$9.48 according to modern values).—Ezra 2:69; Neh. 7:70-72.

DRAGNET

A net that was dragged along the bottom of a body of water to catch fish. (Ezek. 26:5, 14; 47:10) In ancient Egypt, dragnets were made of flax cords and equipped with lead weights at the bottom and wooden floats at the top. Likely those used by the Israelites were similar.

The methods of dragnet fishing used anciently were probably much like those employed in the Middle East in more recent times. The dragnet was let down from boats in such a way as to surround a school of fish, and the long ropes attached to the opposite ends of the net were taken ashore, where several men on each rope gradually pulled the net as a semicircle to the beach. (Matt. 13:47, 48) Another method was to draw the net together in a narrowing circle. Fishermen then dived into the water and pulled a portion of the weighted edge under the rest of the net, thus forming a bottom. After this the net was drawn into a boat or boats. (Luke 5:6, 7) Sometimes the net was first dragged into shallower water before being emptied.—Compare John 21:8, 11.

In the Scriptures, the dragnet is used figuratively with reference to the heart of an immoral woman (Eccl. 7:26) as well as to schemes to ensnare others. (Mic. 7:2) Also, military conquest is likened to fishing with a dragnet.—Hab. 1:15-17.

DRAGON

From the Greek draʹkon, depicting a terrifying monster, a serpentlike devourer. It occurs thirteen times in the Bible but only in the highly symbolic book of Revelation, and represents Satan the Devil. He is the “great fiery-colored dragon, with seven heads and ten horns,” having a tail that draws “a third of the stars of heaven” after him. (Rev. 12:3, 4) Together with these demons, Satan the Dragon is cast out of heaven down to the earth. “So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan.” (Rev. 12:7-9) In this debased state he persecutes the remnant of God’s “woman,” those having “the work of bearing witness.”—Rev. 12:13-17.

Dragon-like Satan is also the one that gives power and great authority to the symbolic wild beast having seven heads and ten horns, and, in turn, he is worshiped by the peoples of “all the earth.” (Rev. 13:2-4) John in vision also sees that the croaking froglike “expressions inspired by demons,” which go out to “the kings of the entire inhabited earth,” come from the Dragon or Satan’s mouth as well as out of the mouths of the “wild beast” and the “false prophet.” The effect this has is to gather these rulers and their supporters “to the war of the great day of God the Almighty . . . to the place that is called in Hebrew Har–Magedon [Armageddon].” (Rev. 16:13-16) Following this greatest of all wars the “angel” that comes down from heaven will seize “the dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan,” and will bind him and abyss him for a thousand years.—Rev. 20:1-3; see SATAN.

DREAM

The thoughts or mental images a person has while asleep. The Scriptures take note of such dreams as those from God (Num. 12:6), natural dreams (Job 20:8) and false dreams.—Jer. 29:8, 9.

DREAMS FROM GOD

Dreams from God were received by Jehovah’s servants and by persons not devoted to him. (1 Ki. 3:5; Judg. 7:13, 14) Some furnished warnings that protected His servants, and others gave them guidance. Thus, in a dream God warned Abimelech king of Gerar not to touch Sarah, with the result that she remained undefiled. (Gen. chap. 20) Complying with “divine warning in a dream,” the astrologers who visited Jesus did not return to murderous Herod. (Matt. 2:11, 12) In response to angelic instruction in dreams, Joseph took Mary as his wife and also fled with Jesus and Mary into Egypt. Later dreams from God led Joseph to return from Egypt with them and settle in Nazareth in order to fulfill the prophecy, “He will be called a Nazarene.”—Matt. 1:18-25; 2:13-15, 19-23.

Some dreams from God gave his servants assurance of divine favor or helped them to understand how Jehovah was aiding them. When God was about to conclude a covenant with Abram (Abraham), a deep sleep and great darkness fell upon the patriarch, Jehovah then apparently speaking to him in a dream. (Gen. 15:12-16) At Luz (Bethel) God caused Jacob to have a dream in which he saw a ladder reaching from earth to heaven, thus denoting communication with heaven. Angels ascended and descended on it and a representation of Jehovah was stationed above it, God then pronouncing a blessing on Jacob. (Gen. 28:10-19; compare John 1:51.) It was also by means of a dream that God, years later, showed his approval of Jacob and gave him angelic instruction to return to his homeland.—Gen. 31:11-13.

As a youth, Jacob’s son Joseph had dreams showing he had divine favor, these dreams also being prophetic. In one, he and his brothers were binding sheaves in the field. Joseph’s sheaf stood erect and those of his brothers encircled and bowed down to it. In another dream, the sun, moon and eleven stars bowed down to him. (Gen. 37:5-11) Both of these dreams were fulfilled when Jacob and his household moved to Egypt during a severe famine. To obtain food, they all became dependent upon Joseph, then Egypt’s food administrator.—Gen. 42:1-3, 5-9.

Some dreams from God experienced by persons not worshiping him were also prophetic. In Egypt, while Joseph was imprisoned with Pharaoh’s chief of cupbearers and chief of bakers, these men had dreams that God enabled Joseph to explain as meaning that in three days the chief cupbearer would be restored to his position, whereas the chief baker would be executed. This occurred three days later, on Pharaoh’s birthday. In time these dreams served the purpose of bringing Joseph to Pharaoh’s attention as having God’s spirit.—Gen. chap. 40

Warning and the prophetic element were combined in two dreams Pharaoh of Joseph’s day had in one night. In the first, he saw seven fat-fleshed cows devoured by seven poor, thin-fleshed cows. In Pharaoh’s second dream, seven full and good ears of grain came up on one stalk, only to be swallowed up by seven shriveled, thin, wind-scorched ears of grain. Joseph, ascribing the interpretation to God, correctly explained that both dreams pointed to seven years of plenty to be followed by seven of famine. (Gen. chap. 41) It was God’s direction to save many from starvation and particularly to preserve the life of Abraham’s descendants, to fulfill his promises to Abraham.—Gen. 45:5-8.

Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar also had two prophetic dreams from God. One was of a metallic image with a gold head, breast and arms of silver, belly and thighs of copper, legs of iron and feet of iron and clay. A stone cut out without hands struck and crushed its feet and then pulverized the rest of the image. Daniel identified Nebuchadnezzar as the “head of gold,” the image indicating that a succession of human kingdoms would follow that of Babylon. Ultimately, God would set up a kingdom that would “never be brought to ruin.”—Dan. 2:29-45.

In another dream from God, Nebuchadnezzar beheld a great tree that was chopped down, its remaining rootstock being restrained with “a banding of iron and of copper” until “seven times” passed over it. In keeping with Daniel’s explanation, boasting Nebuchadnezzar (symbolized by the tree that was cut down) went mad, remaining in that state until seven times, or years, passed. Thereafter he acknowledged God’s supremacy and, his sanity having returned, he was reestablished in his kingship.—Dan. chap. 4; see APPOINTED TIMES OF THE NATIONS.

Daniel himself had a dream from Jehovah in which