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The lyre is the first musical instrument mentioned in the Bible. It is clearly unlike the violin we are familiar with today, which was first made in the 16th century. Some researchers believe that the inventors of the modern violin were Sephardi Jews who brought it to Italy following their expulsion from the Spanish kingdom. Others even claim that Amati – who built the first violin in Cremona, Italy and also taught the craft to the celebrated Stradivari – was of Jewish descent.
