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ing tones it was also customary to exorcise the evil spirit in men (I Sam. x. 5, xvi. 23). In the divine service music still retained a leading significance even in later times. A large and wellorganized gild of temple musicians was active in the second Temple (I Chron. xxv. 6, xvi. 4 aqq., xxv. 1 sqq.). And if all this is traditionally referred back to David, at least so much is correct that the beautifying of the kingly temple worship with music reaches back to those ancient times. After the exile, many singers and musicians returned with Zerubbabel (Ezra ii. 41; Neh. vii. 44), a proof that the musical tradition had not been dislodged in captivity. In this matter, the blowing of the trumpets on feast days is committed to the priests in the way of a high prerogative; though even in the genealogies of Chronicles, musicians are incorporated with the tribe of Levi. From King Agrippa they later won the privilege of wearing the white, and, in its origin, priestly robe (Josephus, Ant. XX., ix. 6). Their sustenance is provided by special prescription under Darius (Ezra vi. 6 sqq., vii. 20 sqq.; Neh. xi. 23), which attests their importance. Their song was accompanied by the Temple orchestra consisting of eight nebhel players and six kinnor players. The chief musician marked the time with cymbals (I Chron. xv. 19-21). In the Temple of Herod the orchestra was composed of two to six nebhel players, nine kinnor players, and one beater of cymbals. And according to the Talmud, there were also from two to twelve flute players and two trumpeters. Most intimately connected with the entire development of the Temple music stands the composition of the Psalms (q.v.; also see PSALMODY).

VI. Harmony and Rhythm: Concerning the character of Hebrew music, a few conclusions may be reached alike from what has been said concerning the instruments and from modern oriental music. But in the first place it is necessary to remember that harmony, which is based on the triad and on the interplay and flow of consonant and dissonant tones, is of very late origin (tenth century); and that harmony, as such, is generally wanting in the ancient music. To the oriental, even to-day, what seems to us the harmonic blending of various tones in chords, is a repulsive jumble. Hence the old Hebrew music was played thoroughly in unison. Both song and instruments run unisonally together, or perhaps follow the octave, which also sounds harmonious to them (of. II Chron. v. 13). For the distinction between men's and women's voices, and their semblance of sounding a single tone as they render the same tune, is supplied by nature itself. This being so, it may be left as a remote issue, whether the expression 'al 'alamoth, of playing the nebhel (I Chron. xv. 20), is to be understood with reference to the natural pitch of the " virginal voice "; and the same as to whether the designation 'al-hasheminith [sheminith], "after the eighth," is to be connected with the octave as "eighth" tone, in case of other instruments. But even apart from this, the division. of the octave into a scale of seven tones is to be surely assumed. At best, detailed consideration cannot here be given to the connection between this scale

and the whole philosophy of the orient, with its doctrine as to the harmony of the spheres; or the tones produced by the seven planets in their courses. In the place of harmony, rhythm plays a leading part, even at the expense of melody. Ancient songs, like the hymn of triumph in Ex. xv. 20, were sung with the timbrel alone in the way of accompaniment. The timbrels, however, simply mark the rhythm. This shows that the singing was mainly a sort of rhythmic declamation. Incipiently, indeed, this was the case with vocal music generally. Nor is this the place to set forth the process of development step by step; as from a regular variation of the tone into an actual melody. Suffice it that the Hebrew popular song stood on the plane where melody is overbalanced by rhythm. And this is still the situation in respect to Arabian song.

Two traits that are now distinctive in the rendering of oriental vocal music are nasalizing and vibration. That the former trait is ancient may be surmised on the ground of other observed qualities of agreement between ancient and modern music. On the other hand there is direct witness as to vibration of the voice, from an Assyrian design, wherein one of the singing women, quite in the manner of Arabian singers to-day, holds one hand under her chin, thus exercising a slight pressure against the throat. This is done in order to produce notably fiat tones, and to impart to them a peculiar vibration, not identical, however, with our tremolo style. Sundry obscure data in the Psalms, referring presumably to the delivery, are not certainly resolvable. Some of them, .perhaps, involve directions concerning the tune to be followed in singing the Psalm (titles to Ps. ix., xxii., xiv., lvi., lvii., etc.). Selah (occurring seventy-one times in forty Psalms) is rendered in the Septuagint by diapsalma, which possibly means " interlude." At all events it may be assumed that, in rendering songs, the singing was interrupted at that point, and the pause filled in by playing of the orchestra. The expression lamenazeah has lately been translated "for the liturgy "; but this, too, is uncertain, though, indeed, the traditional interpretation, " To the Chief Musician," is still more questionable. Else why do just those fifty-three Psalms, and not the rest, need the like specification?

I. BENZINGER.

Conception between religious edification in its and Purpose. wider sense and edification in the sanctuary arises a distinction between sacred music in the wider and in the stricter sense: that is, between what may be called spiritual music, and the music of divine worship, church music or liturgical music. To the former class belongs all music which has an edifying effect upon the feelings, which incites to devotion, which directs the im-