In the third millennium BC, the inhabitants of the Nile Valley (ancient Egypt) performed religious ceremonies in their temples in front of their numerous deities every day with various human voices and instruments, including large circles.

About 1500 BC, Moses had been taught science and music by the Egyptian priests. At that time, he was accompanied by instruments played by musicians called Tuff which can be similar to Def.

According to a Turkish scholar, Def was played at the wedding of Solomon and Balqis. Among the people, another sign of Def's presence was the carvings of a group of musicians in the ancient ruins of Assyria among which there are various instruments including Def which is not very different compared to the modern Def.

According to traditions from ancient times in ancient Iranian literature, the celebration of Nowruz and the Persian new year were accompanied by the Def’s sound in the Achaemenid and Sassanid Imperial dynasties. In Psalm 149 of “Psalms of David”, it is said: “Praise the Lord ... Praise His Name to Serena … Praise Him with Dance and Daphne ... Praise God in His Holy … Praise the God with Sing of Def and dance”.