extremely careful of his education;] Either his ready compliance, or his and early he discovered an uncom- repeating a saying of Solon, the Athemon sprightliness, sagacity, and cou- nian sage, importing that no man was rage.

About twelve years of age, happy till his death, so touched the his mother carried him to her father's generous heart of Cyrus, that he ever court. His generous, obliging, and after honoured Craesus, restored him heroic behaviour, quickly gained almost the whole power of his kinghim the affection of the Medes. Af-dom, and carried him about with ter five years he returned to Persia. him, in all his after expeditions, as a About the 40th year of his life, he counsellor and friend. He then reassisted Darius the Mede, his uncle, duced the various nations of Lesser with 30,000 Persian troops. He re- Asia, Syria, and part of Arabia the duced the revolted Armenians. Ne- Desert; took Babylon, and put an riglissar, the king of Babylon, then end to the Chaldean empire. After intended to reduce the kingdom of settling their new form of governMedia: his huge army of Babylo-ment, and dividing their territories nians, Lydians, Cappadocians, Cari- into 120 provinces, the command ans, Phrygians, Cilicians, and Paph- whereof was given to such as had lagonians, bid fair to swallow up distinguished themselves in the war, Cyrus and his uncle; but his host Cyrus left Darius, his uncle and fawas routed, and Neriglissar himself ther-in-law, to govern the empire, and was slain. Soon after, Cyrus and marched to the conquest of Egypt. his uncle, encouraged by Gobrias and Two years after the reduction of BaGadates, two revolted Babylonian bylon, Darius died; and Cyrus, barlords, carried the war almost up to ing married his only daughter, fell the very gates of Babylon, filling the heir to the crown. Having perhaps country with terror, ravage, and read the Jewish prophecies concernblood. To oppose him, Belshazzar ing himself, or only determined by entered into a league with the Egyp- the providence of God, he, of his tians, Thracians, and all the nations own accord, in the first year of his of Lesser Asia, and raised an army reign, issued a warrant for the He of 420,000, of which Craesus, king brew captives to return to their counof Lydia, had the command. Cyrus, try, and rebuild the temple of their with less than half the number, gave God. About seven years after, in them a total defeat; he pursued Crae- the 30th year of his reign over Persus to Sardus, his capital: and, hav-sia, and 70th of his life, he died, ing taken it, ordered the inhabitants A. M. 3475. Dan. vii. 5. and viii. 3, to bring him their gold and silver, 20. and ii. 39. Isa. xlvii. 11. and xli. and save the place from being plun- 2, 3, 25. and xliv. 26-28. and xlv. dered. Craesus was the first to obey. 1-4, 13. Ezra i. ii. and iii.

DÆM

D

DÆM

D

ABERATH, the word, a city stances are recorded by the evannear the foot of mount Tabor, gelists, of persons afflicted by evil in the great plain of Jezreel. Whe-spirits. Some were grievously torther it be the same which the tribe of mented, Matt. xv. 22. others were Issachar gave to the Levites, is un- more gently dealt with, Luke xiii. certain, Josh. xix. 11, 12. and xxi. 16. Some were deprived of the use 28. Not long ago, a village called of their speech, Matt. xv. 30. others Debarah was in these parts. of their hearing, Mark vii. 34. and DEMONIAC, a word applied to some are mentioned by St. Mark as a person possessed with an evil spi-possessed, distinct from others who rit, demon, or devil. Numerous in- were diseased, Mark i. 32.

But in a work which now lies before one thing more which ought to be no the editor, an attempt is made to ticed: when our Lord had commandexplain away the reality of damoni-ed the unclean spirit, or rather, acacal possession, by representing all cording to this hypothesis, the unclean the instances mentioned in the New disease, to come out of the man, the Testament, as frenzy, epilepsy, apo- reply which was made was, "What plexy, &c. The author says, "The have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou reality of dæmoniacal possession is de- Son of God most High? I beseech nied by many, and the evangelists in thee, torment me not." If we contheir relations of the cures perform-sider this to be the language of the ed on dæmoniacs, are supposed to afflicted person, without diabolical have spoken in conformity only with influence, we are totally unable to the prevailing notions and opinions make sense of the passage; and if of the people amongst whom they we view it as the language of dislived." That some of those men- ease, it appears more absurd still. tioned by the evangelists were af- But in the above quotation it is flicted with bodily diseases is not insinuated, that the evangelists denied; but that evil spirits were have spoken in conformity only not the cause of them, cannot be with the prevailing notions and opiproved. Much less can it be prov-nions of the people amongst whom ed, that all the accounts given us by they lived. This idea of the evanthe evangelists were bodily dis-gelists, is not much to their honour eases. To demonstrate this, let us as sacred historians; for if they were only select one single fact, recorded capable of such conformity in transby St. Luke, viii. 27, &c. The man mitting to us such important facts, to whom mercy was extended by they must be worthy of very little our blessed Lord, it is said, " had de- credit indeed; nor can any insinuavils long time," that he wore no clothes, tion be much more calculated to unneither abode in any house, but in the dermine the authenticity of the holy tombs; that when Jesus commanded scriptures. Another home-thrust at the unclean spirits to quit their hold the sacred writings, is found in the of the man, they showed much re- following sentence from the same luctance, having had long and quiet work: "The disciples and the apospossession. They besought him, i. e. tles themselves, might perhaps beChrist, that he would not command lieve these disorders to be real dæmothem to go out into the abyss, but per- niacal possessions, and our Saviour mit them to go into an herd of swine; might suffer them to remain in such that when leave was given them, they harmless errors." But the apostle entered, and the herd ran violently affirms, " All scripture is given by down a steep place into the lake, inspiration," and our Lord promised and were choked. Now in this plain his apostles the Holy Spirit to guide account we may observe, upon the them into all truth. supposition that this was nothing more than a bodily disease, we must view the subject of it as afflieted DAGON, corn, a fish, the princiwith a legion of diseases at one time, pal idol of the Philistines. He is that is, about five thousand; that the commonly figured as a man in his diseases were possessed of the gift upper parts, with the tail of a fish; of speech, for it is said, they besought and is thought to represent Noah, him that he would not command them who long floated in his ark; and to to go out into the deep. We must have his name from DAG, a fish; but likewise suppose this legion of dis-others will have his name derived eases to have entered the herd of from DAGON, corn; and reckon him swine, and forced them into the lake, a copy of the Egyptian Isis, who where they were choked. There is taught people to cultivate fields, and

DAGGER, a long knife with a sharp point, Judg. iii. 16.

grind meal. At Gaza, Samson pull-on the west, and Hermon on the ed down his temple on the head of south. As its name, with some, sighis worshippers, Judg. xvi. 21-30. nifies a cup of blood, or the blood of a At Ashdod, when the ark of God righteous person, they imagine Abel was placed in his temple, as if it had was here murdered. It was in bebeen his booty, his image fell before ing in the days of Abraham, Gen. it; his head and hands were broke xiv. 15. It is said, he reigned some off on the threshold. On account of time in it: but it is far more certain which, his priests never after trode that Eliezer, his principal servant, on the threshold, but jumped over was a native of it, Gen. xv. 2. In it as they entered the temple, 1 Sam. the latter end of Solomon's reign, About A. M. 3840, Jonathan, Rezin made it the capital of his Sythe Maccabee, burnt it, and the re-rian kingdom, 1 Kings xi. 24. It mains of the Syrian army which had was taken by Jeroboam, the son of fled into it. Since which, we hear Joash, king of Israel, 2 Kings xiv. no more of the existence of Dagon. 28. Perhaps Odacon, the Chaldean deity, About 100 years after, TIGLATH

V.

was the same with him.

DAINTY, (1.) Nice, costly, delicate, Rev. xviii. 17. (2.) Delicate food, Gen. xlix. 20.

PILESER, A. M. 3264, demolished it, and carried the inhabitants captive to Kir, Isa. vii. 4. and viii. 4. and ix. 9. Amos i. 3, 4. Some think DALE, a valley, Gen. xiv. 7. Sennacherib had to retake it in his DALMANUTHA, a bucket, a march against Hezekiah; but it is branch; a city on the east side of the more certain, that soon after it became sea of Tiberias. It is either the a flourishing city, and was taken and same with Magdala, or near it; and pillaged by Nebuchadnezzar, Ezek. hence one evangelist says, Christ and xxvii. 18. Jer. xxv. 9, 10. and xlix. his disciples landed in the parts of 23, 24. It again recovered its lusDalmanutha; and another, that he tre; but was betrayed to Alexander's landed in the coasts of Magdala, troops, A. M. 3671, with Darius's Mark viii. 10. Matt. xv. 39. treasures, and part of his family, in DALMATIA, deceitful lamps, ait. About A. M. 3939, the Romans province of old Illyricum, and east seized on it. Soon after which, we of the gulf of Venice. With no small find it the residence of an Arabian difficulty, the Romans subdued it. It prince, subject to the Romans, 2 Cor. was long after terribly ravaged by xi. 32. About A. D. 620, Cosrhoes, the Quadi, Goths, and Huns. From king of Persia, took it from the RoA. D. 1076 to 1310, the Dalmatians mans; but it was quickly retaken; had a kingdom of their own. Ex- and in a few years after taken by the cept the small republic of Ragusa, Saracens. During the 11th, 12th, Dalmatia is (or lately was) subject, and 13th centuries, it was often renpartly to the Austrians, and partly to dered a scene of ravage and blood by the Turks. Since Titus preached the the Seljukian Turks, the European gospel here, Christianity has never croisades, &c. Zech. ix. 1. Here the been wholly extirpated, 2 Tim. iv. 10. gospel was early preached by AnaDAM, a mother among brute ani- nias, Paul, and others; and a Chrisnals, Deut. xxii. 6, 7. Lev. xxii. 27. tian church long maintained a conDAMAGE, loss, hurt, Ezra iv. 22. siderable figure. But for many ages To drink damage, is to injure or ruin past, there has been very little of one's self, Prov. xxvi. 6. To EN- proper Christianity to be found in DAMAGE, to do hurt, Ezra iv. 13. it. At present, the place has some

DAMASCUS, a noted city, long outward splendour and magnificent the capital of Syria, about 160 miles ruins; but their houses are generalnorth-east of Jerusalem, in the plea-ly little better than cottages; and the sant plain between mount Lebanon furniture is still more wretched. The

river Abana waters their gardens. Ephraimite of his idol; and at Dan In rainy weather their streets are like they set it up, and continued to wormires. About 20,000 of the inha- ship it, till they were carried capbitants are cutlers. Our damask silks, tive by Tiglath-pileser, Judg. xviii. damask roses, and plums, come to Deut. xxxiii. 22. During the opthe Europeans from Damascus. pression of king Jabin, the Danites,

DAMNATION, the punishment unconcerned for the misery of their of hell; or the sentence binding over brethren, applied themselves to their to it, Matt. xxiii. 33. 1 Tim. v. 12. sea-trade, and shipped off their effects Such as believe not the truth shall be for some other country, Judg. v. 17. · damned; adjudged to, and tormented Samson, one of this tribe, when judge in, hell, 2 Thess. ii. 11. Mark xvi. of Israel, more privately, and in no 18. He that does what he doubts open war, terribly harassed the Phithe lawfulness of is damned, i. e. is listines, Gen. xlix. 16, 17. 28,600 self-condemned, Rom. xiv. 23. Un-Danites attended at David's coronaworthy receivers of the Lord's sup- tion, 1 Chron. xii. 35. As this tribe per eat and drink damnation, or ra- lay so contiguous to the Philistines, ther judgment, to themselves, 1 Cor. it was no doubt peculiarly harassed xi. 29. Christian widows waxing by them.

wanton against Christ, and marrying DAN, a city on the east of the with Heathens, and so apostatizing springs of Jordan, and south of from the gospel, have damnation, be- mount Lebanon. It was early built cause they have cast off their first by the Canaanites, and called LAISH, faith, 1 Tim. v. 12. or LESHEM. After the end of Jo

DAN, judgment, the 5th son of shua's wars, the inhabitants became Jacob, and eldest of Bilhah. He had extremely secure, though unconnectbut one son, viz. Hushim, or Shu-ed with other people. This temptham, Gen. xlvi. 23. yet, when his ed the Danites who lived about tribe came out of Egypt, about 210 140 miles distant to the south-west, years afterwards, they amounted to to come and take it. Near to this 62,700, under the command of Ahie- place, Abraham routed Chedorlaozer the son of Ammishaddai : and in\mer and his allies, Genesis xiv. 14. the wilderness they increased to Here the idolatry of the Hebrews 64,400. Their spy to search the had its first public establishment, promised land, was Ammiel, the son Judg. xviii. 19, 30, 31. Here Jeroof Gemalli; and their prince to di- boam fixed one of his golden calves, vide it, was Bukki, the son of Jogli. 1 Kings xii. 29. Benhadad, king of They, with the tribes of Asher and Syria took and pillaged it, 1 Kings Naphtali, formed the fourth division xv. 20. After the captivity of the of the Hebrew camp, and marched ten tribes, it seems to have made last, Numb. i. 12, 39. and xxvi. 43. some figure: and it, or perhaps the and xiii. 12. and xxxiv. 22. and viii. tribe of Dan in general, carried on a 25. They had their inheritance on trade with the Tyrians, Ezek. xxvii. the north-west of Judah: but the 12. Nebuchadnezzar marched his Amorites retained a great part of the troops this way to invade Judea, Jer. low country, particularly Ajalon and iv. 15. and viii. 16. During our Shaalabin, till the neighbouring tribe Saviour's debasement, Philip the teof Ephraim obliged them to be tribu- trarch improved this place, or built taries, Josh. xix. 40-48. Judg. i. one very near it, and called it CE34, 35. Part of the Danites, inform- SAREA-PHILIPPI, which lay about ed of a city on the north of Bashan, a day's journey eastward from Sidon, which might be easily taken from the and something more westward from Canaanites, 600 of them went and Damascus, Mark viii. 27. seized on it, and called it DAN. In DANCE. The original words so their way they robbed Micah, the rendered in our Bibles, do not al

12.

66

ways bear such a sense, but merely ing of Chaldea. They all four had to leap for joy, or great joy, Psa. xxx. new names imposed on them, im11. Luke xv. 25. or to praise God, porting relation to the idols of Baby2 Sam. vi. 14. and the word render-lon. Daniel was called Eelteshazzar; ed the dance, signifies no more than Hananiah, Shadrach; Mishael, Mea company of singers, Psa. cxlix. shach; and Azariah, Abednego. These, 2, &c. and other young men, educated in Dancing, as a diversion, was in great like manner, were appointed a daily esteem among the Greeks, especially allowance of provision from the at entertainments: but the Romans king's own table: but as such prodiscountenanced it as inexcusable vision was partly forbidden by the levity. Cicero says, no man dances Jewish law, and possibly had a tenunless he is mad or drunk." dency to idolatry, at least was not To DANDLE. To dandle on the suitable to a captive state, Daniel knees, is expressive of tender affec- and his three companions, begged tion, such as is evinced by a kind the prince of the eunuchs to give mother towards her infant, or by them pulse instead of it. He refused, aged experienced Christians towards lest their feeding on pulse should new converts. The word as used render them lean, and so his life be by the prophet was probably meant endangered; but Melzar his deputy, to show the benefit which the Gen-after proving them ten days with tiles would at first receive from the pulse, and finding that they looked Jewish church, especially by the better than such as had eaten of the preaching of the apostles, Isa. Ixvi. king's provision, allowed them pulse for their ordinary diet. All the DANGER. The different de- four quickly excelled their fellows in grees of danger of the judgment, comeliness and learning, and were council, or hell-fire, denote different admitted to attend the king. And degrees of punishment, prepared by their wisdom was found far superior God for sinuers, according to the to that of all the wise men of Baby. greater or lesser heinousness of their lon, Dan. i. crimes; and there is an allusion to Daniel's renown for piety and wisthe Jewish courts, the lesser of which dom was very great while he was judged lesser crimes, inflicted lesser but a youth, Ezek. xiv. 14, 20. and punishments, Matt. v. 21, 22. Sail-xxviii. 3. Repeated occasions furing was dangerous, after the FAST of nished him with opportunity to ma expiation, on the 10th day of the nifest his wisdom. About A. M. 7th month; as winter began, and 3400, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed of the weather became stormy, Acts a large image, whose head was of gold, its breast and arms of silver, DANIEL, judgment of God, (1.) its belly and thighs of brass, and its A son of David by Abigail, and per- legs iron, and its feet part of iron haps the same with Chileab, 2 Sam. and part of miry clay. It was broiii. 3. 1 Chron. iii. 1. (2.) A priest ken to pieces by a small stone cut of Ithamar's family, who attended out of a mountain without hands, Ezra to Judea, A. M. 3550; and and which gradually increased into about 20 years after, probably sealed a mountain that filled the whole Nehemiah's covenant of reformation, earth. This dream mightily affect Ezra viii. 2. Neh. x. 6. ed him; but he quickly forgot it.

xxvii. 9.

(3.) DANIEL, the prophet, was of He convened a vast number of his the royal family of Judah, who, with wise men; and because they could others, was carried captive to Baby- not tell him his dream nor the inlon, A. M. 3398. By Nebuchad- terpretation of it, he gave orders nezzar's order, he, and three other to slay them, whether present or abyouths, were educated in the learn- sent. Daniel and his three compa