Cremation vs Ancient Jewish Burial vs Contemporary burial 533-1 - 6 - 8

I’ve been told by my born-again friend that cremation is a very pagan ritual. I would contend that the modern means of burial are far more pagan and entirely out of touch with ancient Israel.

“Ancient Jewish practices concerning the dead instructed that the individual be buried and not cremated, a law still in observance today. This is because cremation is believed to be a punishment that is reserved for idols, criminals and enemies of the Jewish faith; for example, during the Exodus, Moses destroyed the golden calf in order to punish the Hebrews for their idolatry. Similarly, the early Christian Church also rejected cremation, because it was associated with Greek and Roman pagan beliefs.”

http://www.jesusfamilytomb.com/back_to_basics/burial_practices/jewish_law.html,

Burial was to be done within 24 hours of death. The body of the deceased was washed, anointed with various oils and spices and then wrapped in linen clothing containing more spices and placed on a stone shelf within the burial tomb.

Two important ancient Jewish burial practices were that the burial was required to take place outside of the village where the decadent lived that he or she be buried in the same tomb as his or her family.

Often there would be a secondary burial in ossuaries. After the flesh had been left to decompose and desiccate the bone were collected and placed inside an ossuary. As an aside, the subject of ossuaries brings to mind favorite passages, Matthew 23:27-28, “27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. 28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”

2000 years later and an American rite of passage….

Lots of good tips for spending on burial services, really, just another major money maker. http://www.todaysfuneral.com/ has lots of tips. As for the Coffin or Casket in which the body is going to be buried, and I quote, “This should be just the right size and must be comfortable.” Next to consider is embalming. “The body has to be cleaned properly and this can only be done with the use of a professional service. The embalming part of the process has to be picture-perfect and has to be done to ensure everything is as it should be.”

Then there is the Chapel. “Most funerals take place in a chapel or church, and that is a big part of the process. This is where the burial is going to start off and that is where you get to remember the lost soul that has passed away.”

Often people will say at a viewing, “It looks like he/ she is sleeping.” Then there is “He/ she looks so peaceful and is in a better place.” Well…maybe.

Finally the coffin is closed and sealed and at the cemetery is lowered into a concrete value. Now exactly returning to the earth.

As for me it’s off to Science Care when the time comes unless Jesus comes for His Church first.