Salutation

Salutation in biblical culture was a formal greeting ritual of considerable social and religious significance, far more elaborate than modern Western conventions. Eastern greetings involved numerous inquiries after the health and well-being of the person, their family, and household, conducted with bows and sometimes prostration, and could consume substantial time. Jewish salutations typically included the word shalom (peace): "Peace be to you, and peace be to your house, and peace be to all that you have" (1 Sam. 25:6). Jesus instructed his disciples not to salute anyone on the road when sent on urgent mission (Luke 10:4), reflecting the time-consuming nature of Eastern greetings. The salutation of Mary by the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:28) and of Elizabeth to Mary (Luke 1:41) are described with this vocabulary. Paul closed his letters with personal salutations by hand as a mark of authenticity (1 Cor. 16:21; Gal. 6:11; Col. 4:18), giving the written greeting an equivalent weight to the personal act.