kiss and grease his head with oil. Simon the Pharisee neglected these three expressions of hospitality while entertaining Jesus. Thus, when a weeping sinful woman wet Jesus’ feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed his feet and then greased them with perfumed oil, Christ pointed out Simon’s failure and then told the woman: “Your sins are forgiven.”—Luke 7:36-50.

Jesus Christ washed his apostles’ feet on the last night of his earthly life, Nisan 14, 33 C.E., doing so to teach them a lesson and “set the pattern,” rather than to establish a ceremony. (John 13:1-16) That evening there had been a discussion among the apostles as to who was the greatest (Luke 22:24-27), and the spirit then prevailing apparently led to Jesus’ washing of his disciples’ feet as a lesson in humility and willingness to serve one another in the humblest way. On that night Jesus and the apostles were merely using a room and were not someone’s guests. So, there were no servants on hand to wash their feet, which would undoubtedly have been the case had they been guests. None of the apostles took the initiative to perform this menial service for the others. However, at an appropriate time during the meal, Jesus rose, laid aside his outer garments, girded himself with a towel, put water in a basin and washed their feet. He thus showed that in humility each one should be the servant of the others and should show love in practical ways, doing things for the comfort of others. Christian hostesses did so, as evident from the apostle Paul’s reference to the hospitable act of foot washing among other fine works performed by Christian widows. (1 Tim. 5:9, 10) The Christian Greek Scriptures do not list formal washing of feet as a required Christian ceremony. Nonetheless, the example Jesus Christ set by this act stands as a reminder to Christians to serve their brothers lovingly, even in small ways and by performing humble tasks in their behalf.—John 13:34, 35; see BATHING.

WASHING OF HANDS

Rather than being plunged into a container filled with water, in ancient times the hands were washed with water poured upon them. The dirty water then ran into a container or basin over which the hands were held.—Compare 2 Kings 3:11.

The Law prescribed that the priests wash their hands and their feet at the copper basin located between the sanctuary and the altar before ministering at the altar or entering the tent of meeting. (Ex. 30:18-21) The Law also stated that, in case someone slain was found and it was impossible to ascertain who the murderer was, the older men of the city nearest the slain person were to take a young cow, one that had never been worked with or pulled a yoke, to a torrent valley of running water and there break its neck. After this the older men were to wash their hands over the young cow, denoting their innocence in regard to the murder. (Deut. 21:1-8) Also, according to the Law, a person was rendered unclean if touched by someone with a running discharge who had not rinsed his hands.—Lev. 15:11.

David desired morally clean hands so as to be able to worship before Jehovah’s altar. (Ps. 26:6) On the other hand, Pilate vainly tried to clear himself of bloodguilt in connection with the death of Jesus by washing his hands before the people. But in this way he really could not escape responsibility for Jesus’ death, since he, not the howling mob, had the authority to determine the judgment.—Matt. 27:24.

The scribes and Pharisees in the first century C.E. attached great importance to hand washing and took issue with Jesus Christ concerning his disciples’ overstepping the traditions of men of former times by not washing their hands when about to eat a meal. This involved no ordinary hand washing for hygienic purposes, but a ceremonious ritual. “The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands up to the elbow.” (Mark 7:2-5; Matt. 15:2) The Talmud puts the one eating with unwashed hands on the same plane as one committing fornication, and states that the one lightly esteeming hand washing will perish from the earth.—See BATHING.

WATCH

See NIGHT.

WATCHMAN

One who guards against possible harm to persons or property, often during the night, and who may sound an alarm in the face of threatened danger. In military service a watchman is usually called a guard or sentry.—Acts 12:6; 28:16; see GUARD.

As a protection against thieves and vandals, persons often were stationed to watch over ripening vineyards or flocks of animals, positioning themselves perhaps in booths or elevated watchtowers built for that purpose. (2 Ki. 17:9; 2 Chron. 20:24; Job 27:18; Isa. 1:8) Siege forces attacking fortified places had watchmen or sentries to give their commanders military intelligence. (Jer. 51:12) When King Saul was in the field camp with his army he also had personal watchmen whose responsibility was to look out for their king’s welfare.—1 Sam. 14:16; 26:15, 16.

Watchmen were often stationed on the city walls and towers to observe from a distance those approaching. (2 Sam. 18:24-27; 2 Ki. 9:17-20) At times watchmen made their inspection rounds through the city streets as well. (Song of Sol. 3:3; 5:7) Fearful persons, awake during the dangerous hours of the night, might repeatedly inquire of the watchmen if all was well (Isa. 21:11, 12), and it was only natural for watchmen themselves to long for the daylight to come. (Ps. 130:6) Happy the city that, in addition to the watchmen, had Jehovah watching over it.—Ps. 127:1.

FIGURATIVE USE

Jehovah raised up prophets who served as figurative watchmen to the nation of Israel (Jer. 6:17), and they, in turn, sometimes spoke of watchmen in a symbolic way. (Isa. 21:6, 8; 52:8; 62:6; Hos. 9:8) These prophet-watchmen had the responsibility to warn the wicked of impending destruction, and, failing to do so, they were held accountable. Of course, if the people failed to heed the warning their own blood was upon the unresponsive ones themselves. (Ezek. 3:17-21; 33:1-9) An unfaithful prophet was about as worthless as a blind watchman or a voiceless dog.—Isa. 56:10.

WATCHTOWER

Places of lookout or posts of observation were often built in cities or on city walls. (See TOWER.) Others were constructed in wilderness areas or on frontiers. They were principally designed for military purposes, either to protect a city or a boundary, though they also were constructed as a refuge for shepherds and farmers in isolated places, as well as to enable a watchman to warn of marauders so that flocks and ripening crops in the area might be protected.—2 Chron. 20:24; Isa. 21:8; 32:14.

A number of cities were named Mizpeh (Heb., mits·pehʹ, “watchtower”), probably due to being on high elevations or because of notable towers erected there. Sometimes the Bible distinguished these cities by naming their location, as “Mizpeh of Gilead” (Judg. 11:29) and “Mizpeh in Moab” (1 Sam. 22:3).

A pile of stones was set up by Jacob and called “Galeed” (“Witness heap”) and “The Watchtower,” because, as Laban then said: “Let Jehovah keep watch between me and you when we are situated unseen the one from the other.” (Gen. 31:45-49) This pile of stones would testify to the fact that Jehovah was watching to see that Jacob and Laban carried out their covenant of peace.

WATER

Jehovah is the Source of this liquid (Rev. 14:7), so essential to the life of man, animals and vegetation on earth. (Ex. 17:2, 3; Job 8:11; 14:7-9;