Summary: The earliest wind instruments ever found were recently discovered in Israel, but it’s unclear if they were used for hunting or for music.
Jubal, he was the father of all those who play the lyre and flute. – Genesis 4:21 (NASB)
Flutes Made of Bone
Archaeologists in Israel have discovered the oldest wind instruments ever found in the Middle East, dating back thousands of years ago to the earliest humans. Constructed from the wing-bones of small ducks, the tiny flutes’ sound mimics the calls of local birds of prey and may have been used for communication, hunting or making music. They may even have an intriguing Biblical connection.
Excavations were done at the Hula Lake Basin of the Upper Jordan Valley at Eynan-Mallaha in northern Israel by F. R. Valla and H. Khalaily between 1996 and 2005. The dig yielded over 1,112 bird bones in a layer of sediment associated with the Natufian archeological culture, long before the period of the Biblical Patriarchs.
The bones were found in small stone dwellings, hearths and graves. About 75% of the birds found were a type of wintering waterfowl. However, another distinct and separate group of almost 14% were birds of prey, which were often hunted for their talons. Talons were used as tools or for ornamentation.
Only recently, upon further detailed examination, seven of the bones were discovered to be flutes, also called aerophones. While studying the bones, Hebrew University Dr. Laurent Davin noticed tiny holes drilled at regular intervals in some of them. The holes had initially been seen by experts but dismissed as just natural wear and tear on the fragile bird bones. But closer inspection revealed the precise holes were clearly made by humans. Davin also located carved mouthpieces on the ends of the petite flutes.
Waterfowl – Eurasian Coot and Teal
The remarkable flutes were made from the bones of small duck-like water birds known as Eurasian Coot and Teal. They were found at a site where bird hunting supplied a large portion of daily diet.
The ancient instruments had one to four holes bored into their sides. Micro-CT scans performed on the bones determined the holes were indeed carved for a person’s fingers to cover them to change the sound, similar to present-day flutes.
All seven flutes had noticeable wear patterns, evidence for their considerable use. Small traces of red ochre were discovered on the largest flute, most likely for decoration. There was also a worn spot indicating where the flute may have hung from a string or strip of leather.
Six of the delicate instruments were found as fragments, while astonishingly, one was discovered whole, measuring 2.5 inches long. “One of the flutes was discovered complete. So far as is known, it is the only one in the world in this state of preservation,” explained researchers Dr. Davin and Dr. Hamoudi Khalaily in a statement sent to IFLScience.
Purpose of the Ancient Instruments
Using a wing bone of a modern female mallard, researchers created a precise replica of the complete flute in an effort to study how it was played and the range of sound it could create. It was found that it made three high, intense frequencies which mimic the calls of particular birds of prey still common in that region.
“Through technological, use-wear, taphonomic, experimental, and acoustical analyses, we demonstrate that these objects were intentionally manufactured to produce a range of sounds similar to raptor calls and whose purposes could be at the crossroads of communication, attracting hunting prey and music-making,” wrote the researchers in a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports.
“The replicas produce the same sounds that the hunter-gatherers may have used years ago,” said Davin and Khalaily. “We, therefore, believe that the Eynan-Mallaha aerophones were made to reproduce the calls of the valued Common Kestrel and Sparrow Hawk.”
Researchers speculated as to the purpose of these raptor-parroting flutes, discussing whether they may have been used to lure raptors to within capturing or hunting distance for their talons.
“If the flutes were used for hunting, then this is the earliest evidence of the use of sound in hunting. This discovery provides important new information on hunting methods and supplements the various prehistoric tools that mark the start of the transition to agriculture and the cultivation of plants and animals in the southern Levant,” said Khalaily.
Exploration of this possibility led to the reality that it would have only attracted a small set of species and the conclusion that such a tactic “would have lacked effectiveness.” Instead, the team theorized that possibly “imitative bird calls were integrated into Natufian musical or dancing practices.” In many other cultures where birds play an important role, bird calling often plays a part of the community’s music.
The Hula Valley is still an important passageway for birds migrating between Europe and Africa, with an estimated 500 million birds flying through the valley each year. Eynan-Mallaha inhabitants would have relied on the annual bird migrations, as well as the birds who live there all year round, playing an important role within both the society and its music.
Connections to the Bible
Talons are mentioned in the Bible with the famous account of King Nebuchadnezzar being humbled by God for taking credit for the glory and power of his kingdom. The talon-like nature of his fingernails signified his beast-like character as part of his humiliation.
Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws. – Daniel 4:33
Musical instruments, including the flute, are mentioned in the Bible as early as Genesis chapter 4 and music was definitely an important part of Old Testament Israel. We read that David sang and danced before the Lord. The Psalms he helped write were songs the community used in worship.
The Bible talks about many percussion instruments such as cymbals, bells, wooden clappers, shakers and drums. We also read of stringed instruments, the lyre and harp.
Specific wind instruments that are mentioned in the Bible include: the shofar, the trumpet, the reed-pipe and the flute.
The Old Testament mentions flutes in a variety of places, being used in a variety of ways: celebrations, mourning, entertainment, worship…
Here are a few of the many examples:
They sing with the tambourine and harp, And rejoice at the sound of the flute. – Job 21:12 (NASB)
Therefore my harp is turned to mourning, And my flute to the sound of those who weep. – Job 30:31
Afterward you will come to the hill of God where the Philistine garrison is; and it shall be as soon as you have come there to the city, that you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place with harp, tambourine, flute, and a lyre in front of them, and they will be prophesying. – 1 Samuel 10:5
Praise Him with tambourine and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute. – Psalm 150:4
Another Possibility
However, there is another option that was not considered by the authors of the study. Since these flutes were meticulously crafted to mimic the high frequency calls produced by just two particular raptor species (the Common Kestrel and Sparrow Hawk), they may not have been well suited for music. Might these flutes instead have been used for falconry – the ancient art of training raptors to hunt wild prey such as rabbits, quail, and ducks for humans?
Whistles producing high pitched tones are used in modern falconry. This includes calling to the raptor from long distances, causing it to swiftly return at the master’s command. The numerous talons found could represent memorials of trusted hunting partners after their years of service were over. Perhaps a paradigm that discounts falconry existing in as ancient a period as these finds kept scholars from making this potential connection.
Intriguingly, the Bible may refer to falconry in this passage from Isaiah:
Remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
calling a bird of prey from the east,
the man of my counsel from a far country.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
I have purposed, and I will do it. – Isaiah 46:9-11
This section relates to Babylon and speaks of the coming judgment that God will bring about 150 years after Isaiah penned these verses. The lands of the Medes and Persians lay to the east of Babylon and they would swoop in to overthrow Babylon in a most unlikely manner in 539 BC.
To emphasize the speed of this God-ordained conquest, the passage compares it to calling a swift bird of prey – as with flutes/whistles in falconry. Additionally, historians note that the standard borne by Persian kings was a golden eagle with wings outspread. This helps us better understand the passage and the fact that falconry was known at the time of Isaiah. The latest findings from Hula Lake show that it may have been known much earlier.
Conclusion
Whatever purpose the ancient flutes served, they are the earliest sound-making devices ever discovered in the Levant. Framed within the wider context of human development in the Middle East, the researchers explained that “it is now clear that the evolution of music was more branched than we supposed before.”
More importantly, these finds can help us better understand the lands and even the writings of the Bible. Keep thinking!
TOP PHOTO: Bone ‘aerophones’ or flutes from Eynan-Mallaha. These seven flutes (each shown from three views) were made from the bones of small waterfowl. (credit: Laurent Davin, Hebrew University)
