Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION—The Hand as a Symbol of Power ,The Issue, Survey of Modern Scholarship on the Role of the Laying on of Hands in the New Testament, Statement of Purpose and Methodology, Delimitations. PART I: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE LAYING ON OF HANDS Chapter 2 THE LAYING ON OF HANDS IN THE JEWISH ENVIRONMENT—The Laying on of Hands in the Old Testament in Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, in the Qumran Literature, in Rabbinic Literature Chapter 3 THE LAYING ON OF HANDS IN THE GRAECO-ROMAN ENVIRONMENT—The Hellenistic Concept of Power, The Laying on of Hands in Healing, The Hands of Deities, Human Hands, The Laying on of Hands in Exorcism, The Laying on of Hands in the Installation of Officials, in Chapter 4 THE LAYING ON OF HANDS IN HEALING—Recent Perspectives on the Role of LH/Touch in Healing, Jesus' Use of the Hand in Healing, Exorcism by the Laying on of Hands, The Laying on of Hands and Healing Media, The Gesture for Healing in Light of the Old Testame Chapter 5 THE LAYING ON OF HANDS AS A MARK OF FAVOUR—The Blessing of the Children, The Disciples, The Gesture of Blessing in Light of the OT Terminology Chapter 6 THE LAYING ON OF HANDS FOR THE RECEPTION OF THE SPIRIT—Recent Perspectives on the Role of the LH in the Reception of the Spirit, Exegesis of Pertinent Passages in Acts, The Relationship between Baptism, LH and the Giving of the Spirit in Acts, The Signif Chapter 7 THE LAYING ON OF HANDS FOR COMMISSIONING AND ORDINATION—Commissioning/Ordination in Acts, Ordination/Commissioning in the Pastoral Epistles, The significance of the LH in appointment, The origin of the Christian rite of ordination, The uniformity of the Chapter 8 CONCLUSIONS