King James Bible Dictionary

The first burial we have an account of is that of Sarah (Genesis 26:23). The first commercial transaction recorded is that of the purchase of a burial-place, for which Abraham weighed to Ephron "four hundred shekels of silver current money with the merchants." Thus the patriarch became the owner of a part of the land of Canaan, the only part he ever possessed. When he himself died, "his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah," beside Sarah his wife (Genesis 25:9).

Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, was buried under Allon-bachuth, "the oak of weeping" (Genesis 35:8), near to Bethel. Rachel died, and was buried near Ephrath; "and Jacob set a pillar upon her grave" (16-20). Isaac was buried at Hebron, where he had died (27, 29). Jacob, when charging his sons to bury him in the cave of Machpelah, said, "There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah" (49:31). In compliance with the oath which he made him swear unto him (47:29-31), Joseph, assisted by his brethren, buried Jacob in the cave of Machpelah (50:2, 13). At the Exodus, Moses "took the bones of Joseph with him," and they were buried in the "parcel of ground" which Jacob had bought of the sons of Hamor (Joshua 24:32), which became Joseph's inheritance (Genesis 48:22; 1 Chronicles 5:1; John 4:5). Two burials are mentioned as having taken place in the wilderness. That of Miriam (Numbers 20:1), and that of Moses, "in the land of Moab" (Deuteronomy 34:5, 6, 8). There is no account of the actual burial of Aaron, which probably, however, took place on the summit of Mount Hor (Numbers 20:28, 29).

Joshua was buried "in the border of his inheritance in Timnath-serah" (Joshua 24:30).

In Job we find a reference to burying-places, which were probably the Pyramids (3:14, 15). The Hebrew word for "waste places" here resembles in sound the Egyptian word for "pyramids."

Samuel, like Moses, was honoured with a national burial (1 Samuel 25:1). Joab (1 Kings 2:34) "was buried in his own house in the wilderness."

In connection with the burial of Saul and his three sons we meet for the first time with the practice of burning the dead (1 Samuel 31:11-13). The same practice is again referred to by Amos (6:10).

Absalom was buried "in the wood" where he was slain (2 Samuel 18:17, 18). The raising of the heap of stones over his grave was intended to mark abhorrence of the person buried (comp. Joshua 7:26 and 8:29). There was no fixed royal burying-place for the Hebrew kings. We find several royal burials taking place, however, "in the city of David" (1 Kings 2:10; 11:43; 15:8; 2 Kings 14:19, 20; 15:38; 1 Kings 14:31; 22:50; 2 Chronicles 21:19, 20; 2 Chronicles 24:25, etc.). Hezekiah was buried in the mount of the sepulchres of the sons of David; "and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honour at his death" (2 Chronicles 32:33).

Little is said regarding the burial of the kings of Israel. Some of them were buried in Samaria, the capital of their kingdom (2 Kings 10:35; 13:9; 14:16).

Our Lord was buried in a new tomb, hewn out of the rock, which Joseph of Arimathea had prepared for himself (Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:46; John 19:41, 42).

The grave of Lazarus was "a cave, and a stone lay on it" (John 11:38). Graves were frequently either natural caverns or artificial excavations formed in the sides of rocks (Genesis 23:9; Matthew 27:60); and coffins were seldom used, unless when the body was brought from a distance.

Rites of
Jeremiah 34:5

Soon after death
Deuteronomy 21:23; Joshua 8:29; John 19:38-42; Acts 5:9-10

With spices
2 Chronicles 16:14; Mark 16:1; Luke 23:56

Bier used at
2 Samuel 3:31; Luke 7:14

Attended by relatives and friends:

Of Jacob
Genesis 50:5-9

Of Abner
2 Samuel 3:31

Of the child of Jeroboam
1 Kings 14:13

Of the son of the widow of Nain
Luke 7:12-13

Of Stephen
Acts 8:2

Lack of, a disgrace
2 Kings 9:10; Proverbs 30:17; Jeremiah 16:4; Jeremiah 22:19; Ezekiel 39:15

Directions given about, before death:

Directions given about, before death:
Genesis 49:29-30

By Joseph
Genesis 50:25

Burial of Gog requiring 7 months
Ezekiel 39:12-13

Burial places:

Bought by Abraham
Ezekiel 1:23; Genesis 25:9

Prepared by Jacob
Genesis 50:5

Prepared by Asa
2 Chronicles 16:14

Prepared by Joseph
Matthew 27:60

On hills
2 Kings 23:16; Joshua 24:33

In valleys
Jeremiah 7:32

Family
Genesis 47:30; Genesis 49:29; Acts 7:16

Of kings
1 Kings 2:10; 2 Chronicles 32:33

A place of honor
2 Chronicles 24:16; 2 Chronicles 24:25; 2 Chronicles 21:20

For poor and strangers
Jeremiah 26:23; Matthew 27:7

Tombs:

In houses
1 Samuel 25:1; 1 Kings 2:34

In gardens
2 Kings 21:18; 2 Kings 21:26; John 19:41

In caves
Genesis 23:9

Under trees, Deborah's
Genesis 35:8

King Saul's
1 Samuel 31:13

Closed with stones
Matthew 27:60; Matthew 27:66; John 11:38; John 20:1

Sealed
Matthew 27:66

Marked with pillars, Rachel's
Genesis 35:20

Marked with inscriptions
2 Kings 23:17

Painted and garnished
Matthew 23:27; Matthew 23:29

With shelves
Isaiah 14:15

Demoniacs dwelt in
Matthew 8:28

Any who touched were unclean
Numbers 19:16; Numbers 19:18; Isaiah 65:4

Refused to the dead
Revelation 11:9

Robbed
Jeremiah 8:1
Cremation; Dead; Death; Elegy; Grave; Mourning

Figurative
Isaiah 22:16; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12

BURIAL, noun ber'rial. [See Bury.] The act of burying a deceased person; sepulture; interment; the act of depositing a dead body in the earth, in a tomb or vault, or in the water.

1. The act of placing any thing under earth or water; as, to bury see in the earth.

2. The church service for funerals.

[TOMBS] On this subject we have to notice

1. The place of burial, its site and shape;
2. The mode of burial;
3. The prevalent notions regarding this duty.
4. A natural cave enlarged and adapted by excavation, or an artificial imitation of one was the standard type of sepulchre. Sepulchres, when the owner's means permitted it, were commonly prepared beforehand, and stood often in gardens, by roadsides, or even adjoining houses. Kings and prophets alone were probably buried within towns. (1 Kings 2:10; 16:6,28) Cities soon became populous and demanded cemeteries, (Ezekiel 39:15) which were placed without the walls. Sepulchres were marked sometimes by pillars or by pyramids. Such as were not otherwise noticeable were scrupulously "whited," (Matthew 23:27) once a year, after the rains before the passover, to warn passers-by of defilement.
5. "The manner of the Jews" included the use of spices, where they could command the means. (2 Chronicles 16:10) A portion of these was burnt in honor of the deceased, and to this use was probably destined part of the one hundred pounds weight of "myrrh and aloes" in our Lord's case. In no instance, save that of Saul and his sons, were the bodies burned; and even then the bones were interred, and re-exhumed for solemn entombment. It was the office of the next of kin to perform and preside over the whole funeral office; though public buriers were not unknown in New Testament times. (Acts 5:6,10) The body was borne by the nearest relatives. The grave-clothes were probably of the fashion worn in life, but swathed and fastened with bandages, and the head covered separately.
6. 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.

BURIAL'PLACE, noun A place appropriated to the burial of the dead; a grave-yard.