Decorated Vase MAO 426 5th-6th Century AD Reshy, Dailaman province (Iran) Gilded silver Sully room 16 showcase 5 This rounded, egg-shaped bottle, decorated with four dancers and a ring of beads around the neck, is characteristic of Sassanid precious metalwork.
The art of dance goes back a very long way. The deliverance of the Israelites at the Red Sea, and Jephthah, David and Saul’s victorious return from battle were celebrated by song and dance (Exodus 15:20; Judges 11:34), more often than not performed by women. When the ark of the alliance arrived in Jerusalem, King David expressed his emotion “David was dancing around with all his power” before God - 2 Samuel 6:14.
The Triumpf of David 1630
Matteo ROSSELLI inv 592
The biblical subject (First Book of Samuel, 18, 6-7) shows the triumph of David after his victory over the giant Goliath: female musicians celebrate while he returns triumphant to Jerusalem.
Dance also took on a religious significance in pagan nations. The Canaanites performed fertility dances around their idols and sacred poles. In Eli’s time, Baal’s priests indulged in extravagant and frenzied dances, during which “they kept limping around the altar” (1 Kings 18:26). Other translations say that they “danced with a hop” (Osty) or that they “danced with bended leg” (Lienart). The Israelites also partook in a form of pagan dance before the golden calf. - Exodus 32:19.
