<P> I Samuel 25: 41 is the first biblical passage where an honored person offers to wash feet as a sign of humility . In John 12, Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus' feet presumably in gratitude for raising her brother Lazarus from the dead, and in preparation for his death and burial . The Bible records washing of the saint's feet being practised by the primitive church in I Timothy 5: 10 perhaps in reference to piety, submission and / or humility . There are several names for this practice: maundy, foot washing, washing the saints' feet, pedilavium, and mandatum . </P> <P> Christian denominations that observe foot washing do so on the basis of the authoritative example and command of Jesus as found in the Gospel of John 13: 1--15: </P> <Dl> <Dd> And before the feast of the passover, Jesus knowing that His hour hath come, that He may remove out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own who are in the world--to the end He loved them . And supper being come, the devil already having put it into the heart of Judas of Simon, Iscariot, that he may deliver Him up, Jesus, knowing that all things the Father hath given to Him--into His hands--and that from God He came forth, and unto God He goeth, doth rise from the supper, and doth lay down his garments, and having taken a towel, he girded himself; afterward he putteth water into the basin, and began to wash the feet of his disciples, and to wipe with the towel with which he was being girded . He cometh, therefore, unto Simon Peter, and that one saith to him, "Sir, thou--dost Thou wash my feet?" Jesus answered and said to him, "That which I do thou hast not known now, but thou shalt know after these things;" Peter saith to him, "Thou mayest not wash my feet ." Jesus answered him, "If I may not wash thee, thou hast no part with me ." Simon Peter saith to him, "Sir, not my feet only, but also the hands and the head ." Jesus saith to him, "He who hath been bathed hath no need, save to wash his feet, for he is clean altogether; and ye are clean, but not all;" for He knew him who is delivering him up; because of this He said, "Ye are not all clean ." When, therefore, He washed their feet, and took His garments, having reclined at meat again, He said to them, "Do ye know what I have done to you? Ye call me,' The Teacher' and' The Lord', and ye say well, for I am; if then I did wash your feet--the Lord and the Teacher--ye also ought to wash one another's feet . For I have given thee an example, that ye should do as I have done to ye . Verily, verily, I say unto ye, the servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him . If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them ." </Dd> </Dl> <Dd> And before the feast of the passover, Jesus knowing that His hour hath come, that He may remove out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own who are in the world--to the end He loved them . And supper being come, the devil already having put it into the heart of Judas of Simon, Iscariot, that he may deliver Him up, Jesus, knowing that all things the Father hath given to Him--into His hands--and that from God He came forth, and unto God He goeth, doth rise from the supper, and doth lay down his garments, and having taken a towel, he girded himself; afterward he putteth water into the basin, and began to wash the feet of his disciples, and to wipe with the towel with which he was being girded . He cometh, therefore, unto Simon Peter, and that one saith to him, "Sir, thou--dost Thou wash my feet?" Jesus answered and said to him, "That which I do thou hast not known now, but thou shalt know after these things;" Peter saith to him, "Thou mayest not wash my feet ." Jesus answered him, "If I may not wash thee, thou hast no part with me ." Simon Peter saith to him, "Sir, not my feet only, but also the hands and the head ." Jesus saith to him, "He who hath been bathed hath no need, save to wash his feet, for he is clean altogether; and ye are clean, but not all;" for He knew him who is delivering him up; because of this He said, "Ye are not all clean ." When, therefore, He washed their feet, and took His garments, having reclined at meat again, He said to them, "Do ye know what I have done to you? Ye call me,' The Teacher' and' The Lord', and ye say well, for I am; if then I did wash your feet--the Lord and the Teacher--ye also ought to wash one another's feet . For I have given thee an example, that ye should do as I have done to ye . Verily, verily, I say unto ye, the servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him . If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them ." </Dd>

Who washed the feet of the twelve apostles