The earliest known depiction of a music scene in the archaeological research of Israel was recently discovered. The scene, appearing on a seal impression from 5,000 years ago, portrays a rite in a “sacred marriage” ceremony between the king and a goddess in Mesopotamia that included music and dancing, a banquet, a meeting between the king and the goddess and their sexual union.

The discovery appears on a rare 5,000 year old cylinder seal impression from the Early Bronze Age. So believe archaeologists Dr. Yitzhak Paz, Dr. Ianir Milevski and Nimrod Getzov of the Israel Antiquities Authority, who presented their new findings in a recent symposium entitled: “Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll” on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The impression, which was found in the 1970s at the Bet Ha‘Emeq antiquities site during an archaeological survey conducted in the Western Galilee by Dr. Rafi Frankel, was made using a cylinder seal rolled along the surface of the clay before it was fired, forming a series of repeating designs.

The scene depicted on the seal impression includes three female figures, two standing and one sitting. The seated figure is playing an instrument that appears to be a lyre – a musical instrument known from the ancient world.