Did the Israelites Use Drum-Like Instruments in The Worship in the Solomonic Temple?
Concerning the use of drum-like instruments in the temple, I recently found the following information online:
Percussion
The Bible doesn’t mention drums as we think of them. Israelites used cymbals, bells, tambourines, and castanets.
Cymbals: both selselim and mesiltayim are translated as “cymbals.” They were played in pairs and may have been as small as finger cymbals. Selselim, which occurs infrequently (2 Samuel 6:5), is from the Hebrew for “clattering” or “whirring,” as an insect’s wings. Mesiltayim is from the Hebrew for “double tinklers” and is used extensively in reference to the ark of the covenant (1 Chronicles 13:8; 15:16) and the temple (1 Chronicles 25:1, 6; 2 Chronicles 12—13; 29:25), as well as the dedication of the wall and temple after the return from Babylon (Ezra 3:10; Nehemiah 12:27).
Castanets: Menaanim are difficult to identify, as the definition we have is “an instrument made of fir or juniper wood.” Most likely, they were similar to our castanets, small finger cymbals made of wood. Israelites used them to celebrate the return of the ark from the Philistines (2 Samuel 6:5). Since this celebration was impromptu and menaanim are not mentioned in temple worship, it was probably a common instrument of the people.
Tambourine: The toph or top seems to be the closest the Israelites had to a drum, although it’s not clear if it had a drumhead or if it was comprised of cymbals or castanets fastened to a ring of wood. Bible versions translate toph as “tambourine,” “timbrel,” or “tabret.” Like the menaanim, it is not mentioned in temple worship but is prolific in celebratory events (Exodus 15:20; 1 Samuel 18:6; 2 Samuel 6:5; Psalm 81:2; 149:3; 150:4; Jeremiah 31:4). Taphaph (Psalm 68:25) is a verb meaning “to beat a tambourine.”
Bells: Bells were used for ornamentation, not specifically for music. Pa’amon were attached to Aaron’s robe (Exodus 28:33–34; 39:25–26), while metsillah, from the Hebrew for “tinkler,” were used on horses’ bridles (Zechariah 14:20). [underlining added to the original]
Does the lack of mention of drum-like instruments in the worship in the Solomonic Temple show that such instruments were not used in the temple worship?
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All those who ministered musically in the inner workings of the Temple, whether priests or Levites, as singers or instrumentalists or both, were men.
The take-away I get from this is that even though women were prohibited from ministering musically "in the inner workings of the Temple," we have no such separations regarding musical ministry in our corporate worship today. After all, even the innermost curtain to the Holy of Holies has been torn apart. Therefore, women are free to worship with their timbrels in our church services without worrying about whether they had been prohibited from doing so in the Temple.
But why should we be concerned with interpreting the lack of mention of drum-like instruments in the first place? You seem to take it for granted that this lack of mention is important. I wasn't trying to bring in a bunch of other topics into the question of whether this is important or not. I was keeping the discussion focused on music in the Bible.
You asserted that "properly explaining the complete lack of mention of these instruments in all the accounts of temple worship is no minor issue," but you didn't explain why you think this is no minor issue. You just asserted it as if everyone would agree that it's true. I don't necessarily agree that it's true, and the New Testament music issue that I brought up would tend to indicate that the lack of mention of a musical instrument is NOT a major issue.
I did explain why interpreting this lack of mention is important: (1) at the beginning of the thread; and (2) here.
Without getting into any further discussion (of the three points listed below), here is a sampling of some of the very important disputes that exist as a result of differing viewpoints about how lack of mention should be interpreted:
1. Some people wrongly hold that people do not have to repent in order to be saved because certain passages say that people believed and were saved, but the passages do not mention that they also repented.
2. Some people wrongly hold that telling people about the Resurrection is not necessary for them to be saved because the Philippian jailor was supposedly saved without hearing anything about the Resurrection.
3. Some people wrongly hold that Paul failed to preach the gospel in Athens at Mars Hill because the account in Acts 17 does not mention that he said the name of Jesus or testified to the Cross or said that Jesus is the Savior in his evangelism on Mars Hill.
Fundamentally, the Spirit in His perfect wisdom inspired the writers of Scripture to say exactly what He wants said and to do so perfectly-- properly interpreting God's inspiring the lack of mention of certain things matters!
There are some groups today that make it a principle to never use musical instruments in their corporate worship, but I've never been a part of one of those groups. If the majority of fundamental Christians today do not abstain from musical instruments in corporate worship, then it stands to reason that the lack of mention of musical instruments in New Testament corporate worship really is a minor matter after all, and therefore the lack of mention of drum-like instruments in temple worship is not quite the major matter as you've been making it out to be either.
In His perfect wisdom, God waited until the final book of the NT to reveal to us that musical instruments are used in the worship of heaven. It's noteworthy that revelation tells us about the use of stringed instruments but does not say anything about the use of percussion instruments in heavenly worship.
Discussion