And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, amen, with lifting up their hands, and they bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Nehemiah chapter 8 verse 6.

Hey listeners, this is Nick from Book of Mormon Central, and today's podcast addresses

the question, why did ancient Israelites lift their hands in praise?

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah detail how the ancient Israelites gave praise to the Lord

when they rebuilt a temple back in Jerusalem following

the Babylonian captivity. The children of Israel sang together by course in praising and giving thanks

unto the Lord, and all the people shouted with a great shout. Ezra 3 verse 11. Nehemiah adds that

the Israelites lifted up their hands while praying and worshipping the Lord,

and all the people answered, Amen, amen, with lifting up their hands and they bowed their heads

and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

Eamiah chapter 8, verse 6.

Accounts of praying with uplifted hands are recorded multiple times throughout the scriptures,

most often in connection to the first temple in Jerusalem. When Solomon dedicated his temple,

he offered the dedicatory prayer before the altar of the Lord, with his hands spread up to heaven.

1 Kings chapter 8, verse 22, and 54. Many Psalms related to the temple, such as Psalm 63,

also describe the temple petitioner praying with their hands stretched towards the heavens.

Thus will I bless thee while I live. I will lift up my hands in thy name. Psalm 63, verse 4.

The Apostle Paul similarly mentions praying by lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting,

1 Timothy chapter 2, verse 8.

David M. Calabro has identified various ancient Near Eastern inscriptions that may offer

some insight to this ancient practice.

According to Calabro, these inscriptions show that the prayer gesture

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