DANCE. The words in the original, rendered in our translation by this term, denote, properly, to jay; and this radical signification, sug gesting the idea of abrupt and boisterous gesticu lations rather than a series of regular and tasteful movements, seems well to comport with what we may suppose to have been the primitive character of the dance. On the other hand, some writers of great erudition have maintained that no allusions whatever are to be found in the O. T. history to this kind of bodily exercise ; and that in most, if not in all the passages, where, in our version, dancing is mentioned, the etymology of the Hebrew, supported in some places by the strain of the con text, seems to point to some kind of musical instrument as being intended by the inspired pen men. Thus, in Exod. xv. 20, where the first notice is taken of dancing, ;inn, coming, as it does from to pierce' or perforate,' and ap plied naturally enough as the name of any tube that may be blown by the breath, is, according to them, used to describe some instrument of the pipe or flute class, as conjoined with timbrels ; and in this interpretation they are supported by the Arabic and Persian versions. But this word, or some derivative from the same root, occurs in Exod. xxxii. 19 ; Judg. xxi. 21, 23 ; I Sam. xviii. 6 ; Jer. xxxi. 4, 13 ; where dancing alone can be intended. Moreover, in the Septuagint, xop6r, a dance, is employed in all the passages of the O. T. just referred to, and in several others ; and it is no small collateral proof that this is the right interpre tation, that people in eastern countries are accus towed to mingle the dance with tabrets to this day. [MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.] The character of the ancient dance was very different from that of ours, as appears from the conduct of Miriam, who took a timbre] 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, accom panied of course with music, is led by the princi pal 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 skew won derful address and propriety in following the varia tions of the leaders feet. The missionary Wolfl describes 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 imitation of the gestures used by him. When the late deputation of the Church of Scotland were on their way through Palestine, their I young Arab guides, to relieve the tedium of the journey, sometimes commenced a native song and dance ; one of them, advancing a little before the rest, began the song, dancing forward as he re peated the words ; when the rest, following him in regular order, joined in the chorus, keeping time by a simultaneous clapping of hands. They sang
' several Arabian songs, responding to one another, dancing and clapping their hands.' At a very early period, dancing was enlisted into the service of religion among the heathen ; the dance, enlivened by vocal and instrumental music, was a usual accompaniment in all the processions and festivals of the gods (Strabo, x.) ; and, indeed, so indispensable was this species of violent merri ment, that no ceremonial was considered duly accom plished—no triumph rightly celebrated—without the aid of dancing. The Hebrews. in common with other nations, had their sacred dances, which were performed on their solemn anniversaries, and other occasions of commemorating some special token of the divine goodness and favour, as means of drawing forth, in the liveliest manner, their expres sions of joy and thanksgiving. The performers were usually a band of females, who, in cases of public rejoicing, volunteered their services (Exod xv. 20 ; Sam. xviii. 6), and who, in the case of religious observances, composed the regular chorus of the temple (Ps. cxlix. 3 ; cl. 4), although there are not wanting instances of men also joining in the dance on these seasons of religious festivity. Thus David deemed it no way derogatory to his royal dignity to dance on the auspicious occasion of the ark being brought up to Jerusalem. The word used to describe his attitude is nn-o, in the re duplicate form, intimating violent efforts of leap. ing ; and from the apparent impropriety and inde cency of 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, unquestionably, done as an act of religious homage ; and when it is remembered that the ancient Asiatics were accustomed, in many of their religious festivals, to throw off their gar ments even to perfect nudity, as a symbol some times of penitence, sometimes of joy, and that this, together with many other observances that bear the stamp of a remote antiquity, was adopted by Mohamet, who has enjoined the pilgrims of Mecca to encompass the Kaaba, clothed only with the ihram, we may perhaps consider the linen Ohod, which David put on when he threw off his gar ments and danced before the ark, to be symbolic of the same objects as the ihram of the Mohammedans (see Forster's Mohammedanism Unveiled). The conduct of David was imitated by the later Jews, and the dance incorporated among their favourite usages as an appropriate close of the joyous occa sion of the feast of Tabernacles. The members of the Sanhedrin, the rulers of the synagogues, 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 exhaustion and sleep dismissed them to their homes (Buxtorf, De Synag. cap. 21).