Outline of Ancient Jewish
TEMPLE and SYNAGOGUE TRADITION

1. Jewish Liturgical Music
2. Influence on Early Chrisitan Liturgy and Music
3. Antiphonal and Responsorial Singing
4. Congregational Singing
5. Hymns and Singing in the Bible

3. There were a variety of instruments.
4. Music was an essential part of Temple worship and was highly developed.
5. After the destruction of the Temple (70 CE), the tradition and practice of instrumental music was lost to Jewish culture.
6. A primitive system of notation and mnemonic devices (hand signs) was developed for vocal music in both the Temple and Synagogue tradition. This became the basis of later (after about 900 CE) Christian chant notation (neumes) which eventually developed into Western music notation.

7. Instrumental music was not part of the Synagogue tradition. Early Christian worship was modeled on the Synaguge tradition. Consequently, early Christian worship probably did not use any musical instruments.

8. Organized choral music was an essential element of Temple and Synagogue worship.

9. David originally established the tradition of choral music by appointing Chenaniah to supervise (direct) the choirs and teach choristers how to sing.

10. Singing in both the Temple and Synagogue traditions consisted of

11. The style of singing was melodic with some heterophonic accompaniment by instruments. Homophonic music (chords used harmonically) was unknown.

12. The Temple tradition was primarily a vehicle for the perfomance of ritual sacrifice. In addition the occasions of rituals were organized LITURGICALLY according to feasts and festivals of the Hebrew calendar.

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