Minster Ham is the term applied to a sanctuarj'- house, in which persons were afforded refuge for three days. If it were burdened with the king's purvej-ance, they might remain for d longer period.
Minstrel (".V^"?) menaggen', one striking the harp, 2 Kings iii, 15: avXrjTiif;, Matt, ix, 33, a flute-player, "piper," Rev. xviii, 22). Music was often employed by the Hebrews for sacred purposes, and in the case of Elisha it appears to have conduced to inspiration (2 Kings iii, 15). See Music. It was a usual accompani- ment of funerals likewise (Matt, ix, 33 ; comp. Josephus, War, iii, 9, 5), as it is still in the East (see Hackett's Illustra. of Script, p. 113). See Burial.
The English word minstrel represents the French word menestral, which is itself a diminutive of ininistrel' and is applied to the class of persons who administered to the amusement of their patrons by their skill in music and poetn,'. Chaucer uses the word minister in the sense of minstrel in his Dreame (Richardson, s. v., and Du Cange, Gloss.). The class of minstrels had in me- dieval times a social position almost akin to the bards and scalds whose Sagas they sung and whose inspiration they imitated at humble distance. Musical sound has been an accompaniment of religious worship in all coun- tries. The expert player on the musical instrument has been associated with the possessor of yet higher fao-
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ulties (sec Wilkinson's A ncient Egyptians, chap, ii, and representations of harpers in the tomb of Kamescs III, Thebes; Sliiller's ///*■/. of Greek Literature, cha^. xii). The "pleasant voice and lovely song," and the art of " playing well on an instrument," were associated with the functions of projjhecy (Ezek. xxxiii, 31-33). Vari- ous passages of Holy Scripture show that the skilful performance of sacred music formed a large portion of the education of the sons of the prophets ; 1 Sam. x, b, " Thou shalt meet a company (ban, Sept. xopof) of prophets coming down from the high place, with a psal- tery, a tabret, a pipe, and a harp be/ore them [see Proimi- kt], and they shall prophesy." It is not certain wheth- er the prophets were here distinct from the players on instruments, but most probably they were the same in- dividuals as those of whom we read elsewhere, that they "should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with- cymbals" (1 Chron. xxv, 1); that they resembled " the sons of Asaph, of Ileman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with a harp, according to the order of the king, to give thanks and to praise the Lord" (see also ver. G, 7). In this passage the performance of sacred song and choral music in the temple received the exalt- ed ilesignation of prophecy. Sacred music, " a joyful noise unto the Lord," and " thanksgiving to the Lord upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psal- tery" (Psa. Ixvi, 1 ; lxxxvii,7; xcii, 1-3; c, 1), were char- acteristics of close communion with God. The eifect produced upon the auditors is described (I Sam. x, (5) as being in that instance very remarkable — Saul is assured that when he hoars the prophetic minstrelsy, " the Spirit of the Lord will come upon him, and he shall prophesy with them, and be turned into another man." See ver. II, and comp. 1 Sam. xix, 20-24, the account of the prophets being instructed liy Samuel, and the effect of the holy song under the intluence of the Spirit of (iod upon Saul's messengers, and afterwartls upon Saul him- self. Saul is thus seen to be peculiarly accessible to the highest influences of music, and hence the advice tendered to him by his servants (I Sam. xvi, IC), " Seek out a man who is a cunning player on a harp, and it shall come to pass that when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand and thou shalt be well." The pjirticipial form 'S'S'a (from 'J!, in Piel, which is used of striking the strings of a musical instrument) is here translated "a player," and in 2 Kings iii, 1.5, "minstrel." The effect produced on Saul was re- markable. See Sail. The custom of applying such a remedy to mental disturbance may be traced in other writings. Thus Quintil. {Instil. Orat. lib. ix, chap. 4) says, " Pythagoreis moris fuit, cum somnum peterent ad lyram prius Icnire mcntes, ut si quid fuisset turbidiorum cogitationum componerent"(comp. Plutarch, I)e Miisica, and Aristotle, Pol. lib. viii, chap. 5 ; Apollonius Dyscolos, De Mirit, quoted by (irotius, ad loc, 'Inrot >} KaraXav- aiQ T)]Q Siavoiac tKiTTuaiig. See also Kin/f Lear, act. ii, sc. v, where music is used to bring back the wandering mind of Lear). Josephus (/in/, vi, 8, 2), in his account of the transaction, associates the singing of hymns by David with the harp-playing, and sliows that though the tragedy of Saul's life was lightened for a while by the skilful minstrelsy of David, the raving madness soon triumphed over the tranquillizing intluence (comp. 1 Sam. xviii, 10; xix, 10). AVeemse (ChrlM. Stpiarpt/ue, chap, vi, § 3, par. G, p. 143) supposes that the music ap- propriate to such occa.sions was " that which the Greeks called uppovia}', which was the greatest and the sad- dest, and settled tlie affections."