Dan

A city which marked the most N. point of Pal., and naturally became linked with Beersheba, the boundary town in the south. The phrase ' from Dan to Beersheba ' was at once pictur- esque and suggestive of dimension, and in times of national crisis emphasized the fact that amid all tribal distinctions there was a common inheritance —the whole land of Israel (Jg 20', 1 S S™, 2 S 3'"). The chief independent notice is the account of the Danite invasion given in Jg 18, where the change of namt!

from Laish or Leshem is accounted for. In all likelihood it is the same place that is referred to in the census-journey of Joab as Danjaan, 2 S 24". If the reading ja'ar instead of ja'an be accepted, it would indicate the first point of contact with the rocky ground and oak scrub of Lebanon, which the Arabs call wn'ar. At Dan Jeroboam set up one of the calves of gold (1 K 12'). Dan di-sajipears from Scripture after the invasion of Benliadad (I K \S^, 2 Ch 16).

It is referred to by Josephus, Eusebius, and .ferome in terms that identify it with the present Tell el-^^adi (although G. A. Smith prefers to locate Dan at Banias). The mound rises out of a close jungle of tall bushes and rank reeds, with larger trees on the higher slopes, until an irregular oblong plateau is reached, about 40 ft. high on the N. side and 80 ft. on the S.

, and resting upon one of the broad fringe- like terraces with wliicli the skirts of Herinon sweep down towards the i>lain of Huleh (L. Merora). On the W. side, amid the rough boulders and blocks of ancient masonry that cover the ground, there gushes out the immense fountain (Leddan) that forms by far the largest source of the Jordan current, where 6 miles down it meets the waters from the upper springs of Hiusteya and Banias. I^iTKitATv'RR.

— Uobinson, BfiP; Thomson, Latid a}ut Book; Smith, IKlllL 473, 48Uf.; Moore, Jvulijft, .filil; see also art. Cau7 (001-UB.N). G. M. Mack IB. DANCING is, in its origin, an expression of the feelings by movements of the botfy more or less controlled by a sense of rhythm. It was practised, therefore, long before it was raised to the dignity of an art, being aimplv a natural development of the tendency to employ gesture, either as an accompaniment to, or a substitute for, speech.

We may dislinguisli three stages in the early his- tory of dancing, as exemplified in the practice of ancient nations: (1) Us rudest ami most unstudied form, the outward e.yprcssion of exuberant feel- ing; (2) the pantoiiiimic dance, in which, e.g., the movements of hostile armies were represented ; (3) the dance pure and simple, the exhibition of 550 DANCING DANCING the poetry of motion, of all the grace of attitude and all the flexibility of which the body is capable.

Social dancing, as we now understand it, was almost, if not altogether, unknown in ancient times. Whatever view we may hold of the presence or position of Israel in Egypt, we have no evidence to show that the Hebrews borrowed thence their love or their methods of dancing. They never seem, in ancient times, to have reached the third of the stages which we have enumerated. We hear nothing of performances by professional artists, similar to those representea on the Egyp.

monu- ments, and supposed by Lane to have been the direct ancestors of the modem Ghawazee. There is no mention of solo or figure dancing, of contra- dances (unless we attach this meaning to the n'jino c"j"~n, Ca 6"), or of anything approaching in elaboration the performances associated with the Feast of Eternity. Still less can we expect a reasoned appreciation of the exercise as a means of developing the mind and body, such as we have in Plato's Laws.

All the allusions point to spon- taneous movements ; in processions these would be impromptu on the part of the leaders, and more or less closely imitated by the others. Three ideas are represented in the vocabulary : leaping, circ- ling, and making merry. Thus i:r>, ^Pl (Ec 3*, 1 Ch 15^), to leap ; iriD, to circle (2 S 6"- '") ; SVin (Jg 21^, Ps 87'), to twist oneself ; pnif, p-v (Jg 16^, 1 S 18', 1 Ch 152»), lit. to laugh.

It is self-evident that these words might be used in a looser and in a more technical sense. They were applied to the artless play of the children (Job 21'"), as well as to the dancing of the adults.

Few as are the references in the Bible, they show that almost any occurrence might be associated with dancing : the return of the prodigal, the commemoration of an hist, event, the welcoming of a hero on his return from battle, the ingather- ing of the vintage, — whatever called for an expres- sion of joy or excited the heart to gladness. Of dancing for its own sake, of its practice as an art, there is no trace.

Leyrer sees a possible exception to this in Ca 6", but the passage is too obscure to admit positively of such an explanation. Whether we should look on Mahanaim as the name of a place, or as descriptive of a dancing in which two rows of performers took part, or whether, with Delitzsch, we should understand an allusion to the angels, must remain a matter of doubt.

The only unmistakable instance of artistic dancing is that mentioned in Mt 14", the performance of Herodias' daughter 'in the midst' of the guests assembled on Herod's birthday. This was due, however, to the introduction of Greek fashions, through contact with the Romans, who had adopted them, and hardly belongs to our subject. It is with dancing in connexion with the religions rites and ceremonies of the Hebrews tliat we are mainly concerned in this article. Their religion was, esp.

in preexilic times, predominantly social and joyful. It found its proper ^.sthetic expres- sion in a merry sacrificial feast, which was the public ceremony of a township or clan. Then the crowds streamed into the sanctuary from all sides, dressed in their gayest attire, marching joyfully to the sound of music. Universal hilarity pre- vailed ; men ate and drank and made merry to- gether, rejoicing before their god (W. R. Smith, lis 2.36 fT. ).

To such a religion dancing would be a natural adjunct. The cultus was not a system of rites, artificially contrived to express and maintain theological doctrines, but the free outcome of the religious feelings, which found vent in the way suggested by, and in harmony with, the disposi- tion and genius of the people. It is not surprising.

however, that we find comparatively few reference-S to this part of the cultus in OT, or that no pro- vision is made for it in the regulations contained in the recognized standards of the priests. There is no trace of the existence among the Hebrews of any class of priests corresponding to the Salii of ancient Rome, and their vintage and other festivals are far from possessing the significance of the great carnivals of the pagan world.

The fact seems to be that the priestly historians and legis- lators resolutely excluded, as far as possible, every- thing that could infer any similarity between the worship of J" and that of heathen deities. Never- theless, enough remains to show that dancing was practised and acknowledged as part of the Heb. ritual. The dancing of Miriam and the women of Israel (Ex 15^'-) may have been due to an ancient ceremony connected with the Passover.

In any view of it, the dance formed an essential part of an act of worship (cf. Is 30^). At the annual vintage festival at Sliiloh — ' a feast of the Lord ' — the maidens came out and joined in dances in the vineyards (Jg 21'*"^'). When David took part in the procession at the removal of the ark, he did so in a priestly capacity : he wore the linen ephod, the official dress of the priests (2 S e"). These passages exhaust the list of religious dances in OT.

But the allusions in the Psalms and Prophets, and the references to the rites in honour of idols, point in tlie same direction ; e.g. the dance round the golden calf (Ex 32'"), and at tlie altar of Baal (1 K IS'*). The people retained in later times their fondness for dancing in connexion with religious rites, as is shown by the ceremonies connected with the Feast of Tabernacles and the Day of Atonement. On the latter day, and on the 15th Abib, the maidens of Jerus.

are said to have gone in white garments, specially lent them for the purpose so that rich and poor might be on an equality, into the vine- yards close to the city, where they danced and sang. The following fragment of one of their songs has been preserved, and is thus given by Edersheim — ' Around in circle ^y, the Hebrew maidens see ; From them our happy youths their partners chooM. Remember ! Beauty soon its charm must lose — And seek to win a maid of fair degree.

^Tien fading grace and beauty low are laid, Then praise shall her who feare the Lord await ; God does bless her handiwork — and, in the gate, " Her works do follow her," it shall be said.' The other dance festival was held on the day preceding the Feast of Tabernacles, and is said tc nave been instituted by Judas Maccabseus. At the appointed time everyone went to the ' house of the Sho'ebah,' carrying branches with lemons attached, for the procession round the altar.

In the court were large candelabra, each with four arms; four priests, or youths of priestly descent, climbed ladders, filled tlie vessels with oil, and lit the wicks, which were made of cast-olf belts of the priests. All .lerus. was lighted from the fires. The whole multitude joined in the laudations that followed. Men famous for their piety and good works danced with lighted torches, and {jreat scholars like Hillel were not above exhibiting their dexterity and agility to the admiring crowd.

Meanwhile the LeWtes, standing on the steps that led from the court of the men to that of the women, accompanied the performance with psalms and canticles, and the sound of the kinnOrs and cymbals was heard, with trumpets and other musical instruments. The whole festival is proof of that irrepressible love of display and hilarity which revealed itself in the popular religion of J udaism. Ln-BRATCRS.— Spencer, Df Leg. Hit. 1». 4 ; Vose. Gftch. der Tamtcunut : Grove (etc.)

Dancing, in 'B*dminton Libran-'; Levrer PKE^ iv. pp. 206-208; Wetitein, ZeiUcltr. /ur Btk DANDLE DANIEL 551 nologit, 1873, p. 285 ff. ; Smith. RS^ p. 432 ; Tristram, Haitem Cuttomt. pp. 207-210; Uelilisch, Irit, pp. 18»-20« ; Conder, Tent Work, pp. 306, 820, 346. J. MiLLAK. DANDLE (prob. from It. dandola or dondola, a doll), to ' toss gently,' is found Is 66" ' be dandled upon her knees.' Cf. Palsgrave (1530), ' I dandyll, as a mother or nourryce doth a childe upon her lappe'; and Bp.

Hall (1614), 'If our Church, on WDUse lappe the vilest miscreants are dandled.' It is doubtful, however, if this tr. is accurate enough, though RV retains it. The Heb. (I'lV) is to stroke or caress, rather tlian to toss or dandle. The older versions have ' be joyful upon her knees'; except Wye. 1380, 'daunte you,' 13S8, ' speke plesauntly to you,' and Douay, ' speake you fayre.' J. Hastings.