Smith's Bible Dictionary

Dositheus — Dust

Dositheus

Dosith’eus, a “priest and Levite” who carried the translation of Esther to Egypt. Esther 11:1, Esther 11:2.

Do’than (two wells), a place first mentioned Genesis 37:17 in connection with the history of Joseph, and apparently as in the neighborhood of Shechem. It next appears as the residence of Elisha. 2 Kings 6:13. It was known to Eusebius, who places it 12 miles to the north of Sebaste (Samaria); and here it has been discovered in our own times, still bearing its ancient name unimpaired.

Dove

Dove. The first mention of this bird occurs in Genesis 8. The dove’s rapidity of flight is alluded to in Psalm 55:6; the beauty of its plumage in Psalm 68:13; its dwelling in the rocks and valleys in Jeremiah 48:28 and Ezekiel 7:16; its mournful voice in Isaiah 38:14; Isaiah 59:11; Nahum 2:7; its harmlessness in Matthew 10:16; its simplicity in Hosea 7:11, and its amativeness in Song of Solomon 1:15; Song of Solomon 2:14. Doves are kept in a domesticated state in many parts of the East. In Persia pigeon-houses are erected at a distance from the dwellings, for the purpose of collecting the dung as manure. There is probably an allusion to such a custom in Isaiah 60:8.

Dove.

Dove’s dung

Dove’s dung. Various explanations have been given of the passage in 2 Kings 6:25. Bochart has labored to show that it denotes a species of cicer, “chick-pea,” which he says the Arabs call usnân, and sometimes improperly “dove’s” or “sparrow’s dung.” Great quantities of these are sold in Cairo to the pilgrims going to Mecca. Later authorities incline to think it the bulbous root of the Star of Bethlehem (ornithogalum, i.e., bird-milk), a common root in Palestine, and sometimes eaten.—Ed. It can scarcely be believed that even in the worst horrors of a siege a substance so vile as is implied by the literal rendering should have been used for food.

Dowry

Dowry. [MARRIAGE.]

Drachm

Drachm, Luke 15:8, Luke 15:9; 2 Maccabees 4:19; 2 Maccabees 10:20; 2 Maccabees 12:43, a Greek silver coin, varying in weight on account of the use of different talents. In Luke denarii (Authorized Version “piece of silver”) seem to be intended. [MONEY; SILVER.]

Dragon

Dragon. The translators of the Authorized Version, apparently following the Vulgate, have rendered by the same word “dragon” the two Hebrew words tan and tannin, which appear to be quite distinct in meaning.

1. The former is used, always in the plural, in Job 30:29; Psalm 44:19; Isaiah 34:13; Isaiah 43:20; Jeremiah 9:11. It is always applied to some creatures inhabiting the desert, and we should conclude from this that it refers rather to some wild beast than to a serpent. The Syriac renders it by a word which, according to Pococke, means a “jackal.” 2. The word tannin seems to refer to any great monster, whether of the land or the sea, being indeed more usually applied to some kind of serpent or reptile, but not exclusively restricted to that sense. Exodus 7:9, Exodus 7:10, Exodus 7:12; Deuteronomy 32:33; Psalm 91:13. In the New Testament it is found only in the Apocalypse, Revelation 12:3, Revelation 12:4, Revelation 12:7, Revelation 12:9, Revelation 12:16, Revelation 12:17, etc., as applied metaphorically to “the old serpent, called the devil, and Satan.”

Dram

Dram. [DARIC.]

Dreams

Dreams. The Scripture declares that the influence of the Spirit of God upon the soul extends to its sleeping as well as its waking thoughts. But, in accordance with the principle enunciated by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:15, dreams, in which the understanding is asleep, are placed below the visions of prophecy, in which the understanding plays its part. Under the Christian dispensation, while we read frequently of trances and visions, dreams are never referred to as vehicles of divine revelation. In exact accordance with this principle are the actual records of the dreams sent by God. The greater number of such dreams were granted, for prediction or for warning, to those who were aliens to the Jewish covenant. And where dreams are recorded as means of God’s revelation to his chosen servants, they are almost always referred to the periods of their earliest and most imperfect knowledge of him. Among the Jews, “if any person dreamed a dream which was peculiarly striking and significant, he was permitted to go to the high priest in a peculiar way, and see if it had any special import. But the observance of ordinary dreams and the consulting of those who pretend to skill in their interpretation are repeatedly forbidden. Deuteronomy 13:1-5; Deuteronomy 18:9-14.”—Schaff.

Dress

Dress. This subject includes the following particulars:

1. Materials; 2. Color and decoration; 3. Name, form, and mode of wearing the various articles; 4. Special usages relating thereto.

1. Materials.—After the first “apron” of fig leaves, Genesis 3:7, the skins of animals were used for clothing. Genesis 3:21. Such was the “mantle” worn by Elijah. Pelisses of sheepskin still form an ordinary article of dress in the East. The art of weaving hair was known to the Hebrews at an early period, Exodus 25:4; Exodus 26:7; and wool was known earlier still. Genesis 38:12. Their acquaintance with linen and perhaps cotton dates from the captivity in Egypt, 1 Chronicles 4:21; silk was introduced much later. Revelation 18:12. The use of mixed material, such as wool and flax, was forbidden. Leviticus 19:19; Deuteronomy 22:11.

2. Color and decoration.—The prevailing color of the Hebrew dress was the natural white of the materials employed, which might be brought to a high state of brilliancy by the art of the fuller. Mark 9:3. The notice of scarlet thread, Genesis 38:28, implies some acquaintance with dyeing. The elements of ornamentation were—(1) weaving with threads previously dyed, Exodus 35:25; (2) the introduction of gold thread or wire, Exodus 27:6-8.; (3) the addition of figures. Robes decorated with gold, Psalm 45:13, and with silver thread, cf. Acts 12:21, were worn by royal personages; other kinds of embroidered robes were worn by the wealthy, Judges 5:30; Psalm 45:14; Ezekiel 16:13; as well as purple, Proverbs 31:22; Luke 16:19, and scarlet. 2 Samuel 1:24.

3. The names, forms, and modes of wearing the robes.—The general characteristics of Oriental dress have preserved a remarkable uniformity in all ages: the modern Arab dresses much as the ancient Hebrew did. The costume of the men and women was very similar; there was sufficient difference, however, to mark the sex, and it was strictly forbidden to a woman to wear the appendages, such as the staff, signet-ring, and other ornaments, of a man; as well as to a man to wear the outer robe of a woman. Deuteronomy 22:5. We shall first describe the robes which were common to the two sexes, and then those which were peculiar to women. (1) The inner garment was the most essential article of dress. It was a closely-fitting garment, resembling in form and use our shirt, though unfortunately translated “coat” in the Authorized Version. The material of which it was made was either wool, cotton, or linen. It was without sleeves, and reached only to the knee. Another kind reached to the wrists and ankles. It was in either case kept close to the body by a girdle, and the fold formed by the overlapping of the robe served as an inner pocket. A person wearing the inner garment alone was described as naked. (2) There was an upper or second tunic, the difference being that it was longer than the first. (3) The linen cloth appears to have been a wrapper of fine linen, which might be used in various ways, but especially as a night-shirt. Mark 14:51. (4) The outer garment consisted of a quadrangular piece of woollen cloth, probably resembling in shape a Scotch plaid. The size and texture would vary with the means of the wearer. It might be worn in various ways, either wrapped round the body or thrown over the shoulders like a shawl, with the ends or “skirts” hanging down in front; or it might be thrown over the head, so as to conceal the face. 2 Samuel 15:30; Esther 6:12. The ends were skirted with a fringe and bound with a dark purple ribbon, Numbers 15:38; it was confined at the waist by a girdle. The outer garment was the poor man’s bed clothing. Exodus 22:26, Exodus 22:27. The dress of the women differed from that of the men in regard to the outer garment, the inner garment being worn equally by both sexes. Song of Solomon 5:3. Among their distinctive robes we find a kind of shawl, Ruth 3:15; Isaiah 3:22, light summer dresses of handsome appearance and ample dimensions, and gay holiday dresses. Isaiah 3:24. The garments of females were terminated by an ample border of fringe (skirts, Authorized Version), which concealed the feet. Isaiah 47:2; Jeremiah 13:22. The travelling cloak referred to by St. Paul, 2 Timothy 4:13, is generally identified with the Roman p™nula. It is, however, otherwise explained as a travelling-case for carrying clothes or books. The coat of many colors worn by Joseph, Genesis 37:3, Genesis 37:23, is variously taken to be either a “coat of divers colors” or a tunic furnished with sleeves and reaching down to the ankles. The latter is probably the correct sense.

4. Special usages relating to dress.—The length of the dress rendered it inconvenient for active exercise; hence the outer garments were either left in the house by a person working close by, Matthew 24:18, or were thrown off when the occasion arose, Mark 10:50; or, if this were not possible, as in the case of a person travelling, they were girded up. 1 Kings 18:46; 1 Peter 1:13. On entering a house the upper garment was probably laid aside, and resumed on going out. Acts 12:8. In a sitting posture, the garments concealed the feet; this was held to be an act of reverence. Isaiah 6:2. The number of suits possessed by the Hebrews was considerable: a single suit consisted of an under and an upper garment. The presentation of a robe in many instances amounted to installation or investiture, Genesis 41:42; Esther 8:15; Isaiah 22:21; on the other hand, taking it away amounted to dismissal from office. 2 Maccabees 4:38. The production of the best robe was a mark of special honor in a household. Luke 15:22. The number of robes thus received or kept in store for presents was very large, and formed one of the main elements of wealth in the East, Job 22:6; Matthew 6:19; James 5:2, so that to have clothing implied the possession of wealth and power. Isaiah 3:6, Isaiah 3:7. On grand occasions the entertainer offered becoming robes to his guests. The business of making clothes devolved upon women in a family. Proverbs 31:22; Acts 9:39. Little art was required in what we may term the tailoring department; the garments came forth for the most part ready made from the loom, so that the weaver supplanted the tailor.

Drink Strong

Drink, Strong. The Hebrew term shêcar, in its etymological sense, applies to any beverage that had intoxicating qualities. With regard to the application of the term in later times we have the explicit statement of Jerome, as well as other sources of information, from which we may state that the following beverages were known to the Jews:—

1. Beer, which was largely consumed in Egypt under the name of zythus, and was thence introduced into Palestine. It was made of barley; certain herbs, such as lupine and skirret, were used as substitutes for hops. 2. Cider, which is noticed in the Mishna as apple wine. 3. Honey wine, of which there were two sorts, one consisting of a mixture of wine, honey, and pepper; the other a decoction of the juice of the grape, termed debash (honey) by the Hebrews, and dibs by the modern Syrians. 4. Date wine, which was also manufactured in Egypt. It was made by mashing the fruit in water in certain proportions. 5. Various other fruits and vegetables are enumerated by Pliny as supplying materials for factitious or home-made wine, such as figs, millet, the carob fruit, etc. It is not improbable that the Hebrews applied raisins to this purpose in the simple manner followed by the Arabians, viz., by putting them in jars of water and burying them in the ground until fermentation took place.

Dromedary

Dromedary. [CAMEL.]

Drusilla

Drusil’la (watered by the dew), daughter of Herod Agrippa I, Acts 24:24-26., and Cypros. Born a.d. 38. She was at first betrothed to Antiochus Epiphanes, prince of Commagene, but was married to Azizus, king of Emesa. Soon after, Felix, procurator of Judea, brought about her seduction by means of the Cyprian sorcerer Simon, and took her as his wife. In Acts 24:24 we find her in company with Felix at Cæsarea. Felix had by Drusilla a son named Agrippa, who, together with his mother, perished in the eruption of Vesuvius under Titus.

Dulcimer

Dulcimer (Heb. sumphoniah), a musical instrument, mentioned in Daniel 3:5, Daniel 3:15, probably the bagpipe. The same instrument is still in use amongst peasants in the northwest of Asia and in southern Europe, where it is known by the similar name sampogna or zampogna.

Dumah

Du’mah (silence).

1. A son of Ishmael, most probably the founder of the Ishmaelite tribe of Arabia, and thence the name of the principal place or district inhabited by that tribe. Genesis 25:14; 1 Chronicles 1:30; Isaiah 21:11.

2. A city in the mountainous district of Judah, near Hebron, Joshua 15:52, represented by the ruins of a village called ed-Daumeh, six miles southwest of Hebron.

Dung

Dung. The uses of dung were two-fold—as manure and as fuel. The manure consisted either of straw steeped in liquid manure, Isaiah 25:10, or the sweepings, Isaiah 5:25, of the streets and roads, which were carefully removed from about the houses, and collected in heaps outside the walls of the towns at fixed spots—hence the dung-gate at Jerusalem—and thence removed in due course to the fields. The difficulty of procuring fuel in Syria, Arabia, and Egypt has made dung in all ages valuable as a substitute. It was probably used for heating ovens and for baking cakes, Ezra 4:12, Ezra 4:15, the equable heat which it produced adapting it peculiarly for the latter operation. Cow’s and camel’s dung is still used for a similar purpose by the Bedouins.

Dungeon

Dungeon. [PRISON.]

Dura

Du’ra (a circle), the plain where Nebuchadnezzar set up the golden image, Daniel 3:1, has been sometimes identified with a tract a little below Tekrit, on the left bank of the Tigris, where the name Dur is still found. M. Oppert places the plain (or, as he calls it, the “valley”) of Dura to the southeast of Babylon, in the vicinity of the mound of Dowair or Ḋair, where was found the pedestal of a huge statue.

Dust

Dust. [MOURNING.]