Music and Muscing Considered as Prayer

Music and Muscing Considered as Prayer

Psalm 90:1, A Prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.  Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

            There are authors who have thought that Moses was not the author of this Psalm. However, there is no solid reason to doubt that this was indeed a prayer of Moses.  Be that as it may, the thought that feeds my soul is that this prayer was a song.  The fact that it is a psalm has not been disputed as far as my research can establish.  I suppose that some writer has doubted that the “man of God” wrote a prayer-song, but that fact should not disturb any of us because there have been many songs written that were prayers. 

            The significant thought is that this ancient musician treated songs as prayers.  That suggests to me that he had much respect for sacred music and musicing at this ancient period in the Life of the Israelites.  When the man of God had a serious request of God, he sang his request.  Musicing has become a professional performance practice for many Christian musicians.  To Moses who is recorded as “the man of God”, music and musicing was an opportunity to present his petition to God in the spirit of prayer.  So, if you have a serious request of God, why not try making your request made known unto our wonderful God by singing your prayer unto Him?

Scripture Thought for the Day

1Chronicles 16:9, “Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.”  Song-prayers of what God has done, are a wonderful way to build a Christian’s faith.

Humanism and Music Philosophy

Humanism and Music Philosophy

                To many people who read a work on philosophy of music, an author that rejects humanism is considered to be either a bigot or at least a writer who has been hiding under a rock.  So, I will define some basic understandings of what being humanistic is generally considered to be.  A simplistic definition of a humanist is a person having a strong interest in or concern for human welfare, values, and dignity.  A simplistic definition of humanistic is being concerned with the interests and welfare of humans. However, a more realistic definition of one who is humanistic is one who adheres to the philosophy which often rejects religion in the process of asserting human dignity and man's capacity for fulfillment and self-actualization.  Therefore, I find myself at loggerheads with what humanism really stands for as it is played out in the philosophy and praxis of a musician.  Furthermore, there are music philosophers who are secular humanists and others who are religious humanists.  They both believe that all musicing begins and ends with man.  Therefore, in reality they are in reality autonomous musicians. 

                I am not a humanist, but I am concerned with the interests and welfare of humans.  To not be concerned about the welfare of others would not be Christian.  However, much of my philosophic writing openly rejects what humanism has come to mean.

Thought for the Day

A Christian musician must be sure that he or she does not use a belief in the rights of musicians to be an excuse for musicing that has not been placed under the Lordship of Christ.

Brain Responses to Music

Brain Responses to Music

The need for regularly occurring rest in music is more than a mere notion. Because Jesus declared in Matthew 11:28, “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”, the principle of rest should be a concomitant sacred musicing.  The mental and emotional effect of the music part (i.e. the formal properties of the music) of a Christian’s sacred musicing must be congruent with the concepts of sacred musicing that are taught in the Bible. Continuous unresolved loud sounds and incessant unreleased tension result in a driving forward propelling directionality (produced from the formal properties of a piece of music) that is not a proper concomitant for the message of the gospel.

Hodges wrote, “Emotional responses can be evoked when a strong musical rhythm influences internal body rhythms.  Rock music often has this visceral effect, harnessing heart and breathing rates to the beat.”  A Concise Survey of Music Philosophy by Donald Hodges, p.161.   Hodges was not trying to influence Christian music by his statement, but was merely explaining No. 2 of the BRECVEMA model. The BRECVEMA model is an acronym used in Patrick Juslin study on brainstem responses to music. This research has provided the means to explain the triggering of every-day and aesthetic emotions.  Ibid. p.153.

 Since research results have shown that this type of music harnesses “heart and breathing rates to the beat”, Christian musicians should take account of what this music does to the seeker or would be worshiper!  I contend that the emotions that are triggered by religious music of this type have the power to render the worship experience ineffectual.  Although admittedly no one can say with certainty that all listeners will respond negatively to this harnessing of their emotions, it is worthwhile for the worship leader to consider what it means for the musical vehicle to have this kind of visceral effect on the auditor. 

Thought for the Day

Christian musicians who have seriously doubted the authenticity of much of what has been written about the dangers of the music part of many styles of religious music are now face to face with Patrick Juslin’s BRECVEMA model which was carried out under scientific controlled conditions.

A Biblical Approach to Aesthetics

A Biblical Approach to Aesthetics

As I have often stated, the Christian should not develop an aesthetic approach to religion, but rather a religious (biblical) approach to aesthetics.  Music aesthetics is by no means the bellwether of Christianity or the doorway to the kingdom of God.  Having an aesthetic experience with music does not form any proof, or is it any indication that the Holy Spirit has placed His anointing or approval on a musical performance or on the performer.  However, aesthetics and aesthetic experiences with music are important and must be considered in our discussion of musical paradigm, music philosophy and music praxis. 

A musician’s concept and understanding of beauty is an important part of a musician’s perception of the nature, value and meaning of the music he or she utilizes in worship. A Christian musician’s aesthetic paradigm will affect how that musician is able to communicate understandable meaning to the listener.  A Christian musician communicates the message of the Bible by the use of an aesthetic medium (music) rather than communicating aesthetic meaning to an audience by using sacred music as a vehicle.

Thought for the Day

A person’s perceived understanding of truth about music and musicing is often more important to that musician than the “true truth” taught in the Bible.  The situation is even more complex when a person erroneously believes that there is no objective truth.

Does the mode make a Difference?

Does the mode make a Difference?

It is commonly known that Plato and Aristotle et.al. believed that music had great power and this power included the ability to influence ethical behavior, character, and even the morals of an individual.  If this ancient Greek hypothesis is true (and I believe that it is) what instrumental music can represent or refer to is vitally important to every Christian musician. When a Christian musician reads the works of Plato and Aristotle he or she must understand that when they refer to god, they are not referring to the mono-theistic God of the Judeo-Christian tradition.  This does not prohibit the Christian music philosopher from learning from these ancient music philosopher’s thoughts.

We also know that both Plato and Aristotle believed that the various musical modes had virtues and meanings, so to put it simply, they were concerned about the understandable musical meaning that referred to extra musical meaning caused by the sounds of instrumental music without words.  Note that the ancient Greeks believed that the music part of instrumental music had great power.  Furthermore, they believed that musicians needed to understand the effect that a musical mode (scale) would have on the listener because every mode represented something that, because of the arrangement, sound and organization of the scale, would have a positive or negative effect on the hearer.  Although ancient Greek music philosophers did not always agree about the effects of the sounds of various musical modes and musical instruments, they did agree that the sounds produced had either a positive or negative effect on the listener. (See translations of The Republic, Politics and Poetics). 

Thought for the Day

Every Christian musician who has astutely observed what music can do to an audience should be skeptical of the view that “music can say absolutely nothing”.

What Does Understandable Music Meaning Mean?

What Does Understandable Music Meaning Mean?

Since I discuss music’s meaning so often I need to explain exactly what is meant by the terminology “understandable musical meaning”.  It refers to information, insights, and understandings that are received from the music part of the music (the arrangement of the formal properties of the music). “Formal properties” refers to the rhythm, melody, harmony, sounds, and silences etc. (not merely the form of the piece) that are combined into a congruent whole which conveys real life meaning.  This information arouses emotional mental states; it arouses passions and cognitions that cause the listener to muse (think).  It is the responsibility of the worship leader to guard, as much as is possible, the thoughts of the performers and the listeners who experience the music in the context of Christian worship.

My view is different than many music philosophers who believe that music has meaning but that it’s meaning is “music’s alone” and is in no related to real life outside of the formal properties of the music.  Some believe that music’s meaning evokes a “garden variety” of emotions but that these emotions are or are not triggered by the music part of the music per se while others believe that emotions are triggered by the music part of the music but what is aroused or triggered does not have real life Consequently they suppose that its meaning that is aroused from these “garden variety” of emotions are part of a closed system that doesn’t relate to the real world.  Still others believe that the formal properties of the music contain symbols but that these symbols only give information and or understanding into a person’s “true humanness” and that this is somehow accomplished without real world relationship. (See Chapter 8)  Others believe that all of music’s meaning is referential and therefore only gives insights that are extra musical.

Thought for the Day

It seems strange to me that a music philosopher could believe that music arouses emotions in the listener, but at the same time believe that these emotions do not relate to real life experiences.

Knowledge and Good Common Sense

Knowledge and Good Common Sense  

           Philippians 1:9 states, “And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”  St. Paul payed that God would help the Christians at Philippi to gain more knowledge (epignosis 1922) and also that their judgment (aisthesis 144) would be improved.   The word aisthesis means perception or discernment. It is interesting to note that in the AV the Cambridge scholars placed the word “sense” in the center reference column.  So, one may safely conclude that discernment or common sense is necessary for one to be able to “approve things that are excellent”. 

            So, having good common sense and a knowledge of music is absolutely essential in the development process of a Christian music aesthetic in order that a musician “may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ”.  Weymouth’s New Testament translates Philippians 1:9, “And it is my prayer that your love may be more and more accompanied by clear knowledge and keen perception, for testing things that differ.”  Certainly a 21^st century Christian musician needs clear knowledge and keen perception in order to test one’s Christian music aesthetic.  The word diaphero (1308)  (which has been translated excellent, that differ, and different by the various Bible translators) means to differ from, to be more excellent, or to be of more value.  

Thought for the Day  

Having knowledge about music and what the Bible says doesn’t necessarily mean much unless it is applied with good common sense.

Musicing the Full Gospel

       Musicing the Full Gospel

                In order for your musicing unto God to be completely efficacious, it must contain the whole gospel.  This is the reason that a thinking minister of music includes gospel songs, gospel hymns, and gospel choruses along with praise music in his or her balanced musical diet for the assembly of believers and seekers who attend worship services.  The saint needs to be reminded of what God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit has accomplished in the plan of redemption, and the seeker needs (must) be made aware of the same things.  How can seekers have Godly sorrow that works toward repentance if they do not know what God has done for those who have given their hart to the Lord and have accepted God’s forgiveness?

       Let me make it very clear, that there is absolutely nothing wrong with a praise chorus sequence in worship.  That statement must be qualified with the understanding that a praise sequence should not exceed the attention span of the modern audience.  Also, the notion that this sequence must drone on until the minister gets his or her desired overt emotional response from the audience is misguided philosophically.   It is important that a congregation of believers sing of the love of God and also testify of their love of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.   

      So, if your musicing presents a clear gospel message, and if your musicing includes traditional gospel music and hymns, take heart, you are on solid philosophical ground.  Do it in the right spirit, but square your shoulders and keep presenting the old, old story.  When you music, never be ashamed to confront saints and seekers with the claims of the gospel.

Christ Brought Us True Truth

Christ Brought Us True Truth

St. John 1:17, For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

          After reading this verse, I just want thank and praise our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for grace and truth.  If Christ had not come to this earth, took on the form of man and man, been completely obedient to the will of the Father, lived, ministered unselfishly, suffered , died on a cruel cross, rose again victorious over death, hell and the grave, we would still be sacrificing the blood of bulls and goats for the remission of our sins.  Hallelujah! What a Savior is our Lord Jesus Christ!  I just want to stop right now and worship Him for who He is, for what He has Done, and for what He is still doing for all of us who are living on this earth. 

            I have been thinking about the word charis (5485) that was translated grace in the AV.  Now we know that charis can mean graciousness, but I don’t believe that is what is meant here.  I believe that it is referring to the divine influence upon the heart of the believer.  Because of this complete change in the heart of the believer we refer to that person as being “born again”.  If you could have experience who I was and how I acted before I wept, confessed my sins with much godly sorrow, you wouldn’t have any trouble believing that I am truly born again.  I am ashamed of it but I was an awful, sinful person who was full of bitterness when Jesus found me.  So, you will just have to excuse me while “My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad (Psalm 34:2).  Wow!  He changed me completely!  Hallelujah!

            I am thankful that Christ brought to us not only grace but also truth.  Truth was translated from the word aletheia (225) which means of variety.  That is why we call it true truth.  Christ was saturated with truth for us.  I am so thankful that I was not deceived by some false perceived “truth” that has developed into one of the false religions that have deceived so many people.  So, today I am praising God for bringing to us both grace and truth.  I have been audiating these words, “What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought since Jesus came into my heart; I have light in my soul for which long I have sought, since Jesus came into my heart.”

Song for the Day Since Jesus Came Into My Heart by Rufus H. McDaniel

Thought for the Day

Think about where you might be right now, and what a mess your life would doubtlessly be in if you had not believed the true truth of the gospel and if you had not experienced the divine influence upon the heart.  No matter how depressed you may be at this moment, the reality of this truth should bring you joy and should cause you to smile (at least out of one side of your mouth).

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 21

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 21 

            After reading (in the Western sense) this discussion concerning the history of the te’amim and the function of the serugin, one can legitimately ask, why all the fuss about this ancient history of the graphic signs that surround the OT Texts?  First, singing is very important as taught in the Bible and in the history of ancient worship that surrounds it.  Second, based on the strength of Scripture itself, the singing of the OT Texts brought greater specifity, meaning and understanding of Scripture.  Third, there is a distinct possibility that the musical notation is as ancient as the Texts and furthermore that the OT Bible texts and the notation may have been conceived as a unit i.e. a melos.  Fourth, throughout history, the “masters of the transmission” went to great lengths to protect and preserve the meaning and integrity of the te’amim. Fifth, since the ancients went to great lengths to protect this very ancient precise music notation that surrounds the entire OT, they doubtlessly considered it to be efficacious—even to the point of having the hermeneutic function of supporting and completing Scripture. Sixth, the notion that the music part of music does not and never has transmitted understandable meaning to the hearer is without scholarly basis.  Seventh, although many of the hypotheses concerning the history, validity, meaning and understanding of the OT notation are not proven theories, some of them are being substantiated by modern research. For this reason, Christian students of the OT should at least give these hypotheses the “time of day” so to speak by giving them serious thought and serious study.

Bibliography 

 Engel, Carl.  The Music of the Most Ancient Nations.  London:  The     New Temple Press, C. 1929.

Gadenwitz, Peter.  The Music of Israel.  New York:  W.W. Norton and Company, 1949. 

Rothmuller, Aaron.  The Music of the Jews.  New and Revised Edition.  New York:  A.S. Barnes and Company, Inc., 1967.

Hooke, S. H. ed. Bible in Basic English:  Cambridge University Press, 1965.

Haik-Vantoura, Suzanne; Translated by Dennis Webber, Edited by John Wheeler.  The Music of the Bible Revealed. Berkeley:  Bibal Press, 1991. 

Idelsohn, Abraham.  Jewish Music in Its Historical Development.  New York:  Schocken Books, 1967.

Klein, Michael L. Michael Klein on the Targums Collected Essays 1972-2002, Studies in the Aramaic Interpretation of Scripture, Boston:  The Netherlands, Brill NV, 2011.

Nulman, Macy.  Concise Encyclopedia of Jewish Music.  New York:  McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1975.

Roth, Cecil, ed. Encyclopedia Judaica. 16 vols. NY: The Macmillan Company, 1972.  

Sachs, Curt.  The Rise of Music in the Ancient World.  New York:  W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1943.

Sendrey, Alfred.  Music in Ancient Israel.  New York:  Philosophical Library, Inc., 1969. 

Sendrey, Alfred.  Music in the Social and Religious Life of Antiquity. Cranbury,NewJersey:Associated Presses, Inc., 1974. 

Stainer, John.  The Music of the Bible.  Revised Edition.  New York:  Da Capo Press, 1970.

Wolf, Garen I. Music of the Bible in Christian Perspective. Salem, Ohio: Schmul Publishing Company, Inc., 1996.

           

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 20

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 20 

            Aaron Rothmuller lists hermeneutics and music as a part of the function of the accents in the following statement, “As we have said besides possessing grammatical, syntactical, and hermeneutic functions, the accents determine the nature of the musical rendering.  So, they [the accents i.e. the te’amim] have always been of supreme importance in the preservation of the Jewish musical manner of execution.”   Rothmuller, TMotJ, p. 103.  Haik-Vantoura believed that intoning [cantillating] the Scripture “supported and completed it.” Haik-Vantoura, TMotBR, pp. 161-2. This is what Nehemiah chapter eight explains as giving the sense which caused distinct understanding. 

            Since singing the Scripture, with what we now know was a precise music notation, brought greater understanding of the Tanakh to the people, in ancient Israel, why shouldn’t  Christians believe that the way we music God’s law and love will have an effect on the understanding of both saints and seekers?  Also, shouldn’t Christian musicians consider that the way we music the good news of the gospel can have a hermeneutic function if it [the music part of the music] supports its [the gospel’s] message and meaning?  Remember, Rothmuller believed that the musical notation of the OT determined “the nature of the musical rendering”.  Christian musicians should give the same level of respect to the power and potential of the music part of the music that is now used to music in the context of worshiping our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 19

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 19 

             It is believed by some historians that after the Babylonian exile the reader in the Synagogue [the one who intoned the Scripture] was a meturgeman who was allowed to employ these signs if he was intoning the texts from the abbreviated manuscripts called the serugin.  The reasoning behind this ancient policy was that nothing could be added to the complete texts of “sanctity” that the rabbines used in Temple worship.  This is not the case concerning the abbreviated serugin texts that were cantilated by the meturgeman [in the Synagogue].  Since the serugin manuscripts were not considered to be “sanctified”, in the minds of the rabbines, these abbreviated manuscripts which contained the te’amim, could be used in the daily intoning of the Tanakh as an aid to memory for the “reader”.

            Let us return for a brief moment to Nehemiah 8:7-8, “Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.  So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.”  This reference attests to the belief that the Levite musicians were charged with the responsibility of causing the people to understand the Law distinctly.  Is it possible that in some way intoning the Tanakh completed what I am taking the liberty to call “the ancient hermeneutic cycle”? 

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 18

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 18 

            The modern English reader often understands the words translated “read”, “say”, “said” etc. in modern translations of the Bible with Western understanding.  The following quotation will perhaps shed some light on the meaning of the various Hebrew words as they actually apply when referring to cantillation in the OT.  “Cantillation signs guide the reader in applying a chant to Biblical readings.  This chant is formally regarded as a ritualized form of speech intonation instead than as a musical exercise such as the performing of metrical hymns: with regard to this reason Jews always speak of saying or reading through a verse instead than of singing it. (In Yiddish the word is leyen “read”, derived from Latin legere, giving rise to the Jewish English verb “to leyn”.)                 Hebrew Bible Cantillation, ITU-State Conservatory, Istanbul. Term Project, by Mehmet Okonsar, January 27, 2011, p.22.  http://www.okonsar.com/Documents/DeadSeaScrolls.pdf                                                                                                                           

                So, the real meaning of the Hebrew words that have been translated “said” etc. in modern translations is that the texts should be intoned, cantilated, or sung not merely recited.  This gives greater understanding to the belief or a host of authors that the entire OT was intended to be sung.  With this knowledge the Western reader is able to more completely understand that it is a distinct possibility that the serugin manuscripts were designed to protect singing of the OT Texts. Also, the reader is able to understand that OT references to speaking etc. should be understood to mean singing, intoning, cantillating not merely speaking. 

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 17

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 17

            As was mentioned earlier, a number of scholarly writers on the music of the Bible have attested to the authenticity of the accents as a musical notation.  This phenomenon is acknowledged in the 20^th century works of Suzanne Haik-Vantoura, A. Z. Idelsohn, Macy Nulman, Alfred Sendrey, Aaron Rothmuller , Encyclopedia Judaica, et.al.           Ancient sources include the Talmud and the Comments of the venerated Rashi who lived 1040-1105 A.D., (see E.J. Vol.16, pp. 1411-2).  It should be pointed out that, although these authors mention the te’amim as being a musical notation, they do not all clearly attest to these graphic signs being a precise musical notation.  Macy Nulman stated, “Thus the function of the accents is to indicate the intonations and the logical and syntactical importance of the syllables sung to them.” Nulman, CEoJM, p.244.   Statements such as Nulman’s are typical of these authors.  Those who do acknowledge the te’amim as a music notation system are often give very vague explanations of how the accentuation signs actually work.

            A.Z. Idelsohn states, “The Talmud says that the Bible should be read in public and made understood in musical, sweet tune.  And he who reads the Pentateuch without tune shows disregard for it and the vital values of its laws.”  Idelsohn, J MinHD His, p.35-36, (quoting Talmud B. Megilla, 32, a.   He goes on to say, “A deep understanding can be achieved only by singing the Torah (naturally, in the traditional tunes),” and “whoever intones the Holy Scriptures in the manner of secular SONG abuses the Torah.”  Idelsohn, pp. 35-6, quoting Talmud, B Sanhedrin, 101a.     

            As was mentioned earlier, a number of scholarly writers on the music of the Bible have attested to the authenticity of the accents as a musical notation.  This phenomenon is acknowledged in the 20^th century works of Suzanne Haik-Vantoura, A. Z. Idelsohn, Macy Nulman, Alfred Sendrey, Aaron Rothmuller , Encyclopedia Judaica, et.al.           Ancient sources include the Talmud and the Comments of the venerated Rashi who lived 1040-1105 A.D., (see E.J. Vol.16, pp. 1411-2).  It should be pointed out that, although these authors mention the te’amim as being a musical notation, they do not all clearly attest to these graphic signs being a precise musical notation.  Macy Nulman stated, “Thus the function of the accents is to indicate the intonations and the logical and syntactical importance of the syllables sung to them.” Nulman, CEoJM, p.244.   Statements such as Nulman’s are typical of these authors.  Those who do acknowledge the te’amim as a music notation system are often give very vague explanations of how the accentuation signs actually work.

            A.Z. Idelsohn states, “The Talmud says that the Bible should be read in public and made understood in musical, sweet tune.  And he who reads the Pentateuch without tune shows disregard for it and the vital values of its laws.”  Idelsohn, J MinHD His, p.35-36, (quoting Talmud B. Megilla, 32, a.   He goes on to say, “A deep understanding can be achieved only by singing the Torah (naturally, in the traditional tunes),” and “whoever intones the Holy Scriptures in the manner of secular SONG abuses the Torah.”  Idelsohn, pp. 35-6, quoting Talmud, B Sanhedrin, 101a.     

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 16

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 16       

            Now let us return to our discussion of the use of the ancient serugin. The Jewish Encyclopedia states that, “…the reading of the Bible text [in Hebrew] combined with the Targum [Aramaic translation] in the presence of the congregation assembled for public worship was an ancient institution which dated from the time of the Second Temple.”   http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14248-targum   After the destruction of the Second Temple, worship took place in synagogues.  How long a period of time the serugin texts were utilized by the meturgeman is uncertain.  After the texts of serugin were no longer utilized, from the knowledge that we have at our disposal to date, accurate knowledge of the music notation of the Bible actually did fall into oblivion for centuries. It seems that for hundreds of years Jewish cantillation depended on the many varied oral traditions of intoning the OT texts.  Perhaps these varied practices caused a deep unrest among musicologists who studied these oral traditions which were so conflicting.  There have been several unsuccessful attempts at deciphering the ancient Hebrew music of the Bible.  According to Alfred Sendrey these attempts include the work Johann Christoph Speidel [1678-1744], Conrad Gottlob Anton 1745-1814], Leopold Arends [1817-1882], Heinrich Berl [1848-1934] and Otto Glaser [1866-1931]. Sendrey, MitSaRLo A, pp. 156-7.  Much later, Curt Sachs reports that in 1923 he attempted, “…to interpret the marginals as a musical notation but failed, since I thought of single notes at definite pitches.  Dr. Francis Galpin [1858-1945] failed in a similar way fourteen years later.” Sachs, TRoMitAW, p. 86.  

            Although none of these attempts at re-discovering Bible music by theory, linguistics, deciphering the Hebrew alphabet, or deciphering the te’amim were successful, they stand as historic proofs that, at least from the 1700’s until the last quarter of the 20^th century, scholars suspected that ancient Israel did have a precise musical notation.  Unfortunately, a successful system produced from deciphering the te’amim was not made public until 1976 when Suzanne Haik-Vantoura [1912-2000] published La Musique de la Bible Révélée.  The result of her deciphering of the te’amim revealed a precise accurate system of Bible music notation which is found above and below all of the texts of the OT. This deciphered musical system has been found to be without serious anomaly--a distinctly different result than other explanations of the meaning of these cantillation signs.  Although many Hebrew scholars and Bible historians have summarily dismissed her work, no one to date has produced a scholarly rebuttal of her work of deciphering.

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 15

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 15

            The Ga’on [leader] of one of the Babylonian academies at Soura who lived in the second part of the ninth century [he was contemporary with the scholars at Tiberius] is quoted as saying, “We are forbidden to deliberately add [to the text] anything at all for fear of transgressing the Law:  ‘You shall not add anything to it…’ This is why we do not vocalize the scrolls of the Law. Neither may we add the cantillation signs, even though these latter signs were revealed at Sinai.” Haik-Vantoura TMotBR, p. 178.  The partial quote given above is from Deuteronomy 12:32 “You are to keep with care all the words I give you, making no addition to them and taking nothing from them.” Bible in Basic English  This quote from the Ga’on attests to the belief of some authors that the cantilation signs are as ancient as the Ten Commandments.  It is worth noting that this quote alludes to the possibility that there was, at this time, such imperfect understanding the cantillation signs that, at least at this school in Soura, the scribes were afraid that if they sang the Tanakh they would be guilty of either adding or taking away from the meaning of the Holy Writ. On the other hand, it could indicate that although they sang Scripture, because of rabbinical law, they did not add the graphic signs to the complete scrolls.

                As was stated earlier, the Jewish Encyclopedia explains that in the history of ancient Israel, the Levites were charged with the responsibility of intoning the Tanakh.  There is disagreement among authors as to the time in Israel’s history when the responsibility for sacred musicing became a predominant part [or all of some of the Levite’s responsibility].  Certainly from the time of King David the Levite musicians were exceedingly important musical functionaries.  So, it is possible that the notation of the entire OT was reserved exclusively for Levite musician’s use—so much so that the cantilation signs hidden away from all others.  Again, this hypothesis is far from proven fact.

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 14

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 14

            One should note that a majority of Jewish authors agree that the purpose of the “graphemes” (te’amim) was to guide the one who intoned Scripture, among other things, in “exact…intonation” of Scripture.  This knowledge sheds much light on Nehemiah 8:8, “And they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.”  It is also important to note that Nehemiah 8:7b states very clearly, “… the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.”  The Levite musicians were charged with the responsibility of causing the people to understand the Law more distinctly.  Without doubt this Scripture is referring to the singing of Scripture.  This knowledge has great historical value because it attests to the fact that intoning the Scripture brought about specific understanding of God’s Word.  This knowledge opens the door to the reality that the music part of music has historically transmitted knowledge and understanding to the hearer.  Perhaps this knowledge should put to rest the current notion of musicians that the music part of music is benign and incapable of transmitting understandable meaning to the auditor.

            The Jewish Encyclopedia gives this information, “With the return of the exiles from captivity the religious instruction of the people was put into the hands of the Levites (Neh. viii. 7-9; II Chron. xvii. 8, 9; xxxv. 3). These functionaries were called   ("teachers"). In all probability the language of instruction was still Hebrew... How long the Levites continued in the office of teachers and how long the Hebrew language remained intelligible to the masses are unknown; but at a later time, when Aramaic had become the vernacular, and religious instruction had ceased to be the exclusive privilege of the priesthood, the Levitic   ("teacher") gave way to the lay   ("interpreter," "translator"), called also   or  .”  http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10742-meturgeman   The quotation above makes reference to a Synagogue meturgeman.  It is well known that meturgeman intoned and taught the OT texts in Aramaic from the serugin. This entry taken from the Jewish Encyclopedia  explains that in earlier times this function was the responsibility of the Levites and only at a later date this responsibility was given to a meturgeman.  There was conflict in these ancient times about whether this teacher could present the Aramaic translation with explanation or was restricted to only literal translation of the OT text. www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meturgeman

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 13

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 13 

                The lack of Masorete knowledge of these graphic signs brings the theory of the te’amim being of Masoretic origin into serious question.  The result of this confusion seems to have caused Christian Bible exegetes and historians to become silent about the origin, meaning and relevance of these graphic signs or consideration of them being a precise, or any kind of musical notation for that matter.  I know that since we “see through a glass darkly” we do not have perfect or complete knowledge of these ancient symbols found above and below the OT manuscripts, but surely Christian scholars should care about these ancient signs above and below the OT Texts enough to at least retain them in their usable knowledge of OT Scripture.  Is this a testimony that Christian scholars ignore what they do not know or understand?  Should they not be curious about the great volume of writings that over the centuries have considered the accentuation of OT Scripture to be valuable? 

            There has been general agreement among authors, especially those who wrote from the time of the Talmud, that all of the entire Tanakh was intended to be sung.  A plausible hypothesis is that part or all of the purpose of the serugin abbreviated texts was to insure accurate intoning of Scripture. Furthermore, it seems possible that the Karaites believed that this “wall around the Torah” could only accurately be accomplished if they were in some way able keep the original melodies that accompanied the Holy Writ from being vilified in any manner.  This was no doubt accomplished by the accurate precise notation provided above and below the texts of the entire Hebrew OT which were possibly protected for Levite use in the abbreviated manuscripts.  The fact that the Bible manuscripts were abbreviated attests to the fact that they had to be used by someone who had practically memorized the OT Texts.

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 12

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 12 

             Some authors have given the origin of these signs a later date and have believed that the system of accents existed from at least the time of Ezra. Other authors disagree and give a much later date to the origin of the accents (te’amim).  Still others believe them to be the invention of the Masoretes at Tiberius. The major point to this discussion is that, although there is disagreement among authors, it has been believed for centuries that these graphic signs are much more ancient than being an invention of the Masoretes at Tiberius, and ipso facto they are very authoritative— being perhaps as old as the Bible texts themselves if they were conceived as a melos [a text and melody conceived and produced as a unit].  I have not been able to find any quotations taken from the Diqduque ha-Te’amim or any other source that would give support to the notion that the scholars of the School of Tiberius claimed ownership of the te’amim.         Although some authors still believe strongly that the system of te’amim that the scholars of the school of Tiberius placed in the MT was their own invention, there is much disagreement and confusion concerning that notion.  First of all, several of the graphic signs have a close connection to the ancient system of hand signs called cheironomy that is much older than the work of the scholars at Tiberius.  Second, even Aaron ben Asher’s manual called Diqduque ha-Te’amim [930 A.D.] was vague in its description of the use of the graphic signs and, as Suzanne Haik-Vantoura explains, “We should remember that the Masoretes of Tiberius were only preoccupied with the exegetical syntax.  But while they sought to detect it in the order of the signs, they did not deny the musical significance of them.  On the contrary, they affirmed it!  They even insisted on the precision of this musical significance which they did not at all define, evidently not being able to do so.  Moreover, the syntactical rules they deduced from the signs were evasive and contradictory.” TMotBR, p. 8.  Nulman asserts, “The date of the introduction of the accents into the Hebrew text has not been ascertained.” Nulman, CEoJM, p.2.

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 11

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 11

            It is generally believed by authors that the system called “Tiberian” is the most authentic system of accentuation.  Since the oldest OT scrolls [older than the Dead Sea Scrolls, c150 BC—c70 AD] are no longer available it is at least possible that the original scrolls of the OT contained the te’amim above and below the OT texts (as we will discuss later). The concept that is most meaningful from this discussion recorded in the Encyclopedia Judaica is that an overwhelming amount of scholars believe that the purpose of the te’amim was to control vocalization of all OT Scripture.       

            Although the system of te’amim found in the MT is often considered the ‘newest system’, it is possible that it is very ancient and is ipso facto  much more authoritative than if it was invented by the Masoretes at the time of the School of Tiberius. “The oldest manuscript known to contain these cantillation signs is the ‘Codex of the Prophets’ written by Moses ben Asher, which dates from 895 CE.” Haik-Vantoura, TMotBR, p. 46. Suzanne Haik-Vantoura also asserts, “Thus it appears that a graphical system, obviously reserved to the Levites alone, must have existed from early antiquity—a notation piously preserved from vulgarization both then and later.” Haik-Vantoura, TMotBR, p. 161.  Macy Nulman states, “Throughout the ages there have been various opinions concerning the origin of the te’amim.  Some scholars maintain that the Torah that Moses received on Mount Sinai was furnished with the vowel points and accentuation.  Others believe that the Torah that Moses received on Mount Sinai did not have the vowel points and accentuation but that Moses wrote a second Torah exactly like the first and added the vowel points and accentuation.”  Nulman, CEofJM, p.245.  Some writers who believe that Moses had the ability and expertise to add the graphic signs to the Torah base their belief on Acts 7:22, “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.”  However, there is no existing proof that Moses learned this form of musical notation while in Pharaoh’s court.

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 10

The Serugin, Te’amim, and Meturgeman in Christian Perspective-part 10

                The three systems of accentuation signs were developed separately and are called Palestinian, Babylonian, and Tiberian.  The Encyclopedia Judaica asserts that, “The Tiberian system is the most sophisticated and complete in the items it transmits and there is no doubt that, in the state in which it is known, it is the most recent…Most scholars tend to believe that the Palestinian system is older…it is impossible to arrive at a definite decision in this question on the basis of the data available today.” Ibid. P. 1433.  The deciphering work of Suzanne Haik-Vantoura was undertaken from the te’amim found in the Masoretic Texts mentioned in the quote above.  However, she believed from the beginning of her research that, as she later substantiated, the te’amim system was a precise, accurate and historically meaningful musical notation.

             The reason that the Tiberian system is the newest complete system available to scholars is simply that it is the system of graphic signs commonly called the ‘accents’, ‘accentuation signs’ and ‘te’amim’ that the Karaites at the School of Tiberius (slightly before 900 A.D.) entered or re-entered into the OT Masoretic texts called the “Codex of the Prophets”, “Codex Cairensis”, or the “Codex Prophetarum Cairensis” [these all refer to the same manuscripts]. These manuscripts called the MT are the texts from which many of the standard Bible translations have been basically derived [with some exceptions].  This is important because the translators that utilized the MT all had to know that the entire OT was notated musically above and below the texts they utilized.  It is a mystery that this fact was not regarded in any way by these translating teams—this is evident because of a complete lack of reference to this in any of their introductions or explanatory notes.