Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Nablia

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

NAB'LIA and NAU'LIA (νάβλα, ναῦλα, and ναῦλον). A musical instrument of Phoenician origin according to Athenaeus (iv. 77.), and doubtless the same as the Hebrew nevel, so often mentioned in the Psalms, whence it came to the Greeks and Romans. It was a stringed instrument, having ten cords according to Sopater (Athen. l. c.), or twelve according to Josephus (Antiq. vii. 10.), was of a square form (Schilte ad Kircher. Musurg. ii. p. 49.), and was played with both hands without the plectrum, but in the same manner as a harp. (Joseph. l. c. Ov. A. Am. iii. 327. duplici genialia naulia palma verrere. Caesius in Asterismo Lyrae, p. 189.) Ovid mentions it as an instrument of the same class as the lyra and cithara, but distinct from both; particularly adapted for use in social life and festive occasions, and the study of which he recommends to all young females who wish to gain admirers and cultivate the art of pleasing. All these particulars agree so well with the instrument and figure exhibited by the annexed woodcut (Nablia/1.1), from a Pompeian painting, as to make it extremely probable that it was intended to represent the nevel, while at the same time they are scarcely reconcileable with the statement of Athenaeus (l. c.) that the instrument in question was a hydraulic organ.

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  Nablia/1.1