What does Avner imply by 'break bread'?

[Gray]

From a movie 'Munich' --

Avner: Break bread with me. Come on, you're a Jew in a foreign land. It's written somewhere I should invite you to break bread with me. Break bread with me, Ephraim.

Ephraim: No.

I know 'break bread' may mean 'to eat'. But for those who have watched the movie...this conversation is significant...may be metaphorical one.

What does Avner imply when he says this? What is that written thing Avner mentions?
_________________
First lesson - English, not english. I, not i. ~A student of English

[Gray]

The deafening silence.............................................................................

I didn't know that Munich is not a well known movie :(

Has anyone heard about this movie before?
_________________
First lesson - English, not english. I, not i. ~A student of English

[Skrej]

Hi Gray,

To 'break bread' means to share bread with someone. It's an act deeply rooted in history, and has social and religious connotations.

Bread has always been considered a staple of life. In ancient times, there was no act more social to invite somebody to share your bread. Bread was 'broken', or ripped apart into chucks, compared to our modern day habits of slicing it.

If you were sharing bread, you were metaphorically and literally sharing life with somebody. This also became symbolic in several religions. There were actually a lot of complex rituals that developed around the act of breaking bread.

There are numerous references to eating and sharing bread in both the Old and New Testaments, along with the Koran. Since the men quoted above are Jewish, the written word they're referring to would the the Torah (the first 5 books of the Old Testament).
_________________
Plan to be spontaneous tomorrow.
***
Did you hear they arrested the Energizer Bunny on battery charges?
***