Michael Levy: Composer for Lyre

The Silver Lyre of Ur, c.2600BCE

The Golden Lyre of Ur, c.2600BCE

Early vertically held large lyres & dancers - rock etchings from Negev, Israel c.2000BCE. These lyres seem to be transitional versions of the large Temple Lyres found at Ur. The lyre is still not true

Details of the early vertically held lyres seen in the Negev rock etchings - p.74, "Music in Ancient Israel/Palestine" Joachim Braun

ANCESTORS OF THE HEBREWS IN ANCIENT EGYPT? Dating from c.1900BCE, this is the famous Mural from the tomb of Khnumhotep II, known from his tomb at Beni Hasan.

Canaanite Lyre Player - from the Beni Hasan Mural in Egypt, c.1900BCE.The lyre had now become portable - the perfect adaptation to the nomadic lifestyle of these possible ancestors of the ancient Hebr

Canaanite Lyre Player - the Meggido Ivory, c.1700BCE

Captive Jewish Lyre players from the time of Solomon's Temple - details of a relief from SW Palace of Sennacherib at Nineveh, ca. 701 BC,celebrating the conquest of Jerusalem by the Assyrians

The Biblical Kinnor as depiced on the Simon Bar Kochba coins c.134CE. The Kinnor were the lyres once played by the Levites in the Temple of Jerusalem - remarkably similar to the ancient Greek Kithara!

The Ancient Greek Kithara - remarkably similar to the Hebrew Kinnor, as depicted on the Simon Bar Kochba Coins...

Replica Ancient Greek Kithara - almost identical to the Biblical Kinnor! The Kithara had 7 strings, whereas the Kinnor had 10...

Kithara player from Pompeii

The Ancient Greek Lyra - rear view. The rear view of this instrument is very similar to what may be the Biblical Nevel, as seen on the Simon Bar Kochba & Acco coins...

The Ancient Greek Lyra (skin membrane 7-string lyre with tortoise shell resonator) - front view

Playing the Lyra...

Unique painting of a Kithara lesson - from Pompeii

Seated Roman woman playing a kithara: From Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale, c. 40–30 BCE

The Assyrian Hammered Lyre - Details of a relief from SW Palace of Sennacherib at Nineveh, ca. 701 BC

The hammered lyre appearing 1000 years later, in Cyprus - Paphos Mosaics (4th century CE)

The hammered lyre appearing 1000 years later, in Cyprus - Paphos Mosaics (4th century CE)

The hammered lyre appearing 1000 years later, in Cyprus - Paphos Mosaics (4th century CE)

The hammered lyre appearing 1000 years later, in Cyprus - Paphos Mosaics (4th century CE)

The incredibly well-preserved Trossingen Lyre - The Trossingen lyre is an instrument found in a 6th century warrior’s grave in Trossingen, Germany. It is one of the most complete, if not the most c

Remains of the 6th century Anglo Saxon Lyre found at Sutton Hoo in England. now preserevd in the British Museum.

Replica of the Sutton Hoo Lyre, made by Michael J King

The bowed Welsh Cwryth - now, sadly the only remnant of the Lyres of the Ancient World still now left in Europe...