Window into the Bible
Percussion Instruments
Percussion instruments often accompany stringed and wind instruments in Israelite worship. Psalm 150:3-5 states: 'Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with the tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute, praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.'
Scroll down the page for further information about each image. Click on each image to bring up a full sized picture (some of the images on this page are cropped). You can right click on each image and save using 'save background as'.
Sistrum
Date: 1st century AD
Place: Pompeii, Italy
Photographed at the Naples National Archeological Museum, Naples, Italy.
Sistrums were part of the musical ensemble that accompanied the ark to Jerusalem during the reign of King David. In 2 Samuel 6:5 it states:
'David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.'
Faience Sistrum
Date: 570 - 526 BC
Place: Egypt
This sistrum depicts a shrine at the top with the head of the goddess Hathor below.
Photographed at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Bronze Sistrum
Date: Unknown
Place: Tomb at Horoztepe [Turkey]
Photographed at the Museum of Anatolyan Civilisation, Ankara, Turkey.
Bronze Sistrum
Photographed at the Louvre Museum, Paris, France.
Ceremonial Rattle
Date: 3rd Century BC
Place: Orvieto [Italy]
Made of bone, ivory and shell and featuring lion's heads.
Photographed at the British Museum, London, England.
Ceramic Rattle
Date: 1200 - 1025 BC
Place: Megiddo, Israel
Many of these rattles have been discovered. They are quite heavy and are not likely to be a child's toy. It is believed that they may have been used in dance rituals.
Photographed at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Tambourine (right) & Tambour (left)
Date: 1069 - 332 BC
Place: Egypt
Photographed at the Louvre Museum, Paris, France.
Hathor headed Ivory Clap stick
Date: 1300 - 1200 BC
Place: Beth Shean, Israel
Made from Hippo Ivory. Clappers were used in pairs, held together by string, and clapped above the worshipper's head. They were often associated with processions for the goddess Hathor. Many feature a hand at the top.
Photographed at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Ivory Clap Stick
Date: 1880 BC
Place: Hu, Egypt
Photographed at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Two Bronze Cymbals
Date: 4th - 2nd century BC
Place: Greek
Inscribed with the owners name 'Oata'.
Photographed at the British Museum, London, England.
The Apostle Paul likens doing things for God without love to the sound of a clanging cymbal. (1 Corinthians 13:1)
Bronze Cymbals
Date: 1st Century AD
Place: Pompeii [Italy]
Photographed at the Naples National Archeological Museum, Naples, Italy.
Bronze Cymbals
Photographed at the Louvre Museum, Paris, France.
Bronze Cymbals
Date: 3rd Millenium BC
Place: Unknown
Photographed at the Istanbul Archaeology Museum, Istanbul, Turkey.
|
Scraper
Date: unknown Place: unknown
|
Scraper decorated with the head of a caprid (antelope). A terracotta flat bone was rubbed unto the slot to produce a rattling sound.
Photographed at the Louvre Museum, Paris, France.