spring. In the New Test, the terms translated lance" are xopoc (radically expressive of the same ea of circular motion), applied to a festive occasion connection with music (Luke xv, 25), and dpxioftai^ erally to leap up and down, but conventionally used later times to denote a regular dance according to le, either in concert (Matt, xi, 17 ; Luke vii, 82) or ' a single person, especially in the elaborate panto- 'me dance of Roman times (Matt, xiv, 6 ; Mark vi, ). (See Smith's Diet, of Class, Antiq, s. v. Saltatio, intomimus.)
As emotions of joy and sorrow universally express emselves in movements and gestures of the body, forts have been made among all nations, but espe- &11y among those of the South and East, in propor- )n as they seem to be more demonstrative, to reduce
measure and to strengthen by unison the more easurable— those of joy. The dance is spoken of in >ly Scripture universally as symbolical of some re- ucing, and is often coupled for the sake of contrast ith mourning, as in Eccles. iii, 4, ** a time to mourn id a time to dance" (comp. Psa. XX, 11 ; Matt, xi, 17). ChQ- ren dance spontaneously (Job xi, 11 ; Matt, xi, 17; Luke vU,
0.
1. At a very early period, danc- ig was enlisted into the service r religion among the heathen ; le dance, enlivened by vocal ad instrumental music, was a sual accompaniment in all the recessions and festivals of the ods (Strabo, x) ; and, indeed, so idLspensable was this species of iolent merriment, that no cere- loniol was considered duly ao- omplished — no triumph rightly elebrated, without the aid of andng. The Hebrews, in com- Aon with other nations, had their acred dances, which were per- ormed on their solemn anniver- aries, and other occasions of :ommemorating some special to- cen of the divine goodness and fa- '^OT, as means of drawing forth, in the liveliest manner, heir expressions of joy and thanksgiving. The per- formers were usually a band of females, who, in cases >f public rejoicing, volunteered their services (Exod. sv, 20; 1 Sam. xviii, 6), and who, in the case of relig- ious observances, composed the regular chorus of the temple (Psa. cxlix, 8 ; cl, 4), although there are not venting instances of men also joining in the dance on these seasons of religious festivity. Thus David deem- ed it no way derogatory to his royal dignity to dance on the auspicious occasion of the ark being brought np to Jerusalem (2 Sam. vi, 14, 16). The word used to describe his attitude is significant of violent efforts II.— T T
of leaping (tS-bsS '^S'???, '^?7??'' ^!?^) ; and, from the apparent impropriety and indecency uf a man advanced in life, above all a king, exhibiting such freaks, with no other covering than a linen ephod, many learned men have declared themselves at a loss to account for so strange a spectacle. It was, unques- tionably, done as an act of religious homage ; and when it is remembered that the ancient Asiatics were accus- tomed, in many of their religious festivals, to throw off their garments even to perfect nudity, as a symbol sometimes of penitence, sometimes of joy, and that this, together with many other observances that bear the stamp of a remote antiquity, was adopted by Moham- med, who has enjoined the pilgrims of Mecca to en- compass the Kaaba clothed only with the ihram, we may perhaps consider the linen iphody which David put on when he threw off his garments and danced be- fore the ark, to be symbolic of the same objects as the ihram of the Mohammedans (see Foster's Mohamme' danism Unveiled), llie conduct of David was imita- ted by the later Jews, and the dance was incorporated among their favorite usages as an appropriate close of the joyous occasion of the feast of Tabernacles. * ' The members of the Sanhedrim, the rulers of the syna- gogues, doctors of schools, and all who were eminent for rank or piety, accompanied the sacred music with their voices, and leaped and danced with torches in their hands for a great part of the night, while the women and common people looked on." This strange and riotous kind of festivity was kept up till exhaus- tion and sleep dismissed them to their homes (Buxtorf, De Sifnag, Jud. cap. 21).
The character of the ancient dance was ver}' differ- ent from that of ours, as appears firom the conduct of Miriam, who '*took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances." Precisely similar is the Oriental dance of the present day, which, accompanied of course with
Arab Dnnce.
music, is led by the principal person of the company, the rest imitating the steps. The evolutions, as well as the songs, are extemporaneous — ^not confined to a fixed rule, but varied at the pleasure of the leading dancer ; and yet they are generally executed with so much grace, and the time so well kept with the simple notes of the music, that the group of attendants show wonderful address and propriety in following the vari- ations of the leader's feet. The missionary Wolff de- scribes a festival of some Eastern Christians, where one eminent individual, who led the song as well as the dance, conducted through the streets of the city a numerous band of people, who leaped and danced in