The 'angels' hymn' (Lk 2'^), Gloria in Excelsis, etc., has been made the foundation of another doxology by the addition of several non-biblical sentences. This, which is known liturgically as the ' greater do.Kology,' occurs in one of its forma in the Psalter of Codex A (LXX), while the ' lesser' {Gloria Patri, etc.) is wholly extra-biblical.
DRACHMA See Money. DRAG.— See Net!
DRAGON. — Four Heb. words are rendered in AV by this fabulous name. 1. cjn tanntm, dragons, the plural of ]S tan, which latter is not used in Scriptiue. This word signifies a howler, and refers to a beast inhabiting the desert. RV tr. it in every instance hy jackals. But in Is 13^* 34"- '^ it is found associated with d'^s Hi/i/im (which would seem to be the same as ibn-dwa in Arab., vulgo wdwi). This animal is undoubtedly the jackal. It is clear that the same animal would not be men- tioned twice in a short list of animals, and by two totally different names. We must therefore seek for another desert howler, than which none could fulfil the conditions better than the wolf. The Arab, word tindn is one of the names of the wolf The LXX renders tannlm variously. Thus Job 30^, Is 34" 43™ aeiptji/is, Ps 44" itditMiris, Is 13-' ^?m, Jer 10=^ 49^ arpovdol, Jer 9" 14« 51", Mic 1* SpdKovret. 2. D'jg tannim, a singular form, which is probably a clerical slip for I'jn tannin (Ezk 29' 32-'), as the latter is the reading in several MSS. This is properly rendered dragon in both AV and RV of the first passage, and in RV of the second, where AV has whale in text and dragon in marg., the reference being to the crocodile, and applied to Pharaoh. 3. ni;J3 tannOth (Mai P), a fern, plural of tan, rendered by RV jackals, but preferably, for the reason given above ( 1 ), /e»»a/e wolves, i. pji? tannin, pi. O'i'i'i tanninlm. This word is the exact equivalent of the Arab, tannin, pi. tanitnin, which signifies ' a great serpent,' or ' a dragon,' or some mytliical sea monster, of which it is said that it was two leagues in length, of a colour like that of a leopard, with scales like those of a fish, two great fins, a head of the size of a hill, but in shape like a man's, two great ears, and two round eyes, and from its neck branched six other necks, every one nearly 20 cubits long, and every one with a head like a serpent. The LXX translates this Spinuv, dragon, in every case except Gn 1", where it is k^tos, AV tchales, RV sea
digested seeds would account for the alimentary value (slight though it might be) of dove's dung. Furthermore, doves convey nourishment to their squabs by disgorging some of the partiallydigested food from their crops. Someof the grams would occvsionally be spilled. In addition, the dung contains feathers, scale.H of epiilcrmis, and other organic d6bris. When it is remem- bered that such substances as tanned leather, qhte. ground ivood, and all manner of tainted garbage are greedily devoured by starving men, it is not strange, or beyond belief, that dove'l dung was eaten in Samaria in the last agony of despair.
DRAGON'S WELL
DREAD, DREADFUL
621
monstert. In AV (Job 7") it is rendered whale, and in RV sea monster. It is applied to sea monsters under the name dragons, in AV and RV (Fs 74" 148', Is 27') ; and to land serpents, even of the smaller sort (Ex "'• '"■ ", where it is tr. serpents [RVm ' Heb. tannin, any lar^'e reptile,'] Dt 32-'», Ps 91", where it is tr. in A\ dragon, and in RV serpent). In every case it might have been trans- lated 'dragon' as in LXX (see Serpent, 2). It is applied metaphorically to Pharaoh (Ps 74", Is 51* ; cf. o'^B (2) above). In the comparison of Nebuchmlnezzar with a dragon (Jer 51"), we may still imagine the reference to be to a crocodile, which may well have existed in the Euphrates at that time.
The word ps? tannin (La 4') is either the Aram, form of C'js tanntm or a textual error for it (Siegf.- Stade), or a defective scription for OTi? (Lbhr). It is rendered in AV sea monsters, and in RV jackals. The reference is prob. to some fierce desert mammalian. The same objection obtains to the jackal as that stated in the case of o'jg tannlm ( 1 ). The word is preferably rendered wolves. It might, as in AV, refer to some cetacean sea monster were it not for the comparison with the ostrich, which would seem to imply that it was a land animal.
In NT the word dragon (Rev 12"'-) clearly refers to a symbolical, serpent • like monster. Modifications ot this ideal have obtained credence in the legends of almost all civilized nations. Dragons of all shapes and sizes have been described and figured, and their lairs are still pointed out in every land. Representations of them are found on coins, in pictures, sculptures, and even on the banners of nations, aa on that of China to-day. Dragon worship has prevailed in many lands. The serpent of Gn 3 was transformed ultimately into the 'old serpent called the Devil and Satan' (Rev 20^). Apollo slew the Python. The story of Bel and the Dragon shows how the idea of this monster was lodged in the Hebrew mind. G. E. Post.