Abstract：This paper discusses eight musical instruments used in the Old Testament: tarp,flute,lyre;trumpet;horn,drum,and cymbals,in order to illuminate both of their holy and secular functions,their anthropological and musical meanings and the semantic changing routes of their names ad well.Since the analysis is based upon Chinese Union Version of the Bible with the original Hebrew terms for the instruments added,it also pays much attention to the shifting of the biblical meanings and images during the history of translation.
