CHAPTER FIVE

"GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER": HOSPITALITY AND EATING WITH ANGELS

This chapter will consider human-angel interaction by exammmg portrayals of humans offering hospitality to angels on earth and angels appearing to consume human food. The evidence indicates that when humans offer angels hospitality, the angels have almost always appeared in human form and the one visited is not aware of the angel's true nature. In some instances angels appear to eat human food, but late Second Temple interpretations of these tradi­ tions deny that the angel ate. For the purposes of the discussion in this chapter, hospitality is understood as "the friendly and generous reception and entertain­ ment of guests or strangers." 1 In the ancient world the two main components of this would likely have been food and shelter. Examples of the practice of hospitality are found in Graeco-Roman, Jewish, and early Christian writings from the period. 2 There is no one Hebrew term that direcdy translates as "hospitality." In Greek the term is c:ptA.o~evia. In the Jewish tradition Abraham seems to stand as the paradigm of the virtue of hospitality, based upon Gen 18. 3 Most of the tradi­ tions discussed in this chapter are based on Abraham's encounter with divine guests (e.g., Gen. Rab. 43:7). Even Lot's hospitality is likely modeled on Abraham's.4 Hospitality is also listed among the virtues of Job (Job 31 :32).

1 The Concise O:iford Dictionary, 9th ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998) 656. See also J. Koenig, "Hospitality" in ABD 3:299-301. 2 For examples in Graeco-Roman writings, see Ovid, Metamorphoses 628-632, where Zeus and Hermes are guests of the old couple Baucis and Philemon (cf. Acts 14:11-12, Homer, Od. 17:485-487) and the discussion in L. Martin, "Gods or Ambassadors of God? Barnabas and Paul in Lystra" NTS 41 (1995) 152-156. See also G. Stahlin, "~Evo~" in TDNT 5:1-36, esp. 17-25; Philo, Mos. 1:58. 3 See ]E 8:1030-1033 for a summary of the Jewish evidence regarding hospi­ tality. Cf. T Zeb. 6:4. 4 T. Desmond Alexander, "Lot's Hospitality: A Clue to His Righteousness" JBL 104 (1985) 289-291. 180 CHAPTER FIVE

Hospitality seems to have been an important virtue in the ear­ liest Christian churches. The NT contains a number of other pas­ sages that state the importance of hospitality generally. 5 In particular, Jesus's pronouncements about the kingdom in the gospels, the Gospel of Luke itself, and the writings of Paul seem to evince a concern for this virtue.6 These writings seem to have a practical or humanitar­ ian basis rather than overtly suggesting that the guest so welcomed may be an angel. Hebrews 13:2 does seem to suggest that the virtue of hospitality is important because the host may unknowingly be entertaining angels, as some figures from the Hebrew Bible had done. 7 The early church fathers continued to stress the importance of hospitality, and it has been suggested that Christian hospitality facilitated the spread of the gospel. 8 The virtue of hospitality was important across cultures throughout the Mediterranean around the turn of the era. An important component of hospitality is food. The question of whether or not angels .require any sustenance has been considered by D. Goodman.9 His article surveyed the Jewish material on the topic from the Hebrew Bible through the rabbinic literature, asking three questions: (1) How are angels sustained? (2) Is there any eat­ ing or drinking in heaven? And (3) do angels behave as men when they descend to earth? 10 The last of his questions is most relevant to the present discussion, but it is also useful to consider his con­ clusions about the first two questions to give context to the third. With regard to angelic sustenance (1), Goodman begins his analy­ sis with Ps 78:23-25, which states, "Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven; and he rained down upon them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate of the bread of the mighty [CI'i':l~ CJn':l] or as the LXX reads, 'bread of the angels' [&p·tov ayy£A.rov ]." 11 Goodman notes that a certain

5 Rom 12:13; l Tim 3:2, 5:10; Tit 1:8; l Pet 4:9; Heb 13:2 and cf. Acts 28:7. For more on this idea see C. Pohl, Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as Christian Tradition (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999), and A. Malherbe, "Hospitality and Inhospitality in the Church" in Social Aspects qf Ear[y Christianity (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1983) 92-112. 6 ]. Koenig, New Testament Hospitality (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985). 7 Heb 13:2 is discussed in more detail below in section 5. 7. A D. Riddle, "Early Christian Hospitality: A Factor in the Gospel Transmission" JBL 57 (1938) 141-154. Did. ll-13 suggests that such hospitality could be abused, however. 9 D. Goodman, "Do Angels Eat?" J]S 37 (1986) 160-175. 10 D. Goodman, "Do Angels Eat?" p. 160. 11 See also D. Goodman, "Do Angels Eat?" p. 161 n. 5.