When the wine distributed to each would be drunk off, one of the unleavened cakes would next be broken, the blessing said over it, and a piece distributed to each disciple, probablj'' with the usual formula — "This is the bread of aflliction which your fathers did eat in the land of Egypt;" i. e. not the identical bread, transubstantia- ted, but a memorial or sign of it. The company would then proceed with the proper supper, eating of the feast-offering, and, after a benediction, of the paschal lamb.
The translation of the phrase Ssittvov jwoj-uvov (which immediately follows) by "supper being ended" has much confused the various narratives, and led many to think that .Tudas was present at the Lord's supper, properly so called. The true reading probablj' is ywo- fifvov (not ytvofikvov), as understood by the Arabic and Persic translators, in the sense "while supper was about," or " during supper-time."
" And as they were at supper, the devil having now put it into the heart of Judas to betray him ; .Tesns, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and was going to God, riseth from supper: and," after due prepara- tions, " began to wash the disciples' feet'' (John). Af- ter this striking symbolic exhortation to humility and mutual service (John xiii, 6-20), "Jesus was troubled in spirit, and bare witness, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you will betray me. Then the disciples looked on one another, doubting of whom he spake" (John). "And they were very sorry, and began each of them to say unto him. Lord, is it I ?" (Matt.). "One of the disciples, leaning back on Je- sus' breast, saith unto him. Lord, is it I? Jesus an- swered. He it is to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And after dipping the sop he giveth it to Judas Iscariot. Then Satan entered into him. Jesus saith unto him, What thou doest, do quickly. He then, on taking the sop, went immediate!}' out ; and it was night" (John).
The supper would then proceed until each had eaten sufficient of the paschal lamb and feast-offering.
" And as they were eating, Jesus took the bread," the other unleavened cake left unbroken, "and blessed" (iod "and brake it, and gave it to the" eleven "disci- ples, and said, Take eat; this is my body (Matt., Mark), which is broken for you: this do in remem- brance of me" (Luke, Paul, 1 Cor. xi, 24).
The supper being concluded, the hands were usually washed the second time, and the third cup, or " cup of blessing" (1 Cor. x, 16) prepared, over which the master usually gave thanks for the covenant of circumcision and for the law given to Moses. Jesus, therefore, at this juncture announced, with peculiar appropriateness, his New Covenant.
"After the same manner, also, Jesus took the cup af- ter supper, and, having given thanks, gave it to them,
saying. Drink all of you out of it; for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for for- giveness of sins (IMatt.) : this do, as oft as ye drink, in remembrance of me" (1 Cor. xi, 24). " But I say unto you, I shall not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new (kchvov) with you in my Father's kingdom" (Matt.).
"And when they had sung a hymn" (Matt.), prob- ably the Hallel, our Lord discoursed long with his disciples about his approaching death and departure (John xiii, 31 ; xiv, 31) ; and when he had finished he said, "Arise, let us go hence." "And they went out on to the Mount of Olives" (Matt.).
\\. Ecclesiastical Usaye. — A multitude of disputes and controversies have existed in the Church, from the earliest ages of Christianity, regarding the nature, ob- servance, and elements of the Lord's supper. On these points the reader may consult the following works: Pierce, Waterland, Cudworth, Hoadley, and Bell, On the FAichurist ; Orme, Lord's Supper Illustrated (Lond. 1832); Goodman, On the Eucharist (ibid. 1841); Cole- man, Christ. Antiq.; Halley, On the Sacraments (ibid. 1845) ; De Linde and Mearns, Prize Essays on the Jew- ish Passover and Christian Eucharist (ibid. 1845).
The early Church appears, from a vast preponderance of evidence, to have practiced communion weekly, on the Lord's day.
The custom, which prevailed during the first seven centuries, of mixing the wine with water, and in the Greek Church with hot water, appears to have origi- nated with the ancient Jews, who mingled their thick wine with water (Mishna, Terumoth, xi). Maimon- ides (in Chomets ve-Matsuh, § vii) stales that the pro- portion of pure wine in every cup must hot be less than the fourth part of a quarter of a hin, besides water which must needs be mingled, that the drinking of it may be the moi-e pleasant. The raisin-wine often employed both by the ancient and moilern Jews (Arbah Turim, § 483, date 1300) contains water of course. Remnants of this custom are still traceable in the East. The Nes- torian Christians, as late as the 16th century, as we find from the old travellers, celebrated the eucharist in such wine, made by steeping raisins one night in water, the juice being pressed forth (Osorius, Be Reh. Emanuel. lib. iii ; Boter, Rel. ii, 3 ; Odoard Barboso, ap. Ra- mum. i, 313; Brerewood. On the Diversities of Lan- ffuages [1622], p. 147). The Christians of India (said to be converted by St. Thomas) used raisin -wine, as also do some of the Syrian churches at the present day (Ross, Pansebeia [1683], p. 492; Ainsworth, Travels in A sia Minor [1842] ). The third Council of Braga would not permit the use of the pure "fruit of the vine," for they condemned as heretics " those who used Jio other wine but what they pressed out of the clusters of grapes, which were then presented at the Lord's table" (Bing- ham, Christ. A ntiq. bk. v, ch. ii). The wine used by our Lord was of course fermented, as no other could have been procured at that season of the year, and as it seems to be contrasted with the neiv wine of the heavenly kingdom (Matt, xxvi, 29). See Wink.