Staying the night is the modern equivalent to "breaking bread."
I am fascinated by the law. The nuances confound me. In the text that follows, I will discuss why two people who meet to conduct any private business, for which they would like Fourth Amendment protections (protection against search and seizure), should pack an over-night bag. Breaking Bread In the medieval times, the host would ask a visitor to "break bread." By sitting at the dinner table, and sharing a meal the host made a promise to the visitor that while he was there, the visitor would have all the protections that the host could afford to offer. When you broke bread with your host, you were promised to be kept safe through the night. No person would try to harm you. No person would try to steal from you. You were safe from all threats—as long as the host was able to protect you, he would. Staying the Night But, how does a home owner protect his guests from a government intrusion? How does he offer protection to his guests? He invites them to stay the nigh