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Judaic customs and rituals associated with hospitality
developed throughout Israel with Jerusalem at the center. There were seven main routes in and out of
Jerusalem as well as several narrow paths for travel by foot or donkey. The rabbis emphasized the importance of
welcoming strangers and distinguished Israel as a land that specialized in
hospitality. In the time of Jesus,
Jerusalem belonged equally to all the tribes of Israel as it is today. Houses were not rented out, because homes
were freely open to all.
On big feasts when the city was filled with crowds
the residents of Bethany, Bethpage and Bethlehem took in any who could not fit
within the walls of the city itself.
Jerusalem was built to be the city that welcomes all, a city of delight
and the epitome of the Jewish ideal of hospitality. In more desolate areas where there were no
homes, lodging places were built to accommodate guests and animals. These rooms were not rented out, and no
payment was expected for hospitality offered.
This type of free lodging is mentioned several times in the Bible.
