Danites

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Members of a secretive militant group in Mormon history noted for enforcing church discipline and engaging in violent acts ; individuals belonging to a faction associated with the tribe of Dan in biblical texts known for their specific clan identity or characteristics ; rivals or defenders identified in religious or historical narratives who are linked by name to a distinct lineage or covert organizational role within a community
2. A covert assembly of enforcers tied to early LDS church enforcement and reputed extrajudicial activities ; descendants or clan members traced to Dan in biblical genealogies recognized for their tribal role ; participants in religious or historical conflicts identified as a named group with loyalty to a doctrinal cause or ancestral heritage
3. A clandestine sect from Mormon history associated with protecting and avenging church members through aggressive means ; a tribal group identified in scripture descended from Dan, noted for unique territorial or cultural features ; a named collective active in religious or sectarian disputes distinguished by secretive and militant conduct within a faith community

Etymology: The name goes back to Dan, one of Jacob's sons and the ancestor of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In Genesis 30:6, his mother Rachel names him, and the name is tied to the Hebrew verb "din," to judge, since she says God has judged her. "Danites" is simply the plural form for members of that tribe. The tribe's identity was shaped by Jacob's blessing in Genesis 49:16, which says, "Dan shall judge his people." Later readers took this line as a description of the tribe's role. In American religious history, a secret vigilante group among members of the Latter Day Saints movement took the name from this blessing. Its reputed violence gave the term a darker sense, and a "Danite" can now mean a covert enforcer of any group.

Synonyms: members of Danite group, Danite warriors