5o HEBREW LIFE AND CUSTOM
is instanced by such characters as Deborah, Huldah, the
wealthy Shimammite lady who showed hospitality to
Elisha, and others, they were nevertheless subject to a
considerable amount of social disability. It would seem
that except young girls at work women habitually were
veiled in public.1 Ruth keeps her veil on when she returns
home after spending the night at the threshing-floor, and
her mother-in-law Naomi has to ask who she is.2 A woman
was not introduced to her husband’s guests. Abraham
does not introduce Sarah, though both in her case and
that of Rebekah3 an introduction by the husband might
have saved the wife from insult and mortification. Similarly
Esau, when his cowardly brother sends his wives and
children on before him, neither asks to be introduced to
his sisters-in-law nor shows that interest in his nephews
and nieces which might have been expected from a new-
found uncle.4 Nevertheless many women were people to
be reckoned with. Michal, Saul’s daughter, had quite as
much spirit as any of Jane Austen’s heroines. The châte-
laine of a mansion, so charmingly described in the Book of
Proverbs,3 would have stood no nonsense, nor would any
one have attempted it with her. Moreover, though we have
a full appreciation of the blessings of married love,6 we
have also descriptions which show that the Hebrews knew,
hoπesco referensi what it was to be henpecked. Bishop
Proudie, could he have compared experiences with several
patriarchal characters, would doubtless have found a com-
mon bond of sympathy, and the sage who compared living
with a contentious woman to the misery of experiencing a
continual dropping of water from a leaky roof’ seems to
write from experience.
The ‘ strange woman ’, i.e. the foreign woman against
whom the Book of Proverbs contains such earnest wam-
ɪ Gen. xxiv. 65, xxxviii. 14 ; Isa. xlvii. 2 ; Cant. v. 7.
’ Ruth ɪii. 15, ι6. , Gen. xx, xxvi. 4 Gen. xxxiii.
5 Prov. xxxi. ɪo. 6 Prov. xviii. 22 ; Ezek. xxiv. ι6.
’ Prov. xix. ɪɜ, xxvii. 15; cf. xxi. 9.
WOMEN, MUSIC, DANCING 51
ings, was the Greek ⅛τorfpσ.1 Apparently, prostitutes could
be distinguished by their dress.2
The first lady in the land, and one possessing no small
amount of influence, was the Queen Mother, who t∞k
precedence of the Queen Consort.3 This is also indicated
by the historian’s care to give the names of the mothers of
kings.*
Apropos of festive occasions, which would of course be
celebrated with a great amount of eating and drinking,5
we read of both music and dancing ;6 but in connexion
with both it is difficult to say what was merely the ex-
pression of joie de vivre, and what had a quasi-religious
significance and was due to superstition. We read of pro-
fessional musicians both in the early ’ and late periods ;8
but music was not confined to professionals.9 The music
mentioned in connexion with social festivities may perhaps
be regarded as due to joie de vivre,10 but the music mentioned
on the occasion of David’s attempt to bring the Ark from
the house of Abinadab,ɪɪ being ‘ before the Lord ’, clearly
had a religious significance, while the music of the ecstatic
prophets obviously was used to stimulate the prophetic
ecstasy.12
So with dancing : on some occasions ɪ3 the dancing, in
which men and women danced separately, was apparendy
the expression of joie de vivre, though even in this case the
dancing may well have originated in some religious or
superstitious ideas. David’s dance‘ before the Lord ’ ɪ4 was
, Prov. ii. ι6 ff., v. 3 ff., vii. 5 ff.
* Gen. xxxviii. 16 ; Prov. vii. ɪo. 3 ɪ Kings ii. 19 ; cf. Ps. xlv. 9.
4 ɪ Kings xi. 26, xiv. 21, 31, xv. 2, ɪo, xxii. 42, &c.
5 ɪ Ghron. xvi. 2f. ; Neh. viii. 10-12. 6 Judges xi. 34,xxi. 19-21.
7 Gen. iv. 21 ; 2 Sam. xix. 35. 8 Eccles, ii. 8.
’ ɪ Sam. xvi. ι8, xviii. 6 f.
10 Gen. xxxi. 27 ; Isa. v. 12 ; Job xxi. 12 ; Lam. v. 14.
11 2 Sam. vi. 5 ; Isa. xxx. 29 ; Ps. cl. 4.
13 ɪ Sam. x. 5 ; 2 Kings iii. 15.
ŋ Judges xi. 34 ; Jer. xxxi. 4 ; Job xxi. ɪ ɪ ; Lam. v. 15.
и ∙2 Sam. vi. 14-