Dagon Little fish; diminutive from dag = a fish, the fish-god; the national god of the Philistines (Jdg 16:23). This idol had the body of a fish with the head and hands of a man. It was an Assyrio-Babylonian deity, the worship of which was introduced among the Philistines through Chaldea. The most famous of the temples of Dagon were at Gaza (Jdg 16:23) and Ashdod (Sa1 5:1). (See FISH.)
Dagon's House (Sa1 5:2), or Bethdagon, as elsewhere rendered (Jos 15:41; Jos 19:27), was the sanctuary or temple of Dagon. The Beth-dagon of Jos 15:41 was one of the cities of the tribe of Judah, in the lowland or plain which stretches westward. It has not been identified. The Beth-dagon of Jos 19:27 was one of the border cities of Asher. That of Ch1 10:10 was in the western half-tribe of Manasseh, where the Philistines, after their victory at Gilboa, placed Saul's head in the temple of their god. (Compare Sa1 31:8.)
Daily Sacrifice (Dan 8:12; Dan 11:31; Dan 12:11), a burnt offering of two lambs of a year old, which were daily sacrificed in the name of the whole Israelitish people upon the great altar, the first at dawn of day, and the second at evening (Dan 9:21), or more correctly, "between the two evenings." (See SACRIFICE.)
Dale, The King's The name of a valley, the alternative for "the valley of Shaveh" (q.v.), near the Dead Sea, where the king of Sodom met Abraham (Gen 14:17). Some have identified it with the southern part of the valley of Jehoshaphat, where Absalom reared his family monument (Sa2 18:18).
Dalmanutha A place on the west of the Sea of Galilee, mentioned only in Mar 8:10. In the parallel passage it is said that Christ came "into the borders of Magdala" (Mat 15:39). It is plain, then, that Dalmanutha was near Magdala, which was probably the Greek name of one of the many Migdols (i.e., watch-towers) on the western side of the lake of Gennesaret. It has been identified in the ruins of a village about a mile from Magdala, in the little open valley of 'Ain-el-Barideh , "the cold fountain," called el-Mejdel, possibly the "Migdal-el" of Jos 19:38.
Dalmatia A mountainous country on the eastern shore of the Adriatic, a part of the Roman province of Illyricum. It still bears its ancient name. During Paul's second imprisonment at Rome, Titus left him to visit Dalmatia (Ti2 4:10) for some unknown purpose. Paul had himself formerly preached in that region (Rom 15:19). The present Emperor of Austria bears, among his other titles, that of "King of Dalmatia."
Damaris A heifer, an Athenian woman converted to Christianity under the preaching of Paul (Act 17:34). Some have supposed that she may have been the wife of Dionysius the Areopagite.
Damascus Activity, the most ancient of Oriental cities; the capital of Syria (Isa 7:8; Isa 17:3); situated about 133 miles to the north of Jerusalem. Its modern name is Esh-Sham; i.e., "the East." The situation of this city is said to be the most beautiful of all Western Asia. It is mentioned among the conquests of the Egyptian king Thothmes III. (1500 B.C.), and in the Amarna tablets (1400 B.C.). It is first mentioned in Scripture in connection with Abraham's victory over the confederate kings under Chedorlaomer (Gen 14:15). It was the native place of Abraham's steward (Gen 15:2). It is not again noticed till the time of David, when "the Syrians of Damascus came to succour Hadadezer" (q.v.), Sa2 8:5; Ch1 18:5. In the reign of Solomon, Rezon became leader of a band who revolted from Hadadezer (Kg1 11:23), and betaking themselves to Damascus, settled there and made their leader king. There was a long war, with varying success, between the Israelites and Syrians, who at a later period became allies of Israel against Judah (Kg2 15:37). The Syrians were at length subdued by the Assyrians, the city of Damascus was taken and destroyed, and the inhabitants carried captive into Assyria (Kg2 16:7; compare Isa 7:8). In this, prophecy was fulfilled (Isa 17:1; Amo 1:4; Jer 49:24). The kingdom of Syria remained a province of Assyria till the capture of Nineveh by the Medes (625 B.C.), when it fell under the conquerors. After passing through various vicissitudes, Syria was invaded by the Romans (64 B.C.), and Damascus became the seat of the government of the province. In A.D. 37 Aretas, the king of Arabia, became master of Damascus, having driven back Herod Antipas. This city is memorable as the scene of Saul's conversion (Acts 9:1-25). The street called "Straight," in which Judas lived, in whose house Saul was found by Ananias, is known by the name Sultany, or "Queen's Street." It is the principal street of the city. Paul visited Damascus again on his return from Arabia (Gal 1:16, Gal 1:17). Christianity was planted here as a centre (Act 9:20), from which it spread to the surrounding regions. In A.D. 634 Damascus was conquered by the growing Mohammedan power. In A.D. 1516 it fell under the dominion of the Turks, its present rulers. It is now the largest city in Asiatic Turkey. Christianity has again found a firm footing within its walls.
Damnation In Rom 13:2, means "condemnation," which comes on those who withstand God's ordinance of magistracy. This sentence of condemnation comes not from the magistrate, but from God, whose authority is thus resisted. In Co1 11:29 (R.V., "judgment") this word means condemnation, in the sense of exposure to severe temporal judgments from God, as the following verse explains. In Rom 14:23 the word "damned" means "condemned" by one's own conscience, as well as by the Word of God. The apostle shows here that many things which are lawful are not expedient; and that in using our Christian liberty the question should not simply be, Is this course I follow lawful? but also, can I follow it without doing injury to the spiritual interests of a brother in Christ? He that "doubteth", i.e., is not clear in his conscience as to "meats", will violate his conscience "if he eat," and in eating is condemned; and thus one ought not so to use his liberty as to lead one who is "weak" to bring upon himself this condemnation.
Dan A judge. (1.) The fifth son of Jacob. His mother was Bilhah, Rachel's maid (Gen 30:6, "God hath judged me", Heb. dananni ). The blessing pronounced on him by his father was, "Dan shall judge his people" (Gen 49:16), probably in allusion to the judgeship of Samson, who was of the tribe of Dan. The tribe of Dan had their place in the march through the wilderness on the north side of the tabernacle (Num 2:25, Num 2:31; Num 10:25). It was the last of the tribes to receive a portion in the Land of Promise. Its position and extent are described in Jos 19:40. The territory of Dan extended from the west of that of Ephraim and Benjamin to the sea. (2.) It was a small territory, but was very fertile. It included in it, among others, the cities of Lydda, Ekron, and Joppa, which formed its northern boundary. But this district was too limited. "Squeezed into the narrow strip between the mountains and the sea, its energies were great beyond its numbers." Being pressed by the Amorites and the Philistines, whom they were unable to conquer, they longed for a wider space. They accordingly sent out five spies from two of their towns, who went north to the sources of the Jordan, and brought back a favourable report regarding that region. "Arise," they said, "be not slothful to go, and to possess the land," for it is "a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth" (Jdg 18:10). On receiving this report, 600 Danites girded on their weapons of war, and taking with them their wives and their children, marched to the foot of Hermon, and fought against Leshem, and took it from the Sidonians, and dwelt therein, and changed the name of the conquered town to Dan (Jos 19:47). This new city of Dan became to them a new home, and was wont to be spoken of as the northern limit of Palestine, the length of which came to be denoted by the expression "from Dan to Beersheba", i.e., about 144 miles. But like Lot under a similar temptation, they seem to have succumbed to the evil influences around them, and to have sunk down into a condition of semi-heathenism from which they never emerged. The mounds of ruins which mark the site of the city show that it covered a considerable extent of ground. But there remains no record of any noble deed wrought by the degenerate tribe. Their name disappears from the roll-book of the natural and the spiritual Israel.", Manning's Those Holy Fields. This old border city was originally called Laish. Its modern name is Tell el-Kady, "Hill of the Judge." It stands about four miles below Caesarea Philippi, in the midst of a region of surpassing richness and beauty. (2.) This name occurs in Eze 27:19, Authorize Version; but the words there, "Dan also," should be simply, as in the Revised Version, "Vedan," an Arabian city, from which various kinds of merchandise were brought to Tyre. Some suppose it to have been the city of Aden in Arabia. (See MAHANEH-DAN.) See map, Showing the Territory of Dan See also map, Showing the Territory of Asher