The act of friendship shown visitors. Hospitality in the ancient Near East was tightly bound up in customs and practices that all were expected to observe. In the ancient Near East, hospitality was the process of “receiving” outsiders and changing them from strangers to guests. A guest could infringe the requirements of hospitality by insulting the host or by any show of hostility or rivalry toward either the host or other guests. On the other hand, a host could infringe the requirements of hospitality by insulting the guests, by any show of hostility or rivalry, or by neglecting to protect the guests and their honor. Although hospitality entails reciprocity between individuals, it can also be viewed as a reciprocal relationship between communities. Such hospitality to traveling Christians was urged (