Abstract
This article discusses the meaning of hand placement gestures in the Hebrew Bible and Hittite ritual literature. It accepts the conclusion of R. Peter (VT27[1977]48-55) that there are two forms of the gesture in the Old Testament, one performed with two hands on persons in nonsacrificial contexts and the other performed with one hand on animals in sacrifice. It is argued here that the two-handed form serves to designate who the recipient of the ritual action is, while the one-handed form serves to ritually attribute the offering animal and concomitant sacrificial acts to the one who performs the gesture. A similar gesture among the Hittites, like the one-handed rite in biblical sacrifice, serves to attribute the offering material and offering act to the one who performs hand placement.