The Place of Touch in Greco-Roman Antiquity and in the Old Testament
Dom Joseph B. Bulan
This article examines the significance of touch in Greco-Roman Antiquity and the Old Testament. Through an interdisciplinary approach drawing from philosophy, law, medicine, religious practice, and biblical ritual, the study retrieves touch as a meaningful and performative medium that conveys power, holiness, and social order. It shows how touch functions to establish boundaries, mediate relationships, and regulate access to the sacred. By comparing Greco-Roman sensory hierarchies with Israel’s