A son of Lamech and Adah, credited in Genesis with being the ancestor of all who play the lyre and pipe.
Accounts of this vary across texts and traditions. This entry primarily follows Hebrew Bible (Genesis), with other tellings (Masoretic Text (Hebrew Bible), Septuagint (Greek translation), Jewish and Christian rabbinic and patristic tradition) noted where relevant.
Introduction
Jubal is a son of Lamech and Adah, in the line of Cain, credited in Genesis 4:21 as "the ancestor of all those who play the lyre and pipe", an early reference to the origin of music in the biblical text's account of the development of human culture.
Family
A cultural founder
Jubal is one of three sons of Lamech each credited with founding a distinct aspect of early civilisation, in his case music, specifically stringed and wind instruments, making him, in the text's own terms, the ancestral figure behind musical performance.
This entry is independently written for myVamsam using the sources listed above.
Where traditions differ, this entry identifies the relevant tradition rather than presenting one account as universally established fact.