Jewish worship dances

The Jewish records make frequent mention of dancing, as a religious ceremony, or as an expression of gratitude and praise. As a means of entertainment in private society, dancing was practiced in ancient times, but by professional dancers, and not by the company themselves. The Bible sanctions dancing as a religious rite, to be practiced on joyful occasions, at national feasts, and after great victories, and "performed by maidens in the daytime, in open air, in highways, fields, or groves.

However, there are no instances of dancing sanctioned in the Bible, in which both sexes united in the exercise, either as an act of worship or as an amusement, and any who perverted the dance from a sacred use to purposes of amusement were called infamous. The only records in the Bible of dancing as a social amusement were those of the ungodly families described by Job xxi, 11-13, who spent their time in luxury and gayety, and who came to a sudden destruction; and the dancing of Herodias, Matt. Xiv, 6, which led to the rash vow of King Herod Antipas and to the murder of John the Baptist.

Dance was an integral part of the celebrations of the ancient Israelites. It was used both in worship in ordinary life and on occasions of triumphant victory and festivity. The sacred dance mediated between God and humanity, thus bringing the Israelites into a closer relationship with their God, Jehovah.

Of the 44 words in the Hebrew language for dancing, only in one is there a possible reference to secular movement as distinct from religious dancing (Clarke and Crisp 1981:35). The types of dance used in Israelite society included the circular or ring dance, as well as the processional dance. A third type of dance included hopping and whirling movements which were exuberant with joy. Each of these forms of dance found an expression in daily life and at festival times. The revered tradition of community celebration found its expression through movement.

However, dance is not mentioned formally in the Mosaic code, nor was the movement free of certain prohibitions. A distinction came to be made between the early, holy dances of a sacred nature, and those which resembled pagan ceremonies. This distinction, made by the Israelites, was to be made even more sharply by the Christians in the following centuries.

Sources : http://www.pastornet.net.au/renewal/journal6/coleman.html

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