skin or red leather two sticks pass in such a manner that, with a third, which is fastened above to the end of the two in an oblique direction, they form an inverted delta. The strings pass across the hide on a narrow bridge, and are made fast to the cross-stick above. This specimen has but five strings. Perhaps at first this was the usual number. Afterwards they were increased to ten and twelve. The Hebrews made this instrument not only of the fir-tree, but sometimes of costly red sandal-wood, or the almug (2 Sam. vi. 5; 1 Kings x. 12). Josephus and Gesenius, as we have intimated, called the nebhel a species of harp or lyre. Pfeiffer considers it as properly represented by the modern guitar. It is difficult to decide precisely what it was and what modern instrument it most nearly resembled; but as the three great classes, viz., harps, lyres, and guitars, have been discovered among the ruins of Egypt, and as they must, in all probability, have been, in their general characteristics, the representatives of Hebrew musical instru

Ancient Guitar

(37 nebhet)

of the Hebrews.

ments, and as both generally correspond with the three similar. classes of modern stringed instruments, it must follow that those instruments sculptured on the Egyptian ruins may properly bear the names of the modern instruments which they most nearly resemble.

Then let us compare the specimen presented from Jahn, above, with the three classes of modern stringed instruments, and ascertain if possible what it should be called. In our English translation it is termed psaltery. Modern instruments of this kind are flat, in the form of a trapezium or triangle truncated at the top. They are strung with thirteen wire cords, tuned in unisons or octaves, mounted on two bridges, and played with a plectrum. The guitar is a stringed instrument, the body of which is of an oval-like form, and the neck similar to that of a violin. The strings are distended in parallel lines from the head to the lower end, passing over the sounding-hole and bridge. The modern harp consists of a triangular frame, with cords running parallel from the top to one of the sides. It stands erect at the feet of the performer, and is played with the thumb and fingers. This instrument had only three strings at first, but their number was afterwards increased to more than thirty. The lyre is considerably like the harp; but anciently, according to Passow, it had a deeper soundingboard or chest.

From these descriptions it is probable that the nebhel more nearly resembled the ancient and modern guitar than any other instrument. The harp has no bridge, the psaltery has two, and the lyre has none; but the ancient and modern guitar has a bridge, and but one. It is probable that the ancient guitar and psaltery, and even the lyre, were improvements upon the harp, and might be called, without much impropriety, in the language of Josephus and Gesenius, "a species of harp or lyre." As Jahn's drawing is like the guitar, he must have considered the nebhel as best represented by that instrument. It had various forms, more or less resembling the inverted Greek delta.

The following, Fig. xxxiv, are four taken from the ruins of Egypt.

Fig. XXXIV.

Four Ancient Guitars (nebhels) taken from the Ruins of Egypt.

Tabret. This is probably the timbrel, and the same instrument which is mentioned in Judges xi. 34. It is in the singular number as in Gen. xxxi. 27, where it evidently indicates more than one instrument. In the case before us it is probable that there was more than one timbrel or tabret, as was usually the case in concerts, though it is possible that there was but one instrument of each kind (for a description of the tabret vid. Rem. on Gen. xxxi. 27 supra).

Pipe. The Hebrew of this term is 33 hhalil, a verbal from 33 hhalál, to pierce, to bore through (Arabic), hence, a pierced or bored instrument, a flute, a pipe. The Septuagint has avλos aulos, a flute. It was evidently a wind instrument. Dr. Jahn supposes that it was made out of reed, horn, bone, or wood, and was used on joyous as well as mournful occasions. It is probable that the Hebrews, as well as the ancient Greeks, Romans, and modern Arabians, had several kinds of this instrument. Niebuhr (vid. Reis. I Ch. S. 180. tab. 26) found in Arabia not only single but double flutes, both tubes of which were blown at once, one giving the bass. Jahn, in table v. and Nr. 11 of his Archæology, has copied