The Jews condemned the pagan practice of birthday celebrations (see the example of Pharaoh in Genesis 40:20). In Israel dances were usually performed by men, and only on very specific occasions by women (Exodus 15:20; Judges 11:34; 1 Samuel 18:7), and mostly in procession, so this performance by a princess was something that was unheard of in Israel. Herod and his guests were interested in a sensual performance (Mark 6:22). The girl, named Salome, was the daughter of Herodias (Mark 6:22). She first married her uncle, a half-brother of her father, the tetrarch Philip (Luke 3:1), and later her cousin Aristobulus, a son of Herod II of Chalcis, so was first the sister-in-law and then later the niece of her own mother. She shows the complex family relationships within the Herodian dynasty (see Matthew 14:3)
Birthday celebrations were a pagan practice, as the example of Pharaoh in Genesis 40:20 testifies. The Jews condemned the practice. In Israel dances were also commonly performed by the men, and it was only on very specific occasions that women engaged in dancing (Exodus 15:20; Judges 11:34; 1 Samuel 18:7), and this was most often done in procession. As such, this performance by a princess was something that was unheard of in Israel, yet Herod and his guests were interested in a dance that was both sensual and voluptuous (Mark 6:22). The girl’s name was Salome, and she was the daughter of Herodias (Mark 6:22) and her ex-husband Herod Philip. She initially married her uncle, a half-brother of her father, the tetrarch Philip (Luke 3:1), and later her cousin Aristobulus, a son of Herod II of Chalcis. As such she first became first the sister-in-law and then later the niece of her own mother. She is but one example of the extremely complex family relationships within the Herodian dynasty (see Matthew 14:3).1
6 But when Herod’s birthday came, the daughter of Herodias danced before the company and pleased Herod,