History of kissing #76191

[vorpal blade]

http://theboard.byu.edu/questions/76191/

First of all I would like to thank Stego Lily for her research and neat answer.

This question regarding Adam and Eve kissing came about as I contemplated a scene in a recent temple video.

It is interesting to review the scriptures where kissing is mentioned. As far as I could see there is no mention of kissing in the Doctrine and Covenants. Kissing is mentioned many times in both the Old and the New Testaments. The kiss where Judas betrays Jesus is frequently mentioned. In the Book of Mormon I can find only two verses where kissing is mentioned. In both verses the reference is to kissing the feet of Jesus.

There is one reference to kissing in the Pearl of Great Price. In the Book of Moses (Moses 7:63) we read

And the Lord said unto Enoch: Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other;

Of course it is possible that when the Lord told Enoch that there will be kissing when the City of Enoch returns Enoch thought, "Kiss? What in the world is that?" But I don't think so. Note also that Enoch was something like the seventh patriarch after Adam, and Enoch knew Adam. So I think kissing was known at least as far back as Enoch, and my guess is it was known to Adam and Eve.

Does the imagery of Moses 7:63 seem familiar to those who have been to the temple recently?

[Yarjka]

Apparently the Joseph Smith Translation changed "holy kiss" to "holy salutation" (source). Just something to think about.

[vorpal blade]

That's interesting, Yarjka. You are right. There are four instances in the New Testament where Paul exhorted the saints to "greet" or "salute" each other with a "holy kiss." Each time Joseph Smith translated it as "holy salutation."

In every other instance Joseph Smith did NOT change the translation of "kiss." So, for example, in 1 Peter 5:14 we read in the JST "Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen." It's the same Greek word for "kiss," that is, "philēma," used by Paul in connection with a "holy" or "hagios" kiss.

I thought this exerpt from the "International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia" might be useful:

Kiss:

(nashaq; phileo, kataphilo, philema): The kiss is common in eastern lands in salutation, etc., on the cheek, the forehead, the beard, the hands, the feet, but not (in Pal) the lips (Cheyne, E B, under the word "Salutations"). In the Bible there is no sure instance of the kiss in ordinary salutation.

Just more to think about.