Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., October 19, 2008 Tishrei 20, 5769 | | Israel Time: 12:30 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Ilan Green playing a recreated biblical instrument (Alon Ron) Last update - 08:54 16/10/2008 Jerusalem concert to feature fantasies of the Temple's lost music By Tamar Rotem Tags: Levites, Israel news  At the ancient Temple in Jerusalem, every day had a song of its own, played before morning prayers, says singer and instrumentalist Ilan Green, formerly a member of the group "Nekamat Hatraktor." Green will lead a performance of the Levites' lost musical traditions on Thursday night at Beit Avihai in Jerusalem. "Music was a central element at the Temple," he says. "Every Shabbat and holiday was accompanied by music, to the point where the scriptures pose the question of whether we may replace a string on Shabbat, to which the unequivocal answer is yes." "Could there be any stronger statement than that, that for music it is permissible to violate Shabbat?" he says. Advertisement Green plays in a number of ensembles, holds workshops on instrument building at his Moshav Sde Hemed home and heads the music department at Jerusalem's Musrara art school. When Beit Avihai approached him two years ago about a potential musical project, he knew he was interested in investigating the instruments used in the Temple. Green's journey reflects the wider return to sacred texts in the Jewish music world, which includes artists such as Ehud and Meir Banai's renditions of liturgical songs. Green says he does not consider himself religious, but he is very interested in the Jewish scriptures. He says that he discovered early on that this was barely charted territory. In combing the Bible, Mishna and other texts, he discovered that aside from the familiar violin, trumpet and lyre, at least 30 musical instruments are mentioned whose sound and appearance are lost to history. Building on the few scraps of information he could find, and adding a heavy dose of guesswork, he reconstructed 16 of them from wood and metal. Green says the mystery surrounding the instruments gave him a certain artistic license. "It gave me complete freedom," he says, emphasizing that his project is not historical. "I'm not saying that these are the real instruments. My approach is artistic, and my interpretation is entirely personal." Many of the instrument references came from Psalms, traditionally attributed to David, the harpist king, such as the enigmatic "For the choir director; on the Gittith" (Psalms 8:1). "There's something mysterious in building musical instruments that just cannot be described," he says. Related articles: Wall of Second Temple-era Jerusalem found in Mt. Zion excavations Second century Roman road, bath unearthed near Jerusalem temple site Rhapsody in blues Bookmark to del.icio.us   Gaza protest Gilad Shalit supporters vow to disrupt entry of supplies to Gaza. Face off IDF mulls charging Israeli citizens for emergency gas masks.   1.   Fine, but better concentrate on finding the lost temple itself~ 08:30  |  Ivar 16/10/08   2.   Then Why Prohibit Instruments at the Kotel?? 14:52  |  B`Galil 16/10/08   3.   Green from Nikmat HaTractor plays Biblical instruments! 12:19  |  Ben Bresky 19/10/08

Read & React Israel expects U.S.-Iran talks if Obama elected Responses: 42 Settler leader: Palestinian olive farmers destroy their own groves Responses: 20 Barak: Protests for Shalit release could raise price of deal Responses: 8 IDF mulls charging citizens for emergency gas masks Responses: 3 Amos Harel: Will Hamas-Israel truce come to an end in January? Responses: 3 More Headlines 12:29 Barak: Israel giving serious thought to Saudi peace plan 09:03 Israel expects U.S.-Iran talks under Obama 08:34 ANALYSIS / Israel must adapt to reality of U.S.-Iran dialogue 11:49 'Protests for Shalit release could raise price of deal' 08:48 Settler leader: Palestinian olive farmers destroy their own groves 08:55 IDF mulls charging citizens for emergency gas masks 23:08 Vatican: Stop pressuring pope over Pius XII sainthood 08:45 Will Hamas-Israel truce come to an end in January? 09:21 Livni to ask Peres for more time to form government 08:49 Israel denies knowledge of Bush offer to Assad for Golan pullout 10:22 Israel not among nations getting visa waiver from U.S. 09:01 For Sukkot, Christian pilgrims keep Kinneret's tourism industry alive 08:41 Ex-U.K. security chief: 9/11 response was overdone Previous Editions Select Day 17 oct 16 oct 15 oct 14 oct 13 oct 12 oct 10 oct 09 oct 08 oct 07 oct 06 oct 05 oct

Special Offers Advertisement Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Living in Israel Studying in English Click & Meet our students from all around the world Dial 013 for your long-distance calls and get all your money back US CITIZENS Vote for real change. Request your ballot today! Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Jewish Singles Personal Ads Find the love of your life on JDate.com Israel's Premier Real Estate Website www. israel-property.com Hebrew Summer courses From $39.95 Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved