Laying on of hands

==Jewish tradition==
{{main|Semikhah}}
The laying on of hands was an action referred to on numerous occasions in the [[Hebrew Bible]] to accompany the conferring of a blessing or authority.
[[Moses]] ordained [[Joshua]] through ''[[semikhah]]''—i.e. by the laying on of hands: {{Bibleverse|Num||27:15–23|HE}}, {{Bibleverse|Deut||34:9|HE}}. The Bible adds that Joshua was thereby "filled with the spirit of wisdom". Moses also ordained the 70 elders ({{Bibleverse|Num||11:16–25|HE}}). The elders later ordained their successors in this way. Their successors in turn ordained others. This chain of hands-on ''semikhah'' continued through the time of the [[Second Temple]], to an undetermined time.  The exact date that the original ''semikhah'' succession ended is not certain.  Many medieval authorities believed that this occurred during the reign of Hillel II, circa 360 CE.<ref>Nachmanides, ''Sefer Hazekhut'', Gittin ch 4; Rabbenu Nissim, ibid; ''Sefer Haterumot'', Gate 45; R Levi ibn Haviv, ''Kuntras Hasemikhah''.</ref>  However, it seems to have continued at least until 425 CE when [[Theodosius II]] executed [[Gamaliel VI]] and suppressed the [[Nasi (Hebrew title)|Patriarchate]] and [[Sanhedrin]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ccjr.us/dialogika-resources/primary-texts-from-the-history-of-the-relationship/roman-laws|title = ROMAN IMPERIAL LAWS concerning Jews (329-553)| date=19 December 2008 }}</ref>

Laying on of hands can also refer to the practice of laying hands over one's sacrificial animal ([[sin-offering]]), before it was slaughtered,<ref>[[Jerusalem Talmud]], ''Hagigah'' 2:2 [10b]</ref> based on a teaching in Leviticus 4:24: "And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat." In [[Targum Pseudo-Jonathan|Pseudo Jonathan]]'s Aramaic translation of the [[Pentateuch]], the translator of the verse explains its sense: "And he shall lay his right hand with force on the head of the goat." According to [[Philo of Alexandria]], the custom of laying on of hands was done in conjunction with a declaration, where the owner of the animal would say: "These hands have not taken a bribe to distort justice, neither have they divided the spoil, etc."<ref>Philo, ''De Specialibus Legibus'' (The Special Laws), book i, chapter 37, vs. 204.</ref> According to [[Jewish tradition]], the first dispute in Israel concerned whether or not it was permissible to lay hands upon one's sacrificial animal by applying one's full body weight on a [[Three Pilgrimage Festivals|Festival Day]].<ref>[[Jerusalem Talmud]] (''[[Hagigah]]'' 2:2 [10<sup>b</sup>])</ref>