755. Customs of hospitality and honor for guests are very important in the East. When a guest first enters a home, bowing between the guest and host will take place. An expressive custom is that of saluting with the head erect and the body inclined forward by raising the hand to the heart, mouth, and forehead. The symbolic meaning of this is to say, "My heart, my voice, and my brain are all at your service." On many occasions those who are used to this custom enter into a more complete bow afterward.
756. The greetings upon entering an Arab house or a Bedouin tent go something like this: The host will say, "Salam, alakum," which means "Peace be on you." The guest will then respond with the words "Wa alakum es-salam," meaning "And on you peace." The greeting is then followed with a kiss. The men will place their right hand on the other's left shoulder and kiss the right cheek, and then reverse the action. Scriptural examples of the kiss are found when Jacob kissed his father; Esau kissed Jacob; Joseph kissed his brothers; Aaron kissed Moses; Moses kissed Jethro; David and Jonathan kissed each other; and the father of the prodigal son kissed him when he returned home.
757. Guests take off their shoes before entering the main room of a house. This is necessary because they will sit on a mat, rug, or divan, with their feet beneath them. Shoes would soil the couch and their clothes. This led to a custom of removing shoes upon entering sacred places. At the burning bush the Lord told Moses, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is Holy Ground" (Exod. 3:5).
758. The Eastern guest is offered water for washing his feet after the bowing, greeting, and kissing are completed. A servant will assist the guest by pouring water over the guest's feet above a copper basin, rubbing them with his hands, and wiping them on a towel. When Jesus was with His disciples, He took the place of the servant and washed their feet.
759. The custom of anointing guests is an ancient one among nations of the East. Olive oil is often used by itself, but sometimes it is mixed with spices. Simon the pharisee was accused of being inhospitable because he didn't anoint Jesus (Luke 7:46). David memorialized this custom when he wrote in his shepherd psalm, "You anoint my head with oil" (Ps. 23:5).
760. Many accounts of anointing are found in the Bible, each carrying different meanings of the custom as a way of showing courtesy, respect, and devotion; for healing purposes; and as a symbol of the pouring out of God's Spirit.
