The guest, whoever he might be, was, on his appear- ing, invited into the house or tent (Gen. xix, 2 ; Exod. ii, 20 ; Judg. xiii, 15 ; xix, 21). Courtesy dictated that no improper questions should be put to him, and some daj-s elapsed before the name of the stranger was asked, or what object he had in view in his journej' (Gen. xxiv, 33; Odyss. i, 123; iii, 69; Iliad, yi, 175; ix, 222; Diod. Sic. V, 28). As soon as he arrived he was fiu-nished with water to wash his feet (Gen. xviii, 4 ; xix, 2 ; 1 Tim. V, 10 ; Odyss. iv, 49 ; xvu, 88 ; vi, 215) ; received a supply of needful food for himself and his beast (Gen. xviii, 5 ; xix, 3 ; xxiv, 25 ; Exod. ii, 20 ; Judg. xix, 20 ; Odyss. iii, 464), and enjoyed courtesy and protection from his host (Gen. xix, 5; Josh, ii, 2; Judg. xix, 23). See Salt, Covenakt of. The case of Sisera, decoyed and slain by Jacl (Judg. iv, 18 sq.),was a gross infrac- tion of the rights and duties of hospitality. On his de- parture the traveller was not allowed to go alone or empty-handed (Judg. xix, 5 ; Waginseil, ad Sot. p. 1020, 1030 ; Zom, ad Ilecat. Abder. 22 ; Iliad, vi, 217). This courtesy to guests even in some Arab tribes goes the length (comp. Gen. xxi, 8 ; Judg. xix, 24) of sacrificing the chastity of the females of the family for their grati- fication (Lane, JSIodern Eg. i, 443 ; Burckhardt, Kotcs on the Bedouins, i, 179). As the free practice of hospital- ity was held right and honorable, sn ilic ncu'Lit of it was considered discreditable (.Job xxxi. '.VI: O'lyfs. xiv, 56) ; and any interference with the comfort and protec- tion Avhich the host afforded was treated as a wicked outrage (Gen. xix, 4 sq.). Though the practice of hos- pitality was general, and its rites rarely violated, yet national or local enmities did not fail sometimes to in- terfere ; and accordingly travellers avoided those places in which they had reason to expect an unfriendly recep- tion (compare Judg. xix, 12). The quarrel which arose between the Jews and Samaritans after the Babylonian captivity destroyed the relations of hospitality between them. Regarding each other as heretics, thej- sacrificed every better feeling (see John iv, 9). It was only in the greatest extremity that the Jews would partake of Sa- maritan food (Lightfoot, p. 993) ; and they were accus- tomed, in consequence of their religious and political hatred, to avoid passing through Samaria in journej^- ing from one extremity of the land to the other. The
HOSPITALLERS
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HOSPITALS
I
animosity of the Samaritans towards the Jews appears to have been somewhat less bitter; but they sliowed an adverse feeling towards those persons who, in go- ing up to the annual feast at Jerusalem, had to pass through their country (Luke ix, 53). At the great na- tional festivals, hospitality was liberally practiced as long as the state retained its identity. On these festive occasions no inhabitant of Jerusalem considered his liouse his own ; every home swarmed with strangers ; yet this unbounded hospitality could not find accommo- dation in the houses for all who stood in need of it, and a large proportion of visitors had to be content with such shelter as tents could afford (Helon, Pilyrim. i, 228 sq.). The primitive Christians considered one principal part of their duty to consist in showing hospitality to strangers (1 Pet. iv, 9; 1 Tim. iii, 2; Tit. i, 8; compare Acts ii, '14 ; vi, 32, 35). They were, in fact, so ready in discharging this duty that the very heathen admired them for it. They were hospitable to all strangers, but especially to those of the household of faith (see Am- brose, I)e Ab)-akamo,v; De Offic. ii, 21; iii, 7; Augus- tine, Jijiisf. xxxviii, n. 2; Tertullian, Apoloffet. xxxix). Even Lucian praises them in this respect {De morte per- egrin, ii, p. 76G). Believers scarcely ever travelled with- out letters of communion, which testified the purity of their faith, and procured for them a favorable reception wherever the name of Jesus Christ was known. Calmet •is of opinion that the two minor epistles of John may be such letters of commmiion and recommendation. (On the general subject, sec Ungcr, De ^tvovoKicf ejusqiie ritu antiquo, in his Anmil. de Cinrpili.<. p. 311 sq. ; Stuck, An- tiq. Coni-ir. i, 27; De 'Wctte, Ldtrhucli der Archdolor/ie ; Scholz, Ilandh. der Bibl. A rclid<il<ifjie ; Deyling, Ohserv. i, 118 sq.; Jahn, Archdologie, I, ii, 227 sq. ; Kiister, !>- lauterung, § 202 sq. ; Laurent, in Gronov. Thesaurus, ix, 194 sq. ; Otlio, Lex. Rahb. 283.)— Kitto. See Cakavan ; Entektaixjiext ; Guest.
Hospitallers is the name generallj- given to char- itable brotherhoods, consisting of laymen, monks, chor- isters, and knights of religious orders, who, while con- tinuing under the rules and exercises of conventual life (chiefly after the rule of St. Augustine), devoted themselves to the care of the poor and the sick in the hospitals. These brotherhoods were founded at various times and in different countries. They added to the or- dinary vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, the spe- cial vow that they would devote themselves to this work of mercy. The hospitals (q. v.), in the age when these were instituted, were mostly cotnnected with monasteries, and were subject to the bishops. Oftentimes the care of them was so great that a special officer was appointed, with the appellation of general, and the officer under him as intendant, superior, or major. Some of the Hospital- ler brotherhoods, however, were not subject to the bish- ops, but onlj-- to the pope, as the Hospitallers of St. John of God, also called the Brethren of Love, etc. As an order of spiritual knights, they were divided into knights, priests, and serving brethren. Among them we fmd (1.) The Hospitallers of SI. Anthony [see An- thony, Orders of], founded by Gaston in consequence of an epidemic known as St. Anthony's fire. (2.) The Brethren of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. See Malta, Knights of. (3.) The Order of Teutonic Knights (q. v.). (4.) The Brethren of the Hospital of the Order of the Holy Ghost [see Holy Ghost, Orders of], founded by Guido atTVIontpellier. (5.) The Hnspifalleis of Burgos, founded in 1212. (6.) The Hospitallers of our Lady of Christian Charity were founded near Cha- lons in the end of the 13th century by Guy dc Joinville ; a like order was founded at Paris in 1294. (7.) The Hospitallers of our Lady Delia »S^c«/(/, which, according to some authorities, dates as far back as the 9th cen- tiu^i', is said by others to have been founded about this time at Sienna, in Italj-. (8.) The Hospitallers of the Order of St. John of God (de Dieu), also called -'Broth- ers of Charity," etc. See Charity, Brothers of. (9.) Of the Congregation of penite^it Brethren, fomided in