lilissu
1 Lexical
MB-LexMB-Lex: Middle Babylonian lexical texts — new attestation (not in AHw/CAD) ⸢li ⸣-[ li-is][lilis ditto ＜(kug-sig₁₇?)＞] = [li]-⸢li⸣-is-su Emar 6/1, 376 Msk 74148k r. iiʹ 5ʹ DCCLT. new
10Kettledrum
OBOB: Old Babylonian (ca. 2000–1600 BCE) — new attestation (not in AHw/CAD) 2 bilat sippari ana 1 li-li-si-[i]m ARM 24, 105: 1-2 ARCHIBAB “two talents of copper for one kettledrum”. new
SBSB: Standard Babylonian (ca. 1000–0 BCE) — new attestation (not in AHw/CAD) […] unammaru alû ⸢u li⸣-li-si (∥ šen-ḫur-saĝ-ĝá) RIMB 2, 31: 39 RIBo “… makes the alû -drum and the kettledrum shine.” The Sumerian parallel, lit. “the kettle on the mountain”, likely refers to the goblet-shaped stand of the kettledrum, see Sánchez Muñoz 2023, 157-158. new
NANA: Neo Assyrian (ca. 1000–600 BCE) — new attestation (not in AHw/CAD) arim dubdubbi ⸢x⸣-ḫal-la ša li-li-[sa]-⸢a⸣-[ti] SAA 3, 8 r. 16ʹ SAAo “covered (i.e. tuned) is the dubdubbu -drum, the … of the kettledrums”. new
LBLB: Late Babylonian (ca. 626 BCE – 100 CE) — new attestation (not in AHw/CAD) ša li-li-IŠ!-su siparri dubsar 7, 36: 2 “(2 oxen) for the bronze kettledrum”. li-li-šum ib. 37: 2; 38: 2. new
LBLB: Late Babylonian (ca. 626 BCE – 100 CE) — new attestation (not in AHw/CAD) rikis li-li-su siparri dubsar 7, 173 BM 117458 3 “(honey and oil for) the ritual of the bronze kettledrum”. cf. li-li-su ib. 8. new
LBLB: Late Babylonian (ca. 626 BCE – 100 CE) — new attestation (not in AHw/CAD) rikis ⸢li-li⸣-su siparri YOS 3, 100: 7 eBL “(offerings and ghee for) the ritual of the bronze kettledrum”. new
LBLB: Late Babylonian (ca. 626 BCE – 100 CE) — new attestation (not in AHw/CAD) ⸢ina⸣ GN an[a … adi] ša LI.LI.ÌS ittebbû Akkadica 144, 161-162 “from the GN to ... until the kettledrum begins to rise”. Likely part of a procession. new
LBLB: Late Babylonian (ca. 626 BCE – 100 CE) — new attestation (not in AHw/CAD) n gilit LI.LI.IS YOS 13, 91 l.e. 5 “one kettledrum stool”. Likely a stool used by the performer rather than a stand for the drum, see Akkadica 144, 155-157. new
LBLB: Late Babylonian (ca. 626 BCE – 100 CE) — new attestation (not in AHw/CAD) kaššāptu kīma li-li-si iltasi elīja AMD 10, 57: 31 “the witch has roared at me like the kettledrum”. new
LBLB: Late Babylonian (ca. 626 BCE – 100 CE) — new attestation (not in AHw/CAD) ⸢LI-LI-ÌS⸣ siparri dam erēni tašallaḫšu alpa šâšu ina pan LI-LI-ÌS tapallaqma ŠÀ-bišu ina pan LI-LI-ÌS burāši tasarraq BagM Beih. 2, 5 r. 5-6 “You sprinkle the bronze kettledrum with cedar resin. You slaughter the aforementioned bull in front of the kettledrum. Then you scatter its heart in front of the kettledrum with juniper.” Part of a longer description of the kettledrum ritual. new
Discussion
The identity of the lilissu as a kettledrum is confirmed by a drawing labelled dlilis on TCL 6, 47. Based on iconographic and textual evidence, it can be securely identified as a large bronze kettledrum placed on a goblet-shaped stand and struck with the flat hand.
In cultic use, the kettledrum appears to have replaced the balaĝ-harp starting from the OB period. This accounts for the occasional spelling balaĝli-li-ìs, e.g. CT 4, 318 r. 17. See Gabbay 2014.
For the kettledrum ritual, see CM 25 92-99.