Characteristics of the Biblical Tribe of Dan Compared to those of the Danes of Denmark.
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Contents:
1. Introduction. Northern and Southern Dan.
2. Dan and Scandinavia.
3. Dan and the Tabernacle. A Dominating Influence.
4. Denmark and Dan.
5. Dan and Design, Craftsmanship.
6. Dan and Ships.
7. Dan and Strength.
8. Innovative yet Conforming.
9. Dan means Judgment, Accepting what there is but Critical.
10. Dan and the Danes.
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1. Introduction. Northern and Southern Dan.
The main purpose of the following article is to show how Characteristics of the Tribe of Dan are to be found among the Danes of Denmark. This confirms our identification of Denmark with Dan.
In ancient Israel there were two portions of the Tribe of Dan, one in the north (in Liash, and Leshem) and one in the south around Jaffa. These are paralleled by:
Northern Dan in Denmark
Southern Dan in Ireland.
We identity the Tribe of Dan with the people of Denmark and also with a sizeable minority in Ireland. Settlements of Danites were also to be found in Britain and elsewhere. Through Denmark and the Irish many citizens of the USA descend from Dan. So too, in the Land of Israel there was a northern section of Dan and a southern one. They were different from each other. These differences are still found today in their present day descendants.
Dan and the Rabbis. Rabbinical Sources Concerning the Tribe of Dan
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/tribes/dan/danrabbis.html
Rabbi Fishel Miel, "Sefer Shivtei Yisrael."
http://www.britam.org/mael/Mael12Dan.html
There are three main divisions amongst the Tribes of Israel:
1. The Children of Leah (Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulon): These are characterized by the quality of "Chesed" i.e. of Compassion and Charity. They were mostly in the south.
2. The Children of Rachel (Joseph, Benjamin): These are characterized by the quality of "Gevurah" i.e. Heroism and Might. These were mostly in the middle.
3. The Children of the Handmaidens ( Dan, Naftali, Gad, Asher): These are characterized by the quality of "Tiferet" i.e. Truth, Glory, and Honor. These were mostly in the north.
All the Children of the Handmaidens became prominent in Scandinavia. Dan became Denmark, Norway Nafatali, Asher was importannt throughout the region including Sweden even though ultimately it settled mostly in Ireland. Gad left its mark mainly in Sweden and had an important influence in Finland which however imostly pertains to Issachar. These characteristics are found with them. Henrik Johan Ibsen (1828-1906) was a Norwegian playwright of much renown. A recurring theme with Ibsen is the Norwegain concern with revealing the Truth and complications that arise from that. Glory and Honor are related attributes that in everyday terms may be considered transductions of RESPECT. They have respet for each other and for themselves. This may be seen in their egalitarianism, social justice, and mutual assistance. When the Tribes were encamped around the Tabernalce in the Wildreness they were divied into 4 groups of three. The Tribes of Dan, Asher, and Naftali were together in the north with Dan at their head (Numbers 2:25-31). This pattern was repeated in Scandinavia.
Dan was the son of Bilhah the handmaiden of Rachel. When Dan was born Rachel said:
Genesis (ESV) 30:
6 Then Rachel said, 'God has judged me, and has also heard [ShMA] my voice and given me a son.' Therefore she called his name Dan.
Rabbi Fishel MAEL quoted from Rabeini BACHAI (Rabbi Bahya ben Asher ibn Halawa, 1255-1340, Spain) that this verse indicates Rachel combining the "southern" attributes of Reuben and Simeon with the northern ones.
Reuben and Simeon were the sons of Leah the sister (and rival) of Rachel. They were the first sons to be born.
When Reuben and Simeon was born their mother Leah (sister of Rachel) exulted:
Genesis (NIV) 29:
31 When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless.
32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben [SEE-A-SON], for she said, ' It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.'
33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, 'Because the LORD heard [ShMA] that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.' So she named him Simeon [Hebrew: "Shimeon," connoting 'Hear My Oppression'].
Rabeini BACHAI sees in the repetition of the expression " heard [ShMA]" in the naming of Dan to that of "heard [ShMA]" in the naming of Simeon an indication that some of the southern qualities of the sons of Leah (Reuben and Simeon) would also be found in Dan who otherwise belonged to the north. This may seem far-fetched at first but it works. It fits in with other information that we have. Rabeini BACHAI is highly revered.
The Tribe of Dan had both northern and southern qualities therefore it inherited in both the north and south. The northern section of Dan had northern qualities. Its symbol was a snake which had both positive and negative connotations. The snake (in its positive mode) represents the attributes of vengeance and judgment. This was associated with northern Dan. The Vikings from Denmark and Norway often sailed with the carved image of a dragon on their prows. The dragon was associated with the snake. Samson, the hero of the Tribe of Dan, was likened un to a snake (Genesis 49:17; Talmud, Yerushalmi Sotah 9;b-10;a).
The southern section of Dan combined northern qualities with southern ones. The northern section of Dan is to be found in Denmark and the southern one among the Irish.
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2. Dan and Scandinavia.
In the land of Israel Dan had been divided into different sections. Originally Dan had received territory on the south west around Joppa neighboring Judah. Later Dan sent colonists to the north to Dan in the Galillee otherwise known as Leshem (Joshua ch.19) and to Liash (Judges ch. 18) in southeast Turkey otherwise known as "Smal" and its people as Dananu. A southern province of Sweden once ruled by Denmark is still known as Smal-land!
Moses had blessed the Tribe of Dan: "Dan is a lion's whelp, he shall leap from Bashan" (Deuteronomy 33:22). The area of Luash (Liash) was an extension of Bashan. "LIASH" means young male lion and therefore connects with the expression "Dan is a lion's whelp", i.e. Dan is a young lion, a "Liash", leaping forth from the Bashan: Luash-Liash is a geographical extension, a "leaping forward" from the area denoted as Bathan or Bashan. Near Luash was the entity of Yadi which was an enclave of Judaeans adjoining the Dananu of Smal and usually ruled by the same monarch. The Bible mentions Yair of Judah (Deuteronomy 3:14) in the Bashan. Bashan was also known as Basil which was later another name for Scandinavia.
The Blessing of Moses may therefore be understood to mean that ultimately a section of the Tribe of Dan would be found in Scandinavia!
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3. Dan and the Tabernacle. A Dominating Influence.
Dan was the head Tribe of the Three Tribes who were encamped to the north of the Tabernacle. These are Dan, Naphtali, and Asher. We identify Dan with the Danes of Denmark, Naphtali with Norway, and Asher with Ireland. Despite having less people than Sweden and about the same as Norway Denmark historically has been predominant over the others more often than not. In the past the As (plural Aseir) were also present in Scandinavia but they mainly moved to Ireland and Britain. Concerning the other peoples of Scandinavia we identify Sweden with the Tribe of Gad, and Finland with Issacher.
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4. Denmark and Dan.
The name Denmark means "Mark (border) of Dan." The Danes claim descend from someone called "Dan the Great."
An old Danish source "Chronicon Holsatiae vetus," quoted in "Accessiones historicae" by Gottfried Leibniz (1698), states the Danes were of the Tribe of Dan and the Jutes (who left Jutland en masse and moved to England) from Judah. The antiquarian Henry Spelman in 1620 also identified the Danes with the Israelite Tribe of Dan.
Scandinavian archaeology shows the presence of people from the Ancient Middle East from the Bonze Age. Over the centuries new incursions of peoples identified as Israelites who were also from the Tribe of Dan and related Tribes took place.
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5. Dan and Design, Craftsmanship.
Aholiab of the Tribe of Dan assisted Betzaleel of the Tribe of Judah in building the Tabernacle in the Wilderness (Exodus 31:2-6).
Exodus 31: 4 To devise cunning works, TO WORK IN GOLD, AND IN SILVER, AND IN BRASS, 5 And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of WORKMANSHIP. 6 And I, behold, I have given with him AHOLIAB, the son of Ahisamach, OF THE TRIBE OF DAN.
Exodus 38: 23 ... AHOLIAB, son of Ahisamach, OF THE TRIBE OF DAN, AN ENGRAVER, AND A CUNNING WORKMAN.2-Chronicles 2:13 And now I have sent a skillful man, endowed with understanding, Huram my master craftsman 14 (the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre), skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, purple and blue, fine linen and crimson, and to make any engraving and to accomplish any plan which may be given to him, with your skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord David your father.
1-Kings 7: 13 Now King Solomon sent and brought Huram from Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze worker; he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all his work.
Hiram the King of Tyre, the major Phoenician city, was a friend of King Solomon. He sent a master crafrsman of his, named Huram, to help in building the Temple. This apparently was the best man the King of Tyre had. One source said that Huram had am other from Dan. Another says he was of the Tribe of Naphtali. The Sages (Talmud, Arakin 16;b) said he had a mother from Dan and a father from the Tribe of Naphtali. His task was to cast bronze furnishings and ornate decorations for the Temple. Both in this case and in the case of Aholiab in the time of Betsalel and Moses the association of the Tribe of Dan is noticeable with craftsmanship is noticeable.
This Tribal Talent is found among the modern Danes:
Makers and designers generate significant value for Denmark as drivers of innovation, as business-owners and as bearers of tradition for a proud crafts and design nation.
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/dk-personality.htm
Danes are brought up to question authority, which makes them powerful innovators. This small country is constantly coming up with revolutionary approaches to design, environmental science, pharmaceuticals, biomedicine, food, agriculture, and many different types of technology.
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6. Dan and Ships
"Why did DAN remain in ships?" (Judges 6:7) asked the Prophetess Deborah.
https://www.usadk.org/news/denmark-is-the-worlds-fifth-largest-maritime-shipping-nation/
Denmark is the world's fifth largest maritime shipping nation!
Surrounded by sea, Denmark has more than 400 islands and a total coastline of over 7,000 kilometers. Therefore, maritime transport has been a vital source of income in Denmark and is continually growing hand-in-hand with increasing international trade. Danes have been active in the shipping business from the Viking era. Today almost 10% of global trade is transported by ships under Danish control. Approximately 115,000 people work in the Danish maritime sector and the industries supplying the shipping industry. The maritime of Danish maritime companies accounts for about 24% of the total Danish export.
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7. Dan and Strength
Samson the Judge of Ancient Israel (Judges chs. 13 -16) was blessed with superhuman strength. He came from the Tribe of Dan. The Danes have always had a reputation for being string.
The Danish historian, Saxo Grammaticus (c. 1150 - c. 1220 CE) , said that the Denes were the strongest people in Europe.
An article,
Eight Danish stereotypes: Are they true or false?
https://uniavisen.dk/en/eight-danish-stereotypes-are-they-true-or-false/
says that the idea that the DANES ARE STRONG LIKE THE VIKINGS is misleading.
# Danes bike during winter, run in the rain with no care in the world, swim in the sea when the water is well below 20 degrees. Is this the Viking attitude or what? Danes feel proud of having Vikings as their ancestors, besides, they're quite resistant to living in tough weather conditions (read: cold and rainy days most of the year)....
Verdict: They are of course neither stronger, nor weaker, than anyone else! So this stereotype is FALSE. #
Despite the negative verdict of the author concerning the Danish being relatively stronger the "stereotype" does exist. It always has.
A comparative study of hand-grip strength showed the English to be stronger than the Danes and the Danes than the Russians.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Grip-strength-in-Moscow-Denmark-and-England_tbl2_319436688
International studies do not seem to have indicated that the Danish are relatively stronger but the impression that they are more physically "fit" is still there. Other factors may be considered.
Daniel Maris in an Answer on Quora observed (among other things):
Originally Answered: Why do Danish people looks so attractive and physically fit?
Answer (Extract):
Genes
Lifestyle. They bike, they run, they eat good food (healthy, but not tasty). The country is small, everything looks like country side, so the air is very clean. Everywhere you go, besides a million bikes, you will see people running, even if it is snowing or raining, they don't care. They don't find excuses not to be fit, mothers run while pushing their baby carriers. They OFTEN organize events to encourage people to do sports. (marathons, bike races, even ROLLER SKATING DAY!) The government pays you a 'green tax', if you don't own a car, for being a 'green citizen.'
The Commentator Rabbi Abraham Iben Ezra (1089 - 1164) opined that Dan and Judah were the greatest warrior tribes. That is why when they marched forward Judah was in the front and Dan in the rear (Iben Ezra Numbers 1:19). Their task was to take the brunt of the battle and to protect the rest of Israel.
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8. Innovative yet Conforming
Genesis (NIV) 49:
16 Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel.
The Hebrew original can more literally be rendered as saying:
# Dan will engage in judgement with his fellow as befits one of the Tribes of Israel. #
The Sages (Talmud, Pesachim) relates of an individual who was always challenging others to come to court to resolve differences. When they examined his ancestry they found he was a descendant of Dan.
A National Characteristic of the Danes is that they are always demanding explanations, and challenging decisions not only from their peers but also from parents and teachers, and from their superiors at work or in the army.
This leads to an innovative attitude alongside a strong tendency to conform. People who depart from the accepted norms of thought and behavior feel suspect and challenged.
4 Cultural traits about Danish people that explain their odd behaviour
Article written by By Anna Balk-Muller
https://www.nexum.eu/article/4-cultural-traits-about-danish-people-explain-their-odd-behaviour
The Danes are schooled from an early age to ask questions, challenge ideas and debate positions.
Denmark - Personality of the Danes
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/dk-personality.htm
# Over the years, there have also been traces of local insularity, snobbery and conformity. It was best not to be different. 'The Ugly Duckling' of the fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) is given a hard time because it is odd.
The Danish-Norwegian author Aksel Sandemose (1899-1965) invented the concept 'Janteloven' ('The Jante Law') with the bigoted rules he felt dominated his birthplace, a provincial town in Jutland. The (fictitious) rules include: 'Do not imagine you are anything special' and 'Do not imagine you can teach us anything'.
The effort to reach consensus and compromise in everyday life is ingrained in Danish culture and can be found at the highest level in the parliamentary system...
Nevertheless,
# Denmark, despite being a universal welfare state and having a widely homogenous population in terms of ethnicity and economic equality, is characterized by a very high degree of individualism.
5 Danish traits you should embrace to improve your life
https://allthingsnordic.eu/5-danish-traits-you-should-embrace-to-improve-your-life/
Straightforwardness. The Danes cut to the point. They hate too much talking for no reason. They get straight to the point and express themselves rigorously.
Openness & honesty. The Danes rarely hide their opinion. They like to express themselves openly and present things as they are, even if they seem to be against them.
Punctuality. Time is man's most precious resource. They don't like to waste it. Appointments are what they mean. You say at 19.00, you meet at 19.00, not later but not much earlier either. Oh! And things like meetings must last the minimum necessary time. Productivity matters.
And it is also about trust. People know what other people feel or believe. There is nothing to hide or worry about. All cards are face up on the table. This builds trust because you know that others are what they seem and you have no reasons to feel bothered or threatened. Trust makes the need for control vanish. And again you get resources freed (time and energy) to focus on your personal goals.
4 Cultural traits about Danish people that explain their odd behaviour
Article written by By Anna Balk-Muller
https://www.nexum.eu/article/4-cultural-traits-about-danish-people-explain-their-odd-behaviour
The Danes are schooled from an early age to ask questions, challenge ideas and debate positions.
Denmark - Personality of the Danes
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/dk-personality.htm
A British observer said: "The National characteristics of the Danish people are generosity, slowness of speech; a good humor which has become proverbial; determination almost amounting to truculence, especially in the case of the peasants; an immense capacity for hard work and sustained effort; extreme democratic principles; a strange fatalism which is a mixture of skepticism and hesitation; and finally a complete and wonderful fearlessness in throwing over traditions and prejudices." As to the great Danes, those in power and authority, "they are neither great optimists nor extravagant idealists. Their dreams are of a very practical nature and there is about them a certain atmosphere of clean and sane humanitarianism which is very attractive. They seem to carry out their reforms in a spirit of common sense which is almost scientific. Perhaps this is because their temperament is genuinely, rather than sentimentally, democratic. They are a balanced people, their democracy is broad and practical, and the type is probably nearer English than any other on the continent."
Eight Danish stereotypes: Are they true or false?
https://uniavisen.dk/en/eight-danish-stereotypes-are-they-true-or-false/
1. DANES ARE PATRIOTIC
2. DANES ARE CONCERNED ABOUT EATING HEALTHY
3. DANES ARE STRONG LIKE THE VIKINGS
4. DANES LIKE DRINKING ALCOHOL
5. DANES RARELY SMILE. DANES ARE RESERVED
7. DANES ALWAYS WEAR DARK CLOTHES
8. DANISH GIRLS ARE HARD TO APPROACH
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9. Dan means Judgment, Accepting what there is but Critical.
Together with the aspect of challenging everything we also found a high level of conformism. This might appear contradictory but it is not. The aspect of Din, root of the name Dan, is judgment. It means judging and testing and being critical of everything. It also connotes acceptance. That is the way things are. That is how they should stay until proven otherwise. Meanwhile you may challenge what is accepted while abiding by it.
National traditions of Denmark. Habits, mentality and the way of living
https://www.orangesmile.com/travelguide/denmark/traditions.htm
Danes are considered some of the most law-abiding people. Residents of the country regularly pay fairly high taxes, without requiring their reduction. They are very civilized and never try to absolve themselves of responsibility for what they have done. Criminals are rarely hiding from the investigation, and offenders pay their fines. Despite a special love for alcoholic beverages, Danish people are of a calm temper and do not arrange fights or brawls, preferring to resolve conflicts peacefully, without the use of physical strength. Danes may be called very curious people. They will necessarily ask the interlocutor a lot of different questions, being extremely reluctant to spread about their own lives. When meeting with the locals, you should welcome them with a firm handshake, showing sincere emotions.
The Danish Don't Have the Secret to Happiness
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/01/the-danish-dont-have-the-secret-to-happiness/384930/
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
By Michael Booth
Newspaper columnist Anne Sophia Hermansen, of the broadsheet Berlingske, caused a small kerfuffle recently when she expressed her feelings about what she saw as Denmark's suffocating monoculture: 'It is so boring in Denmark. We wear the same clothes, shop in the same places, see the same TV, and struggle to know who to vote for because the parties are so alike. We are so alike it makes me weep.'
10. Dan and Irony
Bert Otten in an article identifying the Irish with Dan adduces the example of Samson who came from Dan and was accustomed to employ riddles, ironic remarks, and play the equivalent of practical jokes.
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/tribes/dan/bottendan.html
This could be considered an aspect of Dan-Din Judgment. Irony and Sarcasm involve showing how good or bad intentions had the opposite effect of that intended. This is passing judgment on them. The Danes of Denmark also have this characteristic but they use it in a somewhat different way.
Denmark - Personality of the Danes
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/europe/dk-personality.htm
.... Denmark, where two elements, irony and sarcasm, dominate.
# In the Danish perspective, irony is a form of expression where you, in order to amuse, state the opposite of what you are actually thinking in a way that makes your true opinion obvious. ... Ambiguity, self-contradictions and indirect jokes about either Danes or others are typical elements constituting the kind of irony Danes apply. For example, if a Dane botches a task completely, his or her employer could answer, 'Well done'. However, it is not here understood as bitter criticism, but as a resigned, joking commentary.
# Another aspect of Danish irony is the extensive use of self-irony, where Danes by directing the irony at themselves show to the public or their social or professional peers that they do not take themselves too seriously. Sarcasm, also widely used in Denmark, is defined as a variation on irony, where mocking or spiteful remarks are phrased in more or less humorous ways. A classic Danish example of sarcasm is when someone is attempting something without much success, and another person then says, 'That went well'. This example is illustrative because it, on the one hand, signals to the recipient the opinion of the sender, while the recipient at the same time is pacified, since it is virtually impossible to give an answer that keeps your dignity intact and refrains from showing self-effacing vulnerability and self-irony through signalling that you do not think too highly of yourself.
See Also:
Dan in Denmark. Identifying the Danish with the Tribe of Dan
This article discusses additional factors confirming the identification of Dan with Denmark and confirming points made above.
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/tribes/dan/denmark.html
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10. Dan and the Danes.
We adduced characteristics, according to Biblical and related sources, of the Tribe of Dan. We saw that the northern section of Dan had more attributes (Truth, Glory, and Honor. associated with the north.
We compared these findings with the commentaries of contemporary observers describing the People of Denmark. A correspondence exists!
Ancient traditions and historical findings indicate that the Danes descend from the Tribe of Dan. It was prophesied that Dan would be in Scandinavia. That is where Denmark is. In both cases both Dan and Denmark were relatively dominant entities.
The Tribe of Dan were known as a craftsman so are the Danes. In Hebrew "Dan" means "Judgment." Personality traits associated with Judgment include challenging conventional understandings while conforming socially; the use of sarcasm and irony; being straightforward; honest; sympathetic; egalitarian values; and so on. Dan was associated with ships, so are the Danes. They even bear the same name "Dan-mark" meaning Border of Dan. The Tribe of Dan had the habit of naming places they lived in or ven just passed through after Dan their father.
Joshua (NIV) 19:
47 When the territory of the Danites was lost to them, they went up and attacked Leshem, took it, put it to the sword and occupied it. They settled in Leshem and named it Dan after their ancestor.
Judges (NIV) 18:
12 On their way they set up camp near Kiriath Jearim in Judah. This is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is called Mahaneh Dan [i.e. Camp of Dan] to this day.
Judges (NIV) 18:
28 There was no one to rescue them because they lived a long way from Sidon and had no relationship with anyone else. The city was in a valley near Beth Rehob. The Danites rebuilt the city and settled there.
29 They named it Dan after their ancestor Dan, who was born to Israel, though the city used to be called Laish.
Taking everything together we obtain a composite picture showing that he People of Denmark to a substantial degree are descended from the Israelite Tribe of Dan.