DAN  , a

town of ancient Israel, near the head-waters of the Jordan, inhabited before its conquest by the Danites by a peaceful commercial population who called their city Laish or Leshem (Josh. xix . 47, Judg. xviii.) . It appears to have been even at this early period a sacred city, the shrine of Micah being removed hither, and it was chosen by Jeroboam as the site of one of his calf-shrines . It makes the north limit of Palestine in the proverbial expression " from Dan to Beersheba." The town was plundered by Benhadad of Damascus, and appears from that time to have gradually declined . Its site is sought in the mound called Tell-el-Kadi, " the hill of the judge " (Dan=" judge " in Hebrew), though weighty authorities incline to place it 4 M. east of this, at Banias, the old Caesarea Philippi .