Do you hear what I hear? A study of musical instruments and musical activity in Iron Age Israel/Palestine and surrounding cultures of the ancient Near East

Abstract

It is true that the music of antiquity is now mute, but archaeology has provided valuable artifacts pictorial representations showing musical activity and musical instruments of the ancient world. Several scholars have conducted paramount research regarding music from every period in the ancient Near East, and contributed greatly to the field. Further study, however, is required. This paper presents new questions to previously studied Near Eastern musical artifacts and iconography. These queries explore the areas of identifying instruments in artifacts and iconographic depictions, performance techniques, gender identification of musicians in depictions, and the use of space in cultic activities involving music. The goal of this study is to shed additional light and generate further discussion in these areas of musical activity in the Ancient Near East. As expected, this study is difficult. Nevertheless, these questions must be addressed in an effort to better understand music activity in ancient Israel/Palestine and surrounding Near Eastern cultures.