Dancers on a Seal from Abel Beth Maacah

Evidence for the material culture of ancient Israel comes mostly from artifacts and archaeology and attests to the influence of the great empires that surrounded Israel.

Artifacts help historians reconstruct the past, using layers of excavation to establish the chronology of the sites they excavate.

Though few musical instruments have survived from the biblical period, the archaeological record includes numerous depictions of people performing music, song, and dance.