BURIAL, denotes the act of interring the body of a person deceased.
Although the mode of disposing of the body after death, has varied in different ages and countries, yet de votional feelings, combined with a sense of decency, as well as a regard to health and comfort, seem to have uni versally pointed out to mankind the propriety, not only of removing out of sight the dead bodies of their fellow creatures, but of performing this act with certain so lemnities, which are considered as a natural tribute of respect from the living to the dead. And as these ce remonies have been generally regarded as religious rites, they have seldom been denied but to persons who had made themselves guilty of some flagrant violation of the laws of God and of nature.
Of the various modes of burial which have prevailed in the world, inhumation, or simple interment, according to the opinion of Cicero, as it is the most natural, appears to have been also the most ancient : Redditur cnim terra corJius, et ita locatum ac situm, quasi operimento maths cbdsccitztr. De Leg. ii. 22. The practices of burning deed bodies, of enclosing the remains in urns, embalm ing, Ste. appear to have been of later date, and to have derived their origin from the dread of inhuman treat ment after death, from motives of affectionate regard in surviving relatives, or from the pride and vanity of indi viduals.
In diseusiing the subject of burial, there are four points particularly deserving of attention: The importance which mmkind in general have attached to the act ; the cere monies with which it has been accompanied in different ages, and among different nations ; the places set apart for interment ; and the laws relative to the practice of I. From the earliest historical records, it is evident t!lat burial was considered by mankind, in the most an cient times, as an object of the highest importance. In the Old Testament scriptures, we meet with many pas sages which prole this to have been the case among the Jews ; \vim not only betrayed, at all times, an anxiety with regard to the rites of sepulture, and mcre extremely •z.reful about the burial of their dead, but considered the d pri; ation of burial as one of the most disgraceful things which, could befall a man. When the Lord foretold to lbra
ham the afflictions which should come upon his race, he added, as a source of consolation, that he himself should go to his fathers in peace, and should be buried in a good old age. (Gen. xv. 15.) Upon the death of Sarah, his wife, Abraham earnestly besought the sons of Heth, to give him possession of a burying-place ; and his request being granted, he purchased of Ephron, the son of Zo bar, the field of Machpelah, and the cave which was therein, for four hundred shekels of silver. Abraham, accordingly, buried Sarah in the cave of the field of Mach pelah, which afterwards served as a place of interment for his own body, and for those of Isaac and of Jacob. Many other passages occur, in which the duty of sepul ture is inculcated, and instances of the discharge of it are recorded. David gives great praise to the men of Jabez Gilead, for rescuing the bones of their king and prince from the enemy's walls, and committing them to their family vault. (2 Sam. ii. 5.) The scriptures threaten the wicked with being deprived of burial, as if such de plivation were one of the greatest calamities that could befall them. 4, If a man beget a hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial, I say, that an untimely birth is better than he." (Excles. vi. 3.) Jeremiah also threatens the kings, priests, and false prophets, who had worshipped idols, that he would have their bones thrown out of their graves, like dung upon the earth. (Jerem. viii. 2.) The same pro phet foretold, that Jehoiakim, the wicked king of Judah, as a severe punishment for his guilt, should be buried with the burial of an ass ;—that lie should be cast out of the gates of Jerusalem into the common sewer. (Ibid. xxii. 18, 19.) That good men considered it to be a part of their religious duties to bury the dead, appears from the example of Tobit, who went about burying the dead bodies of his murdered countrymen, at the hazard of id.; own life.