David and the holy musicians

King David is enthroned, with his feet resting on a squat footstool, below the volute on the south (gallery) side of the capital. His dress is noble and he is playing on a lyre or rebec. The inscription reads: D[AVI]D CITAR[AM] P[ER]CVTIEBAT IN DOMO D[OMI]NI (“David played the cittern in the house of the Lord“). Facing him, below the right corner of the same side, stands Asaph, who is playing a zither-like instrument. He too is accompanied by an inscription, of which the first line is to be read backwards: ASAPH CV[M] LIRA (“Asaph with the lyre”). On the east side Heman, is represented alone, to the far right, while the inscription is placed in the centre of the pictorial field: EMAN CVM ROTA (“Heman with the rota“). Here too the first line of the inscription, with the name of the musician, is to be read backwards. On the north side stands Ethan; he holds a large tambourine in his left and beats it with his right hand. Beside him is the inscription: ETAN CVM TIMPHANO (“Ethan with the tympanon“). On the west side Jeduthun stretches out his arms, with a cymbal in each hand. His cloak, which he has flung behind his shoulders, is fluttering through his vigorous movement. Like the other musicians, he too is identified by an inscription: ET IDITVN CVM CIMBALAS (“and Jeduthun with the cymbals“). Here, in this capital, the sculptor has distributed the figures and inscriptions between the four sides.
When David became King of Judah, he chose Jerusalem as his capital and placed the Ark of the Covenant there. He also wrote the Psalms, which play an important role in the Jewish as also in the Christian liturgy. The representation of David is not unusual in this cloister; it is also found for example in the monastery of La Daurade in Toulouse.

Heman cymbal tambourine cittern rebec inscription musicians David Asaph Ethan Jeduthun D[AVI]D CITAR[AM] P[ER]CVTIEBAT IN DOMO D[OMI]NI ASAPH CV[M] LIRA EMAN CVM ROTA ETAN CVM TIMPHANO ET IDITVN CVM CIMBALAS