DABAREH (H.), a Levitical city at the foot of Tabor, on whose ruins now stands the village Dabury (Josh. xxi. 28). At this place, the events recorded in Matt. xvii. 14-21, are believed to have taken place. The Christians built here a commemorative church on the site of the house into which Jesus was held to have retired after the performance of the miracle. Of this church there are still some remains. They also show, in the vicinity of Tabor, and of the village of Dabury, a fountain, named 'the well of the nine apostles;' who are said to have there awaited the descent of their Master from the Mount of Transfiguration. At an early period there was, on the same spot, a chapel, which was dedicated to the nine apostles.

DAGON (H. from dag, a fish), — the national divinity of the Philistines of Ashdod and Gaza (Judg. xvi. 23. 1 Sam. v. 1, seq.), which appears to have had the head and hands of a man (1 Sam. v. 4), but from the navel downwards the parts of a fish; though authorities here somewhat differ, and Philo makes Dagon to be exclusively a male of the human form. Dagon, as the male, was connected with Derceto or Atergatis, the female fish-god of the Philistines; and, hereby, with Astarte, whose worship was practised by the Philistines (1 Sam. xxxi. 10). The position of the Philistines on the coast, and the food which they drew from the sea, were the causes which led them, in common with other maritime peoples, to pay religious honours to the fish. In Judg. xvi. 25, seq. mention is made of a temple of Dagon which Samson destroyed. The building appears to have resembled a modern Turkish kiosk, which consists of capacious halls, the roof of which is in the fore part supported by pillars. On the roof of such buildings intemperate pleasures were customarily enjoyed. The temple of Dagon in Ashdod was burnt by Jonathan (1 Macc. x. 84. Joseph. 'Antiq.' xiii. 4. 5).

DALMANUTHA (C. bad abode), a town or village beyond Jordan, in the eastern part of the tribe Manasseh, and on the south east of the Sea of Galilee. The place was utterly destroyed by the Romans (Mark viii. 10).

he preached the gospel to the Dalmatians with acceptance and success.

DAMARIS, a woman of Athens, who was converted by the preaching of Paul (Acts xvii. 34). Some have conjectured, that Damaris should be written Damalis, which is a common female name among the Greeks. As no descriptive epithets are employed to distinguish her, she may have been a person of note. However, she owes her chief distinction to her being mentioned by the apostle. Thus even a slight connection with truly great men confers earthly immortality, but eternal life can be gained only by intimate alliance with Christ.

DAMASCUS lies in a plain in the northeast of Syria, being from six to eight days' journey from Jerusalem, and is one of the oldest cities in the world; in whose territory, if we may believe tradition, dwelt Adam, after he had been banished from Paradise. About half a day's journey from Damascus, near Abila, is a lofty hill with a flat top, covered with beautiful trees, and having a cavern. Here Cain and Abel are said to have offered their sacrifices. Damascus-called in Hebrew Dammesek, in Arabic Dimaschk, in Syriac Darmsuk, and by the modern Arabs Es Scham is, as the last name indicates, the capital of Syria. According to Josephus, the place was founded by Uz, a grandson of Shem. The city certainly existed in the days of Abraham; for it is mentioned as the native place of Eliezer, the patriarch's steward; and, from the style of the narrative, the writer evidently held it to be an ancient place (Gen. xiv. xv. 2). Till the time of David, Damascus appears to have been an independent state. In the reign of that monarch, the Syrians of Damascus having sent succour to Hadadezer, king of Zo bah, against whom David was making war, suffered a severe defeat, and became subject to Israel (2 Sam. viii. 3-8). The subjection, however, did not long endure; for, near the end of Solomon's reign, Rezon, a subject of Hadadezer, avenged his sovereign against the Hebrews, by making himself master of the city (1 Kings xi. 23–25); when Damascus became the seat of a new and energetie government, which occasioned trouble and danger to the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Jeroboam II. of Israel overcame Damascus (2 Kings xiv. 28), which was accounted a Hebrew tributary; but, after his death, the city recovered its independence, and Rezin became its sovereign. He united with Pekah, king of Israel, against Judah, whose ruler Ahaz sought aid of Tiglath-Pileser, king of Assyria, who subdued and sacked Damascus

judgment will be held, and the eternal kingdom established, of which they are to be chiefs. A very large portion of the vicinity is occupied with gardens, which present the utmost luxuriance and beauty of oriental vegetation. Picturesque as the city appears when viewed from without, - with its leaden domes, marble minarets, and gilded crescents, - the interior is by no means pleasing to the eye. Very many of the houses are built of mud, and, externally, present a picture of filth and wretchedness. Some of them, however, which belong to the rich Armenian merchants, are furnished with great magnificence, forming a strong contrast with the neglected state of their outward appearance. The mosques and other public buildings of the city, are, in most cases, very fine and imposing.

Damascus is essentially a commercial town. Lamartine gives the population at 300,000, of whom 30,000 are Christians. M'Culloch estimates it from 120,000 to 150,000, of whom 12,000 may be Christians, and as many Jews. Notwithstanding the number of Christians who inhabit this city, it was, till very lately, necessary for Europeans to assume the entire Turkish costume, in order to protect themselves from the fanaticism of the population of Damascus and the surrounding country. Now, however, the state of feeling is much improved, though it would not be prudent for Europeans to exhibit themselves in hats and coats to the fanatics who accompany the great caravan to Mecca.

The fanaticism for which Damascus was notorious made it a suitable place for the prosecution which Saul intended to carry on there (Acts ix.). From the raging of the spirit which he intended to evoke, Saul himself, when he had joined the 'sect every where spoken against,' had no small difficulty to escape (2 Cor. xi. 32). The place retains reminiscences of that great man. Among its buildings is the convent of Paul's conversion,' and 'Paul's gate.' In the vicinity is an old tower with a window, said to be that from which his friends let the apostle down in the hour of peril (Acts ix. 25. 2 Cor. xi. 33). There is also to be seen in a street which is still called 'straight' or narrow, the house of Judas, in which 'Saul of Tarsus' is believed to have dwelt (Acts ix. 11). Not far distant, the traveller is pointed to the house of Ananias: before this is a well, from which the water is alleged to have been drawn, that was used in the baptism of Paul. On the road from Damascus to Jerusalem, about four hours from the city, there lies a grotto, which is so low as scarcely to allow a person to stand erect. In this Paul is held to have hid himself when he fled from Damascus. This, also, tradition makes to be the spot where the apostle, on his journey towards the city, was struck to the ground, and converted to Christ (Acts

ix. 3, 4). In the vicinity of this grotto are the remains of a convent.

These vestiges of ancient times show how deep was the impression which the facts of the gospel made on the minds of the early Christians, and so serve to reproduce its form, and give life to its shadow, as they appear before our eyes, rendered dull by the lapse of ages; and although cases there probably are in which these traditions no longer report the truth, or report more than the truth, yet, in general, they could not have arisen from nothing, nor have fixed themselves on fancies or fictions; and have, in our opinion, as good a chance of being correct, as the opinions of modern scepticism. At least, they form a part of the poetic element of sacred antiquities, which no wisejudging man would willingly part with, or 'let die.'

DAMNATION—from the Latin damnum, 'injury,' connected in derivation and meaning with the words damage and doom — signifies properly the act of condemning, or the state of being condemned, that is, adjudged to a certain loss, injury, or punishment, as being found guilty. Hence the word sets forth the act of a judge in declaring a prisoner guilty, and assigning the punishment he is to undergo; and, derivatively, may mean either the punishment itself, or the state of privation and pain which punishment superinduces. From human, the word passed to divine things; in which its import is similar to that already indicated. Before we go on to review the passages in which the word occurs, it is proper to remark that 'damnation' originally signified what is now meant by condemnation, as appears from the statement above given. This being the case, the term itself does not define who is the judge, who the criminal, or what the punishment; which things remain to be learned from the Sacred Scriptures. We make this remark because, by degrees, and the force of use, a specific meaning has been attached to damnation,' as denoting the endless pains of hell.

"Damnation' stands as the English of three Greek words: - I. Of apoleia, which signifies loss, or perdition. It is rendered 'waste' in Matt. xxvi. 8, and Mark xiv. 4; where strictly it signifies nothing more than misapplication. In Matt. vii. 13, it is construed by destruction, and is spoken of those who enter the wide gate and the broad way. In John xvii. 12, it is applied to Judas, who is termed the son of perdition.' In 2 Pet. ii. 3, we find the word damnation' itself. The nature, degree, and duration of the evil which the term implies, are not determined by these passages. Hence we are not at liberty to assume, that it means either annihilation or eternal torments. The first it does not necessarily import, since it may signify mere waste or misapplication; and the assump

tion that any being ever ceases to exist, is contradicted by the whole analogy of nature, in which all things change, but nothing perishes. The second may be a Scriptural doctrine, but is not of necessity implied in a term which can be used of the ointment poured on Jesus' head. II. 'Damnation' is the rendering of krima (Latin crimen, Eng lish crime), which denotes a judicial declaration or sentence; and hence is used of the 'judgment' of God in this world (John ix. 39), and of judgment to come' in the next (Acts xxiv. 25). It also denotes the consequence of a judicial sentence or punishment, as in Luke xxiii. 40, where, being represented by the word 'condemnation,' it is employed of the crucifixion of one of the malefactors executed together with our Lord. That the word krima does not itself carry the idea of everlasting torment, appears from the fact, that in Heb. vi. 2, the epithet 'eternal' is prefixed to it.

The third word krisis (our crisis) is nearly allied, both in form and meaning, to the last, denoting strictly the act of separating, selecting, trying, judging, and condemning, and generally the whole process and each important part of a judicial procedure. Krisis is translated by 'damnation' in Mark iii. 29, where it is preceded by 'eternal;' and by condemnation' in John v. 24; being, however, most frequently represented by 'judgment' (Matt. v. 21; x. 15). Sometimes by judgment,' the connection shows we are to understand a judicial inquiry before an earthly tribunal (Matt. v. 22); at others, an opinion or judgment of the mind (John v. 30). From these less important applications, the word rises to signify justice itself (Isa. v.7); sense of justice (Matt. xxiii. 23. Luke xi. 42); trial under divine Providence (John xii. 31); a period of general adjudication (Matt. x. 15. Heb. ix. 27. 2 Pet. ii. 9); divine punishment on the guilty (Rev. xiv. 7); and specifically (Matt. xxiii. 33) the punishment of hell, or gehenna

The 'judgment' spoken of in Matt. v. 21, 22, refers, in contradistinction from the Sanhedrim, to the inferior tribunal, consisting of the judges or magistrates of each individual city, who had cognizance of lesser transgressions or misdemeanors, and were empowered to inflict minor punishments (Deut. xvi. 18. 2 Chron. xix. 5; comp. Joseph. Antiq.' iv. 8, 14. 'Jew. War,' ii. 20.5).

on the east, and Judah with Philistia on the south. Their territory, however, was not strictly defined. The cities which fell to the share of Dan lay for the most part in the land of the Philistines, and we do not know to what extent they succeeded in gaining possession of these hostile places (Josh. xix. 40-48. Judg. xviii. 1). Joppa (Japho), Timnath, and Ajalon, were its chief towns. The tribe, at one time, numbered 62,700, at another 64,400, men above twenty years of age, able to go forth to war' (Numb. i. 38, 39; xxvi. 43).

DAN I-a town in Naphtali, called also Laish and Leshem, and forming the northern boundary of the land of Israel. The name was changed from Leshem to Dan, on occasion of a conquest of the land, made by a colony of Danites, discontented with the limits assigned them by authority (Josh. xix. 47; comp. Judg. xviii. 27). The place, however, is denominated Dan as early as Gen. xiv. 14; which favours the idea, that Genesis was revised at a period when Dan had become the sole customary name for Laish (see also Deut. xxxiv. 1).

Dan, as the northern limit of Palestine, had Beersheba for its southern opposite; whence the phrase,' from Dan to Beersheba' (Judg. xx. 1. 1 Sam. iii. 20). It was, at an early period, a seat of image-worship (Judg. xviii. 4, seq. 1 Kings xii. 28-30).

Dan, which some have identified with Paneas (Cæsarea Philippi), is by Robinson placed at Tell el-Kady, which lies about three miles from Paneas, in a course a little south of west, over, for the most part, a plain densely covered with oak and other trees, and a thick undergrowth of various kinds of bushes. The Tell, or hill, is elevated about forty or fifty feet; its figure is oval. One part of it is covered with oak-trees, aud another with thick brushwood and briars. It is an extinct crater, about half a mile in circumference. On the south-western side, the wall of this crater has been partly carried away by the action of a fountain which gushes out all at once, a beautiful river of delicious water. The fountain first appears in the centre of the crater. The great body of water, however, glides underneath the lava-boulders, and rushes out at the bottom of the Tell on the west. But a considerable stream rises to the surface within the crater, and, conducted over its south-western margin, drives two flour mills which are overshadowed by magnificent oaks, and almost buried beneath luxuriant vegetation. The two streams unite below the mills, forming a river forty or fifty feet wide, which rushes very rapidly down into the marsh of Huleh. Thomson saw a multitude of turtles sunning themselves on the rocks around.

Tell el-Kady, or Dan, was the chief place of a region of country, which is accurately described by the spies in Judg. xviii. 8-10,

DANCING was in every period a loved enjoyment among the Hebrews (Exod. xv. 20. Ecclesiastes iii. 4. Jer. xxxi. 13), which the young had a share in (Job xxi. 11); maidens practised (Judg. xxi. 21. Matt. xiv. 6); and even children imitated in their play (Matt. xi. 17). The case of Herodias's daughter shows, that the pas seul, in which there is only one dancer, was known among the Jews. Not only private festivities (Luke xv. 25), and the gathering of the vintage (Judg. ix. 27), but public rejoicings, as celebrations of victory (Exod. xv. 20. 1 Sam. xviii. 6), triumphal processions (1 Sam. xxi. 11), and religious solemnities (Judg. xxi. 19), were occasionally accompanied and enlivened by dancing. We find dances mentioned as taking place around idolatrous images and altars (Exod. xxxii. 19. 1 Kings xviii. 26). David celebrated the bringing up of the ark into the sanctuary with dances, in which he himself took part (2 Sam. vi. 5, 14); and after the captivity, as we learn from the Rabbins, the Israelites celebrated the feast of tabernacles with a torch-dance, in the outer court of the temple. When females danced alone (Judg. xi. 34), or in choirs (Exod. xv. 20. 1 Sam. xviii. 6), they usually beat tambourins or timbrels (Jer. xxxi. 4). Song was often connected with these dances (1 Sam. xviii. 7; xxi. 11), which were accompanied by stringed as well as other instruments (2 Sam. vi. 5). Seven words have been pointed out as denoting the different kinds of dancing prevalent of old among the Hebrews; and what is called a country dance (contre-danse) is thought to be indicated in 1 Sam. xviii. 7. That it was accounted unbecoming for men, or for persons of rank, to dance, cannot be coneluded from 2 Sam. vi. 16. In this case, dancing in general is not reproved, but dancing alone, or in front of a procession; and in verse 20, the point of blame is made to consist in David's being uncovered,' that is, divested of his robes of state (see CLOTHES). The nature of the old Hebrew dancing is not well known; but female-dancing was most probably not essentially different from that which now prevails in Eastern countries; and, agreeably to the character of Orientals, would be full of life and expression, but by no means obscene. Whether public dancing-women existed among the Israelites is uncertain. The East, in the present day, abounds in them; but they are generally persons of doubtful reputation, or known cour

tezans.

That, in the latter days,' Jewish families, especially those of princely rank, adopted Grecian dances, is not improbable; which Cicero (Pro Murena,' 6) has described as being in his time among the Romans the last resort of inebriated conviviality, and a disgrace to a Roman of high rank. The truth seems to be, that dancing among the Hebrews originally partook of the innocent

gaiety of a simple agricultural and unsophisticated people. But contact with heathenisin brought heathen vices with heathen recreations and refinements, when the resources of the pantomimic art were brought in to minister to a palled and vitiated appetite for pleasure. Interpreters have found in Matt. xiv. 6, a reference to an unworthy scene of this nature, in which the excitement of the dance, joined with the intoxication of wine and passion, caused the destruction of John the Baptist.

Olin thus describes a dance which he witnessed in Egypt:

'We stopped for the night on the western bank of the river, opposite to a large village at the distance of about half a mile from the bank. The delicious softness of the atmosphere, and the brilliant moonlight, tempted us to walk in the grove of palm-trees that lies between the village and the landing-place. Our attention was soon attracted by the sound of music and loud peals of merriment. We directed our walk towards the village, and approached a large group of people just outside of the gate. There were perhaps two hundred persons, consisting of men, women, and children, most of whom squatted upon the ground after the peculiar manner of the country. A few of the men were standing, and all were deeply engaged in looking upon a dance performed by two young females in the midst of the crowd, where an area was kept vacant for the purpose. The dress of the dancers was loose and flowing, of very light materials, open at the bosom, and so adjusted as to exhibit the form and person as fully as possible. Their head-dress, which was ornamented with shining trinkets, and not unbecoming, hung down behind to the waist. They wore a broad girdle, which was wound many times around the body, and covered it from the bosom to the hips. The ankles and arms were adorned with bracelets, with which they kept time to the thrilling music made by two rude instruments; the one a sort of earthen drum, in form not unlike a funnel, having a head of goat-skin; the other a wind instrument, two or three feet long, composed of two reeds of unequal length, one perforated with holes for the fingers, and bound together, so as to enable the performer to blow in both at the same time. The dance is unlike any thing seen in other countries. It begins with slow and measured steps, accompanied by the sound of some brass trinkets or cymbals, which the performers hold in their hands, and shake briskly above and around their heads; at the same time throwing their bodies forward and backward, and to the right and left, with great violence. This seems but the introduction to the dance, in which the feet and legs remain immoveable; the hands are raised on high, or fall in unison with the voluptuous sentiments designed to be ex