(6) Various Expressions of Grief. Lifting up hands seems to have been an expression of grief (Ps. cxli :2 ; Lam. i :17; Ezra ix :5). Messengers were sent to condole with survivors; thus David sent such to Hanun, king of Ammon, upon the death of his father (2 Sam. x :1,2) ; 'Many of the Jews came to comfort Martha and hlary' (John xi :19) ; 'A great company of women attended our Lord to the cross, bewailing and lamenting him' (Luke xxiii :27) ; 'Much people' were with the widow of Nain (Luke vii :12). Indeed, if persons met a funeral procession they were expected to join it—a custom which is thought to illustrate St. Paul's words, 'Weep with them that weep' (Rom.
xii :15). Bathsheba mourned for Uriah (2 Sam. xi : 26). David, in deprecation of the death of his son by her, prayed to God for the child, fasted, and lay all night upon the earth. Ashes were often laid on the head in token of mourning; thus 'Tamar put ashes on her head, rent her garment, and laid her hand upon her head, and went on crying' (2 Sam. xiii :19, 20; comp. Is. lxi :3 ; 2 Esdras ix :38). They even wallowed in ashes (Ezek. xxvii :3o). Mourning apparel is first men tioned in 2 Sam. xiv :2, where it appears that the wearer did not anoint himself with oil (comp. Matt. vi :17).
(7) Hired Mourners. The first reference to hired mourners occurs in Eccles. xii :5. "The mourners go about the street." They are certainly alluded to in Jer. ix :17-2o, 'the mourning women' (probably widows, comp. Ps. lxxviii :64; Acts ix : 39), answering to the Prafice of the Romans (comp. Hor. Ars Poet: 429). Another reference to them occurs in 2 Chron. xxxv :25 ; comp. Jo
seph. De Bell. Jud. iii :9, 5. The greater number of the mourners in ancient Egypt were women, as in the modern East. Mourning for the dead was conducted in a tumultuotp manner ; they also wept and wailed greatly (Mark v :38). Even de vout men made great lamentations (Acts viii: 2).
(8) Other Signs of Mourning. Among other signs of mourning they shaved the head, and even tore off the hair (Amos viii :to; Micah i :16; Is. xv :2; XX11 :12 ; Jer. vii :29). Ezra plucked off the hair of his head and of his beard (Ezra ix:3; Joseph. Antiq. xvi :7, 5). The Jews went up to the housetops to mourn (Is. xv :2, 3 ; ) ; and so did the Moabites (Jer. xlviii :37, 38 ; Judith viii :5).
_ncy also made cuttings in their hands (Jer. xlviii :37, 38) ; thcy smote upon the thigh (Jer. xxxi :19; Ezek. xxi :I2) ; on the breast (Nahum ii :7 ; Luke xviii :13; xxiii :48; they smote both hands together (Num. xxiv :to), stamped with the foot (Ezek. vi :II), bowed down the head (Lam.
ii :to), covered the lips (Micah iii :7), the face (2 Sam. xix :4), and the head (2 Sam. xv :3o), and went barefoot (2 Sam. xv :30). Neighbors and friends provided food for the mourners (2 Sam.
iii :35; Jer. xvi :7; comp. Ezek. xxiv :17) ; this was called 'the bread of bitterness,"the cup of consola tion.' In later times the Jews had a custom of giving bread to the poor, at funerals, and leaving it for their use at tombs, graves, etc., which re sembles the Roman visceratio (Tobit iv :17; Ecclus. xxx :8). Women went to tombs to in dulge their grief (John xi :31). J. F. D.