[245] חג, Festum, celebris solemnitas à radice חגג, Festum celebravit.
[246] Chrysostom. 1 Cor. 11. Hoc autem præcipio.
The Ceremonies preparatory were principally these three: 1. Salutations. 2. Washing the feet of the guests. 3. Pouring Oyl on them.
Their Salutations were testified either by words, or some humble gesture of the body. By words, and then these were the usual forms; The Lord be with you: or The Lord bless you, Ruth. 2. 4. From the last of these, blessing is often taken in Scripture for saluting. If thou meet any,[247] bless him not, or if any bless thee, answer him not again, saith Elisha to Gehazi, 2 King. 4. 29. The sense is, as our English renders it, Salute him not. Sometimes they said, Peace be unto thee; peace be upon thee, Go in peace, and such like: When ye come into an house salute the same; and if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you, Matth. 10. 12, 13. By gesture; their salutations were signified sometimes by prostrating the whole body; sometimes by kissing the feet, Luke 7. 38. commonly by an ordinary kiss.[248] Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeysance, and kissed him, Exod. 18. 7. Moreover, Joseph kissed all his Brethren, and wept upon them, Gen. 45. 15. This Saint Paul calleth an holy kiss, 1 Cor. 16. 20. S. Peter, a kiss of charity, 1 Pet. 5. 14. Tertullian[249] calleth it Osculum pacis, A kiss of peace. These were kisses which a Cato might give, and a Vestal receive: Of this sort the Jews had three kinds;[250] A kiss of salutation,[251] which hath been specified by some of those former instances. A kiss of valediction:[252] Wherefore hast thou not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters, Gen. 31. 28. A kiss of homage;[253] the word signifieth a kiss of state or dignity, but it was to testifie their homage, and acknowledgment of their Kings Soveraignty. Then Samuel took a Vial of Oyl, and poured it upon Saul’s head, and kissed him, 1 Sam. 10. 1. And unto this they refer that in the second Psalm, Kiss the son, least he be angry. These salutions, howsoever they were such as were used mutually, sometimes in their meetings abroad upon the way, yet were they such, as were used also in their entertainment, as clearly appeareth by many of those fore quoted examples.
[247] Tertul. lib. 6. advers. Marcion.
[248] Xenophon. de institut. Cyr. lib. 1. pag. 17. It. lib. 5. pag. 113.
[249] Tertul. de orat. cap. 14.
[250] Vide Drusium ad difficiliora loca, Exod. c. 12.
[251] נשיקות פרקים Neshikoth pharukim, Oscula propinquorum.
[252] נשיקות פרושות Neshikoth parusoth, Oscula separationis.