Window into the Bible
Wind Instruments
In addition to worship, musical instruments were also used during feasts and banquets. Isaiah 5:11-12 descrbe a banquet scene at which there were harps, lyres, tambourines and flutes being played.
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Bronze Pan Flute
Date: 1st Century AD
Place: Pompeii
Photographed at the Naples National Archeological Museum, Naples, Italy.
Bronze Flute
Date: 1st Century AD
Place: Pompeii
Photographed at the Naples National Archeological Museum, Naples, Italy.
Genesis 4:21 tells us that it was Jubal, a descendent of Cain, who became 'the father of all who play the harp and flute.'
Wooden Flutes
Date: Unknown
Place: Dashur, Egypt
Photographed at the British Museum, London, England.
1 Samuel 10:5-6 describes a scene where a group of prophets is prophesying and at the same time playing lyres, tambourines, flutes and harps.
Double Clarinet
Date: unknown
Place: unknown
Made from Bamboo, straw reeds have disappeared due to age.
Photographed at the Louvre Museum, Paris, France.
Double Flute
Photographed at the Louvre Museum, Paris, France.
Two Wooden Auloi
Date: about 500 BC
Place: Possibly Athens, Greece
The Greek aulos could be made from wood, bone or metal. They had a reed inserted into them and were usually played in pairs.
Photographed at the British Museum, London, England.
Double Clarinet (right)
Date: 1400 BC or later
Place: Egypt
The double clarinet has five holes and a reed mouthpiece.
The artifact on the left is a rattle.
Photographed at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
The Ancient Egyptians had single and double flutes, single and double clarinets and an oboe.
Two Bone Flutes with Bronze Ring
Rear: Bone flute covered with bronze rings.
Date: 450 - 380 BC
Place: Probably sanctuary of Dodona
Front: Part of bone flute with bronze rings.
Date: Late 2nd to early 1st century BC
Place: Athens
Photographed at the National Archeological Museum of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Etruscan Bronze Trumpet
Date: 4th - 3rd Century BC
Place: Toscanella, Central Italy
This curved Roman trumpet was called a Cornu.
Photographed at the British Museum, London, England.
So the Levites stood ready with David's instruments and the priests with their trumpets. Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to the Lord began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments of David king of Israel. (2 Chronicles 29:26 -27)
Etruscan Bronze Trumpet
Date: 400 - 200 BC
Place: Tuscania, Italy
Photographed at the British Museum, London, England.
Bronze Flutes
Date: 1st century AD
Place: Roman
Photographed at the British Museum, London, England.
These have probably been restored incorrectly and cannot be played.
Satyr Playing Double Pipes
Date: 2nd to 3rd century AD
Place: Roman
Photographed at the British Museum, London, England.
This marble relief was possibly originally part of a sarcophagus which was cut up in recent times.