Thais's Library: Dance in the Bible

Mother Goddess Crossover to Bible Dances

Raks Sharki - literally the Dance of the East -

For Centuries, the role of dance in Middle Eastern society has been that of the people. It was the dance of men, women, and children. It was the dance of life - the dance of joy at weddings, births and festivals. And It was the dance of sorrow at passing of loved ones.

Raks Sharki is one of the oldest forms of dance on Earth. Scholars believe that it predates the pyramids of Egypt. However, from a researchers point of view the ancient tomb drawings in the Valley of Kings is where we begin. In these drawings one sees the positions of dancers in relationship to their musicians. We can only speculate how these ancient dancers linked together their dances. The oldest reference to dance is a brief description to be found in the Book of the Dead. It describes what we would call the priestess' dance in the funeral celebration of the Pharoahs.

The dance continued on through the centuries in the temples of the old religion Goddesses. Also, Greek and Roman scholars record the presence of Raks Sharki outside the Temples of Worship. Images of the Dance can be found on Pottery to Mosaic floors. It was part of every day life in Ancient Rome.

With the coming of new religions to replace the old, Raks Sharki being a dance of the people, would change and adapt and evolve - it did not die. The converts to Christianity would still dance for Joy to their God and dance and weep for sorrow in their lives. Celebrations continued to be held for marriages, births, and festivals. And the dance still held a place in their lives.

Bible Quotes on Dance

OLD TESTAMENT

Ecclesiastes 3:4 - A time to cry; A time to laugh; A time to grieve; A time to dance.

Psalm 30:11 - King James - Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
NOTE - the newer versions - Then he turned my sorrow into joy! He took away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.

Psalm 149:3 -O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King. Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by drums and lyre.
Psalm 150:4 - Praise him with the drums and dancing.

Judges 11:34 - When Jephthah returned home his daughter - his only child - ran out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy.
Judges 21:21 - King James - And see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin,
Judges 21:23 - And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.

Jeremiah 31:4 - I will rebuild your nation, O virgin of Isreal. You will again be happy and dance merrily with the timbrels.
Jeremiah 31:13 - The young girls will dance for joy, and men folk - old and young - will take their part in all the fun.

Job 21:11 - They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.

Lamentations 5:15 - The joy of our hearts has ended; our dance has turned to death (literally - to mourning)

1 Samuel 18:6 - And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick.
1 Samuel 21:11 - Speaking of David - "Isn't he the one the people honor dancing and singing"

2 Samuel 6:14 - And David danced before the Lord with all his might, and was wearing priests clothing.

Exodus 15:20 - Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine and led the women in dances.
Later in Exodus 32:19 - When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing, and in terrible anger he threw the tablets to the ground and they lay broken at the foot of the mountain.

NEW TESTAMENT

Matthew 14:6 - But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias' daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, so he vowed to give her anything she wanted.

Mark 6:22 - Then Heradias' daughter came in and danced before them and greatly pleased them all.

In reading Matthew and Mark on the description of these events, there are a couple of things worth noting:

First, the Bible does not say that the name of Herodias' daughter was Salome. This was to come later in the writings of the 5th Century Scholar Jo-sephus.

Second, the Bible does not specify what kind of dance she did. It does not claim that her dance involved veils or the removal of clothing or was that of seduction. Those interpretations of the story came much later from other sources.

In this story there are often two interesting facts that are overlooked. The researcher Qan-Tuppim refers to the original use of the Greek words Korasion and orxeomai . These two words used in the New Testament account refer to Salome as a korasion, which litterally translates to little girl not yet old enough to have breasts or menstruate. In other words a young pre-teen girl. The other use of the original Greek - Orxeomai, translates to dance and the playful behaviour of young children. Based on this, Qan-Tuppim concludes that Salome was probably just an adorable small child - liken onto a Shirley Temple or very young lovely Elizabeth Taylor.

So, if the Bible didn't link the death of John the Baptist to a seductive striptease involving seven veils, where did these notions come from?

In the late 1890's the writers and painters of the European art movement known as Orientalism became fascinated with the Middle East. Some scholars think the concept of a dance of the seven veils originated from the myth that tells of Ishtar's descent into the underworld. In the book
Myths from Mesopotamia, by Stephanie Dalley which contains the translations of the Akkadian version of the story, the items that Ishtar must surrender are all pieces of jewellry - her crown, earrings, bracelets, etc. In the book, Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth, by Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein, which contains the Sumerian version of the story, Inanna must surrender items that symbolize the power of Kingship, - such as her crown, beads, measuring rod and line, breastplate, and royal robe.

In my reading of Near Eastern Myths (a subject I am fascinated by), I have never come across any document describing a "Dance of the seven veils of Ishtar". The earliest known translation into an European language of the myth of Ishtar was around 1872. Interestingly that Oscar Wilde wrote his famous play Salome in 1891. Wilde's play portrays Salome as a bizaare and somewhat evil character who becomes obsessed with John the Baptist. He seized on the story as having all the elements that make for good public interest - sexual overtones (the dance, which he chose to interpret as being seductive), murder, politics, adultery, and the Biblical tie-in that made it somehow acceptable to tell his story in his Victorian sexually repressed society. The play was produced in France in 1896 and then again in Berlin in 1902, with great success.

Next came Richard Strauss's Opera. Inspired by Wilde's play and its enormous success in the Berlin 1902 debut, Richard Strauss, created an opera based on the story. Much of the song lyrics for the opera are a faithful translation into German of Wilde's original script. In 1905, the opera made its highly successful premiere performance in Dresden.

The opera further popularized Wilde's version of the story, and provided a sort of appeal to prurient interest during a sexually repressed era when "ART" was the only publicly acceptable vhicle for portraying nudity. The seven-veil striptease of Salome and the Orientalist paintings depicting nude or scantily clad Middle Eastern women were the pornography of their time.

Even today, when Strauss' opera is performed, many opera companies choose to cloth Salome solely in her veils, leaving her completely naked when she removes the final one. However, it is still common for the vocalist portraying Salome to wear a body stocking.

In conclusion, the "Dance of the seven veils" has never been a part of Middle Eastern dance traditions, and it is not performed in the Middle East today. It was invented by European minds, and has been preserved by the entertainment industry.

One veil dance that survived from the ancient Mother Goddess temples into the Early Christian Church is from the Spring Processionals. For the first 300 years of Christanity this dance was incorporated into the Easter Celebrations. It evolved to become a visual representation of Jesus Christ's spirit. In the Archive of the Holy Roman Church in Constantinapole the dance is recorded as part of the week long parades and celebrations of Easter. Now I need four lovely ladies to join me in recreating the ever present ever lifting Spirit dance.


Mother Goddess Crossover to Bible Dances Raks Sharki - literally the Dance of the East - For Centuries, the role of dance in Middle Eastern society has been that of the people. It was the dance of men, women, and children. It was the dance of life - the dance of joy at weddings, births and festivals. And It was the dance of sorrow at passing of loved ones. Raks Sharki is one of the oldest forms of dance on Earth. Scholars believe that it predates the pyramids of Egypt. However, from a researchers point of view the ancient tomb drawings in the Valley of Kings is where we begin. In these drawings one sees the positions of dancers in relationship to their musicians. We can only speculate how these ancient dancers linked together their dances. The oldest reference to dance is a brief description to be found in the Book of the Dead. It describes what we would call the priestess' dance in the funeral celebration of the Pharoahs. The dance continued on through the centuries in the temples of the old religion Goddesses. Also, Greek and Roman scholars record the presence of Raks Sharki outside the Temples of Worship. Images of the Dance can be found on Pottery to Mosaic floors. It was part of every day life in Ancient Rome. With the coming of new religions to replace the old, Raks Sharki being a dance of the people, would change and adapt and evolve - it did not die. The converts to Christianity would still dance for Joy to their God and dance and weep for sorrow in their lives. Celebrations continued to be held for marriages, births, and festivals. And the dance still held a place in their lives. Bible Quotes on Dance OLD TESTAMENT Ecclesiastes 3:4 - A time to cry; A time to laugh; A time to grieve; A time to dance. Psalm 30:11 - King James - Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; NOTE - the newer versions - Then he turned my sorrow into joy! He took away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy. Psalm 149:3 -O Israel, rejoice in your Maker. O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King. Praise his name with dancing, accompanied by drums and lyre. Psalm 150:4 - Praise him with the drums and dancing. Judges 11:34 - When Jephthah returned home his daughter - his only child - ran out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy. Judges 21:21 - King James - And see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin, Judges 21:23 - And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them. Jeremiah 31:4 - I will rebuild your nation, O virgin of Isreal. You will again be happy and dance merrily with the timbrels. Jeremiah 31:13 - The young girls will dance for joy, and men folk - old and young - will take their part in all the fun. Job 21:11 - They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. Lamentations 5:15 - The joy of our hearts has ended; our dance has turned to death (literally - to mourning) 1 Samuel 18:6 - And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tabrets, with joy, and with instruments of musick. 1 Samuel 21:11 - Speaking of David - "Isn't he the one the people honor dancing and singing" 2 Samuel 6:14 - And David danced before the Lord with all his might, and was wearing priests clothing. Exodus 15:20 - Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine and led the women in dances. Later in Exodus 32:19 - When they came near the camp, Moses saw the calf and the dancing, and in terrible anger he threw the tablets to the ground and they lay broken at the foot of the mountain. NEW TESTAMENT Matthew 14:6 - But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias' daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, so he vowed to give her anything she wanted. Mark 6:22 - Then Heradias' daughter came in and danced before them and greatly pleased them all. In reading Matthew and Mark on the description of these events, there are a couple of things worth noting: First, the Bible does not say that the name of Herodias' daughter was Salome. This was to come later in the writings of the 5th Century Scholar Jo-sephus. Second, the Bible does not specify what kind of dance she did. It does not claim that her dance involved veils or the removal of clothing or was that of seduction. Those interpretations of the story came much later from other sources. In this story there are often two interesting facts that are overlooked. The researcher Qan-Tuppim refers to the original use of the Greek words Korasion and orxeomai . These two words used in the New Testament account refer to Salome as a korasion, which litterally translates to little girl not yet old enough to have breasts or menstruate. In other words a young pre-teen girl. The other use of the original Greek - Orxeomai, translates to dance and the playful behaviour of young children. Based on this, Qan-Tuppim concludes that Salome was probably just an adorable small child - liken onto a Shirley Temple or very young lovely Elizabeth Taylor. So, if the Bible didn't link the death of John the Baptist to a seductive striptease involving seven veils, where did these notions come from? In the late 1890's the writers and painters of the European art movement known as Orientalism became fascinated with the Middle East. Some scholars think the concept of a dance of the seven veils originated from the myth that tells of Ishtar's descent into the underworld. In the book Myths from Mesopotamia, by Stephanie Dalley which contains the translations of the Akkadian version of the story, the items that Ishtar must surrender are all pieces of jewellry - her crown, earrings, bracelets, etc. In the book, Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth, by Samuel Noah Kramer and Diane Wolkstein, which contains the Sumerian version of the story, Inanna must surrender items that symbolize the power of Kingship, - such as her crown, beads, measuring rod and line, breastplate, and royal robe. In my reading of Near Eastern Myths (a subject I am fascinated by), I have never come across any document describing a "Dance of the seven veils of Ishtar". The earliest known translation into an European language of the myth of Ishtar was around 1872. Interestingly that Oscar Wilde wrote his famous play Salome in 1891. Wilde's play portrays Salome as a bizaare and somewhat evil character who becomes obsessed with John the Baptist. He seized on the story as having all the elements that make for good public interest - sexual overtones (the dance, which he chose to interpret as being seductive), murder, politics, adultery, and the Biblical tie-in that made it somehow acceptable to tell his story in his Victorian sexually repressed society. The play was produced in France in 1896 and then again in Berlin in 1902, with great success. Next came Richard Strauss's Opera. Inspired by Wilde's play and its enormous success in the Berlin 1902 debut, Richard Strauss, created an opera based on the story. Much of the song lyrics for the opera are a faithful translation into German of Wilde's original script. In 1905, the opera made its highly successful premiere performance in Dresden. The opera further popularized Wilde's version of the story, and provided a sort of appeal to prurient interest during a sexually repressed era when "ART" was the only publicly acceptable vhicle for portraying nudity. The seven-veil striptease of Salome and the Orientalist paintings depicting nude or scantily clad Middle Eastern women were the pornography of their time. Even today, when Strauss' opera is performed, many opera companies choose to cloth Salome solely in her veils, leaving her completely naked when she removes the final one. However, it is still common for the vocalist portraying Salome to wear a body stocking. In conclusion, the "Dance of the seven veils" has never been a part of Middle Eastern dance traditions, and it is not performed in the Middle East today. It was invented by European minds, and has been preserved by the entertainment industry. One veil dance that survived from the ancient Mother Goddess temples into the Early Christian Church is from the Spring Processionals. For the first 300 years of Christanity this dance was incorporated into the Easter Celebrations. It evolved to become a visual representation of Jesus Christ's spirit. In the Archive of the Holy Roman Church in Constantinapole the dance is recorded as part of the week long parades and celebrations of Easter. Now I need four lovely ladies to join me in recreating the ever present ever lifting Spirit dance.

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