MUSICAL HORNS USED BY ISRAEL

SPECIAL TOPIC: MUSICAL HORNS USED BY ISRAEL

There are four words in Hebrew associated with horns/trumpets:

"the ram's horn" (BDB 901, KB 1144) ‒ used as a wind instrument, cf. Josh. 6:5. This same word is used for the ram caught by his horns which Abraham will substitute for Isaac in Gen. 22:13.
"trumpet" (BDB 1051) ‒ from Assyrian term for wild sheep (ibex). This is the horn that was used in Exod 19:16,19 at Mt. Sinai/Horeb. #1 and #2 are parallel in Josh. 6:5. It was used to communicate
1. times to worship (cf. Lev. 25:9)
2. a call to repentance (cf. Isa. 58:1; Jer. 4:5-8; Ezek. 33:1-6; Joel 2:1-15)
3. times to fight (i.e., Jericho was both, cf. Josh. 6:4-5; Jdgs. 3:27; 6:34; 1 Sam. 13:3; Ps. 47:5; Jer. 4:5; Hosea 5:8)
4. times for anointing a new king
  1. God (cf. Ps. 47:5)
  2. Solomon (cf. 1 Kgs. 1:34,39)
5. blown by God (cf. Zech. 9:14)
"ram's horn" (BDB 385, KB 398) ‒ from Phoenician word for ram
1. blown at Mt. Sinai when YHWH gave the Law to Israel ‒ Exod. 19:13
2. same root used for "the year of Jubilee," every 50^th ‒ Lev. 25:8ff; 27:18,21; Num. 36:4
3. in Exod. 19:13 it is also called a "trumpet" (BDB 1051)
  All of these first three seem interchangeable with no distinction intended. The Mishnah (RH 3.2) allowed animal horns from sheep, goats, or antelope, but not from a cow.
"trumpets" (BDB 348, KB 344) ‒ possibly from the VERB "stretch out," implying a straight bone (not curved as the animal horns). These were made of silver (after the shape and form of Egypt). These are used:
1. with worship rites (cf. Num. 10:2,8,10; Ezra 3:10; Neh. 12:35,41)
2. for military purposes (cf. Num. 10:9; 31:6; Hosea 5:8)
3. for royal purposes
  1. Athaliah killed, cf. 2 Kgs. 11:14
  2. Ark brought into Jerusalem, cf. 1 Chr. 15:24,28

A metal horn (i.e., silver, cf. Num. 10:1-9) is depicted on the Arch of Titus in Rome; also Josephus describes them in Antiq. 3.12.6.