November 26, 2023

A Hurried Preparation For Rented Tomb

(Some information may be too graphic for small children)

“Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” John 19:41-42 (NASB)

            In today’s age of burial, many things are similar to the ancients. When a body arrives at the funeral home preparation begins. “The first step in this process is cleaning and dressing the body. Cleaning and dressing the body is an important part of the funeral home's responsibilities in preparing the deceased for a traditional burial or cremation. For direct burials or direct cremations, this step is typically skipped by the funeral home or cremation company. Embalming is a process of chemical treatment that is used to temporarily delay the natural process of decomposition… This is typically chosen by families who want to have an open casket at the funeral...”[1] The makeup and hair styling begins. This is to make the deceased’s appearance look more lifelike and natural. Then the body is placed in a casket.

            “Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.” The tomb was originally prepared for Joseph of Arimathea (Matt. 27:57-60; Mark 15:46; John 29:41-42). Tombs were typically hewn out of solid rock. In some cases, burial sites were in natural caverns or artificial excavations formed on the side of rocks. Jewish burial sites and graves' exteriors are whitewashed. This warned a passing Jew nearby it was a burial site. The Jews would not go near graves. Doing so would defile them. Like the burial site of Lazarus, Jesus’ tomb was covered by a stone. “Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.” Because the day of preparation was near, the two men hurried the preparation of the body. “The two men wrapped some of the spices in with Jesus’ body during the hasty burial. When the Jewish Sabbath began at sundown, work of any kind had to cease.”[2] Then, “the tomb was sealed by a large stone, likely to keep out wild animals and to ensure that the disciples would not steal the body.”[3] When they returned, the burial preparation was completed. “Although the customs and procedures were modified little from OT to NT times, some added details are given in the NT record. For example, it is noted that the corpse was washed (Acts 9:37). The body was then anointed and wrapped in linen cloths with spices enclosed (Mk 16:1; Jn 19:40). Finally, the limbs were tightly bound and the head covered with a separate piece of cloth (Jn 11:44).”[4]

            After death, the Jews believed the soul hovered over the body for three to seven days. Shemira was performed. “In practice, though, Shemira is less about watching the body and more about being physically present with the body, essentially keeping it company and providing comfort… leaving the body unattended is considered to akin to one caring for the person.”[5]

[1] https://everloved.com/articles/funeral-industry/how-do-funeral-homes-prepare-a-body-for-a-funeral/.

[2] https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/do-we-know-where-jesus-was-buried.html.

[3] Thornhill, A. C. (2016). In J. D. Barry, D. Bomar, D. R. Brown, R. Klippenstein, D. Mangum, C. Sinclair Wolcott, L. Wentz, E. Ritzema, & W. Widder (Eds.), The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Lexham Press.

[4] Fisher, M. C. (1988). In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 389). Baker Book House.

[5] https://guttermansinc.com/shemira-the-jewish-tradition-of-watching-the-body-after-death/.