Welcoming others, friends or strangers, is a fundamental aspect of human society, friendship, love and life. It is the intersection of two lives, an event that can radically alter the path of everyone involved. This importance in the fundamental functioning of human life makes the recognition of hospitality as a central theme of the Hebrew Scriptures an unsurprising reality. With this in mind then, through this essay we will examine the understanding of hospitality set forth in the canonical scriptures of the Hebrew Bible. By exploring the events of Abraham's meeting with guests in Genesis 18, the "terror text" in Judges 19 in which hospitality is violated, and the story of the book of Ruth, we will highlight the role that hospitality plays in the story of Israel. From this exploration, we will then gain an understanding of the theological foundation of hospitality through exploring the paradigmatic stories of hospitality in the life of Abraham and the practices enshrined in the Mosaic Law. Finally, we will apply the theology of hospitality raised by these reflections to a contemporary political context, namely the New Zealand government's policy towards refugees. Before we begin to explore the topic of hospitality within the Hebrew Scriptures, it would first be helpful to ascertain a working definition of the term hospitality, as it is understood socially and biblically. Defined in the Anchor Bible Dictionary as "The practice of graciously welcoming a guest or stranger...", hospitality can be understood as the way you welcome those who come to you, with the potential for both negative and positive expression . This definition also fits perfectly with the biblical port...... middle of document......ation Act 2009: Refugee Status Determinations and Protection. Oct 4, 2010.http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/general/generalinformation/immigrationact/factsheets/refugees.htm (accessed June 11, 2011).Kessler, Diane C., ed. Receive one another: hospitality in an ecumenical perspective. Geneva: WCC Publications, 2005. LaSor, William Sanford, David Allan Hubbard, and Frederic William Bush. Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form, and Context of the Old Testament. 2nd edition. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing co., 1996.Mark, Strom. The Symphony of Scripture: Making Sense of the Bible's Many Themes. Phillpsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2001. Robert, Alter. The art of biblical storytelling. New York, NY: Basic Books, 1981.Trible, Phyllis. Texts of terror: literary-feminist readings of biblical narrative. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press, 1984.