Ancient Jewish Musical Instruments

Everyday instruments:

- Kinnor (a 10-stringed lyre similar to the Greek kithara). This is the instrument which is mentioned several times in the Psalms as a "harp". See Psalm 150.

- Ugab (possibly a collection of vertical reed flutes with holes, similar in arrangement to pan pipes).

Liturgical instruments:

- Hasosra (a trumpet)

- Shofar (a ram's or goat's horn); the least "musical" of all the instruments and the only one still in use today.

- Nevel (a 10 stringed harp similar to the Kinnor)

- Halil (possibly a double-reed, oboe-like)

- Asor (a 10-string instrument, possibly like a psaltry)

- Magrepha (an instrument of powerful sound, used to signal the beginning of worship in theTemple)

- Various types of cymbals were used before the destruction of the Temple by the Babylonians but were prohibited after the restoration.

- Timbrel (tamborine)

- Lute (a stringed instrument similar to the lyre)

After the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, all music (particularly instrumental music) was done away with as a symbol of morning (except at weddings).

The skills of the Temple instrumentalists were completly lost after 1 or 2 generations. Consequently, scholars today can only guess at instrumental technique from the Temple period, particularly since instrumental music never found a foothold in the Synagogue.

See Hymn Singing in the Bible