Early Horn Uses Pre-historic humankind utilized whatever was useful in their environment. Wherever the primitive lived, they utilized the available materials to signal. Those in the Indian and Caribbean Seas used the Conch shell. The Australian aborigines, the didjeridoo (a bamboo hollowed out by fire ants). Hindus also utilize the Conch Trumpet. In ancient China, the primitives played the Yu - a reed wind instrument made of bamboo. Where is the Shofar in the Bible? Commentators have tracked the word "Shofar" in 7 parts of the Hebrew Scripture: Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Joshua Chronicles and 5-psalms In the first five books of Moses, Shofar is cited: Exodus 19:12-14 13... Only when the ram's horn sounds a long blast may they go up to the mountain." In Leviticus 23 and 24, there is a priestly commandment: "In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts" (Lev. 23:24). There are references to the Shofar in the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, that Gabriel will announce the Messiah with the sound the Shofar. (16;Matthew 24:29-31; I Thessalonians 4:16-17; I Corinthians 15:51-52. Temple Sacrifices Leviticus 1 through 5 enumerates the sacrifices: burnt offering (general atonement), grain offering (worship and recognition of God), peace offering (thanksgiving), sin offering (atonement even for perceived sins and subsequent cleansing from sin), and guilt offering (atonement for sin requiring restitution) generally comprised sacrificial cult of the Holy Temple. These sacrifices often offered together on a personal and corporate basis (community). See Lauren Stouffer, Leviticus Primer, Gordon College, 2004. After the Romans armies destroyed the Holy Temple, the sacrificial cult terminated. During this time, both the Jewish movement and the early Church disbanded the sacrificial rites because it had no reason for being inasmuch as the Temple no longer existed. The Sounds In the Second Temple, two Priests stood atop of a marble stand near the altar signaling trumpet blasts: tekiah, tekiah and teruah. A long note followed a series of short notes; then another long note. In the Mishnah (gathering the laws of the Bible, written in 200 CE by great-grandchildren of those who worshipped at The Temple in Jerusalem) there is a difference of opinion when reciting the manner of Shofar sounding in the Temple in Jerusalem. The Sages indicate that on Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) Two Shofars and one trumpet are sounded at the sacrifices. The remainder of the year, two trumpets and one Shofar. There are others who contend that the Shofar was sounded only on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur during the Jubilee Year (every 50-years when debts and servitude is forgiven). The fact is that whatever was the system was forgotten in three generations. There is also a dispute as to what the Shofar sounds should be. The Sages agreed on the "Teki'ah" blast) but differed in "Teruah" note. Some of the Rabbi's indicated that Teruah was 9 staccato sounds; others, three weeping wounds. The Rabbis compromised by adding all both sounds in the service. Reasons for Sounding the Shofar The Saadiah Gaon (10th century CE, head of a famous Babylonian university) offers ten reasons, two of which are cited below: (1) as a reminder to be faithful to the teachings of the Torah, since the Shofar was heard at the giving of the Torah; (2) as a reminder of the prophets, the teachers of righteousness, who raised their voices desire the Shofar to touch our consciences (Abudarham [Jerusalem, 1959 ed.], 269f.).
