Abstract:
Musiek was geen vreemde verskynsel in die Ou Testament en antieke Nabye Ooste nie. Om die waarheid te sê was musiek en die instrumente wat gebruik was om musiek te maak, deel van elke volk binne die antieke Nabye Ooste en nou vervleg met hul kultuur en godsdiensverering. Verskeie vorme van musiek soos sang, dans, orkesmusiek en musikale instruksie was algemeen bekend asook `n hele aantal musiekinstrumente, waar onder snaar-, wind- en perkussie-instrumente tel. Van hierdie drie kategorieë waarin antieke musiekinstrumente ingedeel is, was sommige meer en ander minder populer. Die vraag ontstaan watter musiekinstrumente dan die mees populerste was en waarom? En het hierdie musiekinstrumente dieselfde prominensie in die Ou Testament gehad? Die bekendste volke van die antieke Nabye Ooste word bestudeer ten einde te verstaan watter rol musiek binne hul onderskeie kulture gespeel het, asook watter musiekinstrumente die meeste aandag geniet het. Op dieselfde wyse word gekyk na die Israeliete binne die konteks van die Ou Testament met spesifieke verwysing na musiek en musiekinstrumente binne die Psalmbundel. Argeologiese en ikonografiese voorstellings word gebruik om `n beter prentjie te skets van hoe musiekinstrumente gelyk het en hoe die antieke mens musiek gemaak het. Die frekwensie van voorkoms van musiekinstrumente binne die Ou Testament en Psalms word uitgewys ten einde die mees prominente instrumente te identifiseer. Uit bogenoemde word dit duidelik dat die ramshoring, harp en lier die belangrikste musiekinstrumente binne die konteks van die Ou Testament (en meeste volke van die antieke Nabye Ooste) was en dat die ramshoring die meeste in oorlog en aanbidding gebruik was. ENGLISH : Music was no strange phenomenon in the Old Testament and ancient Near East. To be honest music and the instruments used to make music formed part of every nation of the ancient Near East and were very much part of their culture and worship practices. Various forms of music, i.e. singing, dancing, orchestral music and musical instruction was generally known, as well as a whole lot of musical instruments, which included string-, wind- and percussion-instruments. Of these three categories in which ancient musical instruments were divided, some were more and others less popular. The question is then raised which of these musical instruments were the most popular ones and why? And did these instruments enjoy the same prominence in the Old Testament? The most well-known nations of the ancient Near East is studied in order to understand the roll which music played in each nation, as well as which musical instruments enjoyed the most attention. In the same manner the Israelites is studied in the context of the Old Testament with specific reference to the music and musical instruments in the Psalms. Archeological and iconographical representations are used to create a better picture of how musical instruments looked and how the ancient people made music. The frequency in which musical instruments are mentioned in the Old Testament and Psalms is shown in order to identify the most prominent instruments. From the above-mentioned it becomes clear that the ram’s horn, the harp and lyre were the most important musical instruments within the context of the Old Testament (and most nations of the ancient Near East) and that the ram’s horn were used the most in times of war and worship.