The History of Music Education—part 4

The History of Music Education—part 4 

            1Chronicles 25:7 gives another Bible reference to music education in ancient Israel,” So the number of them, with their brethren that were instructed (lamad 3925) in the songs of the LORD, even all that were cunning, was two hundred fourscore and eight.”  The Hebrew word lamad means to instruct or to teach.  There is no doubt about it; the ancient Hebrew culture accepted the responsibility to teach music to their Levite sons.  So, again we are able to put to bed the notion that ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks were the only cultures that were expert in ancient music education. 

            We also know that the reading of God’s Word was always intoned or sung according to the musical notation i.e. the te’amim above and below the Hebrew text.  When we read Nehemiah 8:8 in the light of current knowledge of the te’amim, “So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading” we understand that this passage of OT Scripture is an example of teaching the people how to music the Scripture “distinctly”.  The Hebrew word parash (6567) that is here translated distinctly means to separate or disperse.

Quote for the Day

Abraham Idelsohn reported that, “The Talmud (B. Megilla, 32a) says that the Bible should be made understood to the hearers in musical, sweet tune.   And he who reads the Pentateuch without tune shows disregard for it and the vital value of its laws.” Jewish Music in Its Historical Development, p.35.