Joseph's brethren fell to the ground before him in token of grief (Gen. xliv :14) ; and this, or lying, or sitting on the ground, was a common token of mourning (comp. Ps. xxxv:t4; I Sam. xxv :24 ; Is. iii :26 ; xlvii it ; Ezek. xxvi :16, etc.).
The ne.xt incident in the history of the subject is the mourning for Jacob by the Egyptians, hich was conducted, no doubt, by professional mourners during threescore and ten days (Gen. 1:3), called the days of tnourning (ver. 4), though most likely that computation includes the process of embalming (Wilkinson's Manners and Customs of the Ancient Egyphans, v. 454, 459). It seems to have amounted to royal mourning, doubtless out of regard to Joseph. The mourning for Jo seph's father was renewed by Joseph's command, with a very great and sore lamentation, upon the funeral cavalcade having arrived in Canaan, and continued seven days (ver. to). The vehemency of that mourning seems to have surprised even the Canaanites, who in consequence named the place where it was held Abel-mizraim. or the mourning of the Egyptians (ver. t). When the children of Israel mourned tinder the threat of the Divine displeasure, they did not put on their ornaments (Exod. xxxiii :4; comp. Joel. ii :16; Ezek. xxiv :17). At the giving of the law the modes of mourning were regulated by several enactments. The prophet Joel commanded a fast as part of a national mourning. A fast is proclaimed tc, all the inhabitants or visitors at Jerusalem (Jer. xxxvi :9; comp. Zech. vii :5). Fasting is practiced at Nineveh as part of a public humiliation (Jonah iii :5). in our Lord's lan guage, 'to fast' and 'to mourn' are the same thing (Matt. ix :15). Public humiliations attended with religious assemblies and prayers (Joel ii:16, 17); with fasts (Is. lviii :3) ; see all these united (i Mace. iii :44, 47, 48)• The first complete descrip tion of mourning for the dead occurs in 2 Sam. iii :31, 35.
(3) Forbidden Modes. It was forbidden the Jews to make cuttings in their flesh for the dead (Lev. xix :28). The ancient Egyptians, accord ing to Herodotus, did not cut themselves (ii :61) ; it was a Syrian custom, as appears from the votaries of Baal (i Kings xviii :28) ; nor were the Jews allowed to make any baldness between their eyes for the dead (Deut. xiv :i). The priests were forbidden to uncover the head in mourning (Lev. x :6), or to rend their clothes, or to con
tract the ceremonial defilement involved in mourn ing except for their nearest kindred (Lev. xxi : 4) ; but the high-priest was entirely forbidden to do so even for his father or his mother (ver. t), and so was the Nazarite (Num. vi :7). These prohibitions respecting the head and the beard (Lev. xix :27) seem to have been restricted to funeral occasions, as the customs referred to were lawfully practiced on other sorrowful events (comp. Ezra ix :3 ; Job i :2o; Is. xxii :12 ; Jer. vii :29 ; Micah i :16). Even the food eaten by mourners was considered unclean (comp. Deut. Nxvi :14, with Hos. ix :4; Ezek. xxiv :17).
(4) Days of Mourning. The Jews were com manded to afflict their souls on the Day of Atone ment (Lev. xxiii :27), and at the Feast of Trum pets (Num. xxix :7). All the house of Israel mourned for Aaron thirty days (Num. xx :29). The beautiful captive, whom the law permitted to marry, was rcquired first to bewail her father and mother a full month, and the requisitions that she should shave her head and pare her nails have been by some considered signs of mourning ( Deut. xxi :1 t, 13). The Israelites wept for Mo ses thirty days, called the days of weeping and mourning for Moses (Deut. xxxiv :8), B. C. 1451. Joshua and the elders of Israel put dust upon their heads at the defeat of Ai, and fasted (Josh. vii :6). as did the eleven tribes after the defeat at Gibeah, and wept (Judg. xx :26), as did all the Israelites at the command of Joshua, on which cccasion it is said 'they drew water and poured it out before the Lord' (I Sam. vii :6; comp. Ps. xxii :t4)• (5) Elegies by the Prophets. Elegies were composed by the prophets on several disastrous occasions (Ezek. xx(ri ; xxvii :1-36; Amos v :1, etc.). In Ps. xxxv, which is ascribed to Da vid, there is a description of the humiliations practiced by the friends of the sick, in order to procure their recovery. Samuel was honored with a public mourning by the Israelites (i Sam. xxv : 1), B. C. to58. Upon the death of Saul, David wrote an elegy (2 Sam. i :17-27). This, like that upon the death of Abner, seems to be a poetical description of the character of the departed, like the dirge for an Egyptian king.