Delilah

Delilah (/dɪˈlaɪlə/; Hebrew: דלילה‎ Dəlilah, meaning "[She who] weakened") is a character in the Hebrew bible Book of Judges, where she is the "woman in the valley of Sorek" whom Samson loved, and who was his downfall. Her figure, one of several dangerous temptresses in the Hebrew Bible, has become emblematic: "Samson loved Delilah, she betrayed him, and, what is worse, she did it for money," Madlyn Kahr begins her study of the Delilah motif in European painting.

The story of Samson in Judges 13–16 portrays a man who was given great strength by God but who ultimately loses his strength when Delilah allows the Philistines to shave his hair during his slumber (Judges 16:19). Samson was born into an Israelite family, the son of Manoah and his wife who is never named. Both are visited by the Angel of the Lord and told that their child will be a Nazirite from birth.

Biblical narrative

Delilah was approached by the lords of the Philistines, to discover the secret of Samson's strength, "and we will give thee, every one of us, eleven hundred pieces of silver." Three times she asked Samson for the secret of his strength, and all three times he gave her a false answer. The first time, he told her, "If they bind me with seven green withes that were never dried, then shall I be weak, and be as another man." Then he told her, "If they bind me fast with new ropes that never were occupied, then shall I be weak, and be as another man." The third time, he told her, "If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web...." On the fourth occasion, he gave her the true reason: that he did not cut his hair in fulfillment of a vow to God; and Delilah, when Samson was asleep on her knees, called up her man to shave off the seven locks from his head, then betrayed him to his enemies: "The Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house."

Dalilah (crater)

Dalilah is a crater in the northern hemisphere of Saturn's moon Enceladus. Dalilah was first discovered in Voyager 2 images but was seen at much higher resolution by Cassini. It is located at 51°53′N 248°32′W / 51.89°N 248.54°W / 51.89; -248.54 and is 16 kilometers across. Fractures have deformed the south-eastern side of Dalilah as well as the dome at the center of the crater. This tectonic deformation was formed through viscous relaxation. Similar deformation is also seen on a slightly larger scale at Dunyazad crater.

Dalilah is named after a character from Arabian Nights, a crafty old crone who fools several men.

References

Dalilah (bellydancer)

Dalilah also Delia Turina (born as Adelaida Angulo Agramunt), (Madrid 1936 - Madrid 2001) was an Spanish oriental dancer.

Career

From the age of 3 she began her career as a dancer with instructors like Miss Karen Taft (Ballet), La Quica and Regla Ortega (Flamenco), José Luis Udaeta (Spanish Classical Dance) and Luisa Perice (Bolero School).

In 1954, she traveled to the Middle East for the first time with her Spanish dance partner Jose Molina. Entertaining on the same bill were celebrities such as Nadia Gamal, Hoda Shamsetdin, Samia Gamal, Tahia Carioca and other personalities of the Arab world. Due to artistic differences, the couple soon split. Overnight Dalilah found herself discovered and encouraged by the singer Wadih Al Safi, where she decided to give up her Spanish dancing career to follow the rhythms of the belly dance.

In 1959, Dalilah was chosen alongside Nagwa Fouad, as dancer of the year for the grand opening of the Nile Hilton in Cairo. Conrad Hilton flew in several Hollywood celebrities for the occasion, including Martha Hyer, Jane Russell and Van Johnson. During this era, she struggled with other native dancers, but has the privilege of being the protege of Tahia Carioca, who encouraged and helped her with her advice.