Welcoming The Stranger: Not So Strange, After All

The ideas that Jackson brought up comparing Telemachus to Moses gave me the idea to compare other aspects of The Odyssey to the Torah, or other aspects of Judaism and other religions. Many religious values are mirrored in this book by the general, societal, or cultural values of the people of Ancient Greece. One specific example that stands out to me is the set of values associated with welcoming guests. In many cultures throughout history as well as throughout the world, guests are a big part of celebration, mourning, feasting, etc.
In the context of The Odyssey, as Telemachus travels throughout Greece on his mission to find out the fate of Odysseus, various kings take him in as their guests, offering him food, shelter, and gifts. Every time he arrives at a new location, the structure of the visit is basically the same. He is greeted warmly, invited for a feast and to get comfortable, before they even ask who the visitor is and what brings him there. Telemachus arrives at the palace of Menelaus, who greets him saying, “‘Help yourselves to food, and welcome! Once you’ve dined we’ll ask you who you are,’” (Book 4, Lines 68-69). This displays the importance of welcoming guests as strangers, before questioning their need or purpose for visiting. Telemachus himself also displays these values. When Telemachus is visited by Athena in Book One of The Odyssey, he says to her, “‘Greetings, stranger! Here in our house you’ll find a royal welcome. Have supper first, then tell us what you need,’” (Book 1, Lines 144-146). This constant theme of welcoming strangers is also found throughout the values of many religions.
The root of the Jewish value of welcoming the stranger is in Genesis, when God appears to Abraham, who then notices three strangers standing before him. “When he saw [them] from the entrance of his tent, he ran to greet them, bowing down to the ground,” (Genesis 18:2). Abraham then offers the strangers water, bread, and for them to wash their feet. Very similar to The Odyssey, the guests are made comfortable before the conversation about the purpose of their visit.
There are many, many other parallels that I see between the Biblical texts and The Odyssey. What else do you guys see? And do you agree with my comparison?