ADORATION
xl, 4 ; Ps. xxxix, 9 ; in which " laying the hand upon the mouth" is used to describe the- highest degree of reverence and submission ; as such this posture is ex- hibited on the monuments of Persia and of Egypt. — Kitto, s. v. See Salutation.
The acts and postures by which the Hebrews ex- pressed adoration bear a great similarity to those still in use among Oriental nations. To rise up and sud- denly prostrate the body was the most simple method ; but generally speaking, the prostration was conducted in a more formal manner, the person falling upon the knee, and then gradually inclining the body until the forehead touched the ground. The various expres- sions in Hebrew referring to this custom appear to have their specific meaning: thus ^35 (iiaphal', to/all down, iri-rw) describes the sudden fall ; S13 (Lara', to bend, Kc'tfiirru), bending the knee ; *Hp (Icadad' , to stoop, kvtttio), the inclination of the head and body ; and, lastty, HJTJ (shaehah', to bow, irpoaicvvetv), com- plete prostration ; the term 133 (sagad', to prostrate one's self, Isa. xliv, 15, 17, 19 ; xlvi, G) was introduced at a late period as appropriate to the worship paid to idols by the Babylonians and other Eastern nations (Dan. iii, 5, 6). Such prostration was usual in the worship of Jehovah (Gen. xvii, 3 ; Psa. xcv, 6) ; but it was by no means exclusively used for that purpose ; it was the formal mode of receiving visitors (Gen. xviii, 2), of doing obeisance to one of superior station (2 Sam. xiv, 4), and of showing respect to equals (1 Kings ii, 19). Occasionally it was repeated three times (1 Sam. xx, 41), and even seven times (Gen. xxxiii, 3). It was accompanied by such acts as a kiss (Exod. xviii, 7), laying hold of the knees or feet of the person to whom the adoration was paid (Matt, xxviii, 9), and kissing the ground on which he stood (Psa. lxxii, 9; Mie. vii, 17). Similar adoration was paid to idols (1 Kings xix, 18) ; sometimes, however, pros- tration was omitted, and the act consisted simply in kissing the hand to the object of reverence (as above) in the manner practised by the Romans (Plin. xxviii, 5; see Smith's Diet, of Class. Antiq. s. v. Adoratio), or in kissing the statue itself (Hos. xiii, 2). The same customs prevailed at the time of our Saviour's ministry, as appears not only from the numerous oc- casions on which they were put in practice toward himself, but also from the parable of the unmerciful servant (Matt, xviii, 2G), and from Cornelius's rever- ence to Peter (Acts x, 25), in which case it was objec- ted to by the apostle, as implying a higher degree of superiority than he was entitled to, especially from a Roman, to whom it was not usual. — Smith, s. v.
2. The adoration performed to the Roman and Gre- cian emperors consisted in bowing or kneeling at the prince's feet, laying hold of his purple robe, and then bringing the hand to the lips. Some attribute the origin of this practice to Constantius. Bare kneeling before the emperor to deliver a petition was also called adoration. It is particularly said of Diocletian that he had gems fastened to his shoes, that divine honors might lie more willingly paid him by kissing his feet. And this mode of adoration was continued till the last age of the Greek monarchy. The practice of adora- tion may be said to lie still subsisting in England in the custom of kissing the king's or queen's hand.
3. Adoration is also used in the court of Rome in the ceremony of kissing the pope's feet. It is not certain at what period this practice was introduced into the Church ; but it was probably borrowed from the Byzantine court, and accompanied the temporal power. Baronius pretends that examples of this hom- age to the popes occur so early as the year 204. These prelates, rinding a vehement disposition in the people to fall down before them and kiss their feet, procured crucifixes to be fastened on their slippers, by which stratagem the adoration intended for the pope's per- son is supposed to be transferred to Christ. Divers |
SO
ADRAMMELECH
acts of this adoration we find offered even by princes to the pope, and Gregory XIII claims this act of hom- age as a duty.
Adoration properly is paid only to the pope when placed on the altar, in which posture the cardinals, conclavists, alone are admitted to kiss his feet. The people are afterward admitted to do the like at St. Pe- ter's church ; the ceremony is described at large by Guicciardini.
4. In the Roman worship it is said that "to adore the cross, the saints, relics, and images, is to prostrate one's self before them, and to pay them a lower de- gree of worship, inferior to that which is due to God alone." Adoration is paid to the Host (q. v.) on the theory that Christ is bodily present in the Eucharist. See Images.
In the Greek communion they pay, says Dr. King, a secondary adoration to the Virgin Mary and the saints, but they deny that they adore them as believ- ing them to b,e gods ; the homage paid to them is, as they define it, only a respect due to those who are cleansed from original sin and admitted to minister to the Deity. SccDulia; Hyferdulia.