Man this is a test!
None | 318Of all the various forms of greeting, the handshake is perhaps one of the most ancient.
The origin of the handshake is hard to pinpoint. As it is a non-verbal mode of communication, it may have existed before written records. Theories suggest it was a way for medieval knights, Roman soldiers, and other weapon carrying men to check for hidden daggers by grasping each other’s forearms in greeting.
Archaeological ruins in ancient Greece support this theory. The funerary stele depicts two soldiers shaking hands and dates back to 5th century BC.
An even older record in Egypt suggests the handshake held a different sort of power – the power of giving. According to Babylonian custom, kings would grasp the hand of the statue of the god Marduk before taking the throne. This act was repeated annually during the festival of Zagmuk to carry his power over into the next year. Even conquering Assyria continued the tradition.
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