Dance of the Seven Veils

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Mar 31, 2002

One of those frequently asked questions that pops up when I tell people I'm an Oriental dance artist (ie, belly dancer) is: "Do you do the dance of the seven veils?" Typically, whoever asks me this has just a bit of a leer and is clearly imagining a striptease.

The first time I ever heard this question, it caught me by surprise and I think my articulate answer went along the lines of "Huh?????????" I've heard this question many more times since then, so obviously the story of Salomé has become deeply entangled in the U.S. perception of Middle Eastern dance.

I eventually decide to arm myself with information about the Salomé story, so I did a little research. In this article, I'll share what I learned.

What the Bible Says

Here is what the Bible says about the story of Salomé and John the Baptist. All quotes below are from The Living Bible, published in 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60187:

Matthew 14:6-11

But at a birthday party for Herod, Herodias' daughter performed a dance that greatly pleased him, so he vowed to give her anything she wanted. Consequently, at her mother's urging, the girl asked for John the Baptist's head on a tray.

The king was grieved, but because of his oath, and because he didn't want to back down in front of his guests, he issued the necessary orders.

Mark 6:21-28

Herodias' chance finally came. It was Herod's birthday and he gave a stag party for his palace aides, army officers, and the leading citizens of Galilee. Then Herodias' daughter came in and danced before them and greatly pleased them all.

"Ask me for anything you like," the king vowed, "even half of my kingdom, and I will give it to you!"

She went out and consulted her mother, who told her, "Ask for John the Baptist's head!"

So she hurried back to the king and told him, "I want the head of John the Baptist -- right now -- on a tray!"

Then the king was sorry, but he was embarrassed to break his oath in front of his guests. So he sent one of his bodyguards to the prison to cut off John's head and bring it to him. The soldier killed John in the prison, and brought back his head on a tray, and gave it to the girl and she took it to her mother.

In reading the actual Biblical description of these events, there are a couple of things worth noting:

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