2026-05-05T20:27:44Zhttps://uvadoc.uva.es/oai/request

oai:uvadoc.uva.es:10324/817602026-05-01T20:00:32Zcom_10324_1142com_10324_931com_10324_894col_10324_1258

2026-01-18T15:47:20Z urn:hdl:10324/81760 Identifying the “hands” (and the “ears”) of the Mesopotamian lilissu-kettledrum Sánchez Muñoz, Daniel Arqueomusicología Lengua acadia Epigrafía cuneiforme Mesopotamia Timbales Rituales Producción Científica This article deals with the identification of some “hands” related to the lilissu Mesopotamian cultic kettledrum. So far, Assyriologists have identified them in four different ways: as handles, tuning bolts, drumsticks, or as ritual figurines placed inside the kettle of this drum. After philological, iconographic, musicological, and crosscultural evaluations, this article concludes that the identification with figurines is the most appropriate. Specifically, it is argued here that these hands would represent the gods sent to the underworld by Marduk when he became the new divine ruler of the universe. Taking advantage of this debate, the present article also argues that some “ears” of the lilissu would denote handles that helped the kalû-priest to lift and play the drum while standing. 2026-01-18T15:47:20Z 2026-01-18T15:47:20Z 2025 info:eu-repo/semantics/article Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 2025, vol. 84, n. 1, p. 65-76 0022-2968 https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/81760 https://doi.org/10.1086/734694 65 1 76 Journal of Near Eastern Studies 84 eng https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/734694 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internacional The University of Chicago Press Journals