To repair and adorn these was deemed a work of exalted piety (Mt 23:29). a spot fixed upon by tradition as the site of the tomb of every prophet of note in the Old Test. "Hebron") to have been the burial place not only of Abraham and Sarah, but also of Adam and Eve and there was probably at the time of the New Test. Thus Machpelah is stated (Lightfoot, Centuria Chorographica, s.v. Tombs were, in popular belief, led by the same teaching, invested with traditions. Thus that land was called by them "the land of the living," and the sepulchre itself "the house of the living." Some even feigned that the bodies of the righteous, wherever else buried, rolled back to Canaan underground, and found there only their appointed rest (Nicolaus, De Sepult. Adopting a similar notion, some of the rabbins taught that only in that land could those who were buried obtain a share in the resurrection which was to usher in the Messiah's reign on earth. The precedent of Jacob's and Joseph's remains being returned to the land of Canaan was followed, in wish at least, by every pious Jew. 5, 5) notices that it was a point of Jewish custom potius corpora condere quam cremare. The rabbins quote the doctrine "dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" as a reason for preferring to entomb or inter their dead but that preferential practice is older than the Mosaic record, as traceable in patriarchal examples, and continued unaltered by any Gentile influence so Tacitus ( Hist. Similarly, to disturb remains was regarded as a barbarity, only justifiable in the case of those who had themselves outraged religion (2Ki 23:16-17 Jer 8:1-2). Since this was the only case so guarded by Mosaic: precept it may be concluded that natural feeling was relied on as rendering any such general injunction superfluous. The Jews uniformly disposed of the corpse by entombment where possible, and, failing that, by interment extending this respect to the remains even of the slain enemy and malefactor (1Ki 11:15 De 21:23), in the latter case by express provision of law. In treating of the Hebrew usages in this respect, we will adduce whatever elucidation modern research has contributed to them. Mankind in all ages have been careful, indeed of necessity, to provide suitable resting places for the dead. Sepulchre (קֶבֶר, kber, or קבוּרָה, keburah, a burying place or grave, as sometimes rendered τάφος, a tomb, as elsewhere rendered also μνῆμα or μνημεῖον, a monument, likewise rendered "grave" or "tomb").
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