BENEDICTION, in a general sense, the act of blessing, or giving praise to God, or returning thanks for his favours. Neither the ancient Jews nor the early Christians ever ate without a short prayer. The Jews are obliged to rehearse a hundred benedictions a day; of which eighty are to be spoken in the morning. The first treatise of the first order in the Talmud, entitled Seraim, contains the form and order of the daily benedictions. Benedictions were likewise given among the ancient Jews, as well as Christians, by the imposition of hands. And when at length the primitive simplicity of the Christian worship began to give way to ceremony, they added the sign of the cross, which was made with the same hand as before, only elevated or extended. Hence benediction, in the modern Romish church, is used, in a more particular manner, to denote the sign of the cross made by a bishop or prelate, as conferring some grace on the people. The custom of receiving benediction, by bowing the head before the bishops, is very ancient; and it was so universal, that emperors themselves did not decline this mark of submission.