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.
DANGER.— In Apocr. (Ad. Est 14*, Sir 3'^ 29" 34" 43", 2 Mac 15') and in Ac 19"- •^ 'danger' has its modern meaning ; and so the adj. 'dangerous,' Sir 9", Ac 27'. But in the other passages in which 'danger' occurs (Mt S-'-^*^, Mk 3^) it is used in the obsol. sense of ' power,' ' control ' ; Gr. ^oxos, fr. irlxi^, held in the power of some person or thing, hence (1) 'guilty of,' as Ja 2>°, 1 Co 11" ; (2) ' liable to,' as here. Rv retains ' in danger of,' except Mk 3'* 'guilty of an eternal sin,' for AV ' in danger of eternal damnation,' reading i/iapr^iuiTo! for Kpljeus.