Funeral Ceremony

Josephus

Against Apion 2.205

Late 1st Century

Our divine law has also provided for the decent burial of the dead, without extravagant burial rites or the building of illustrious monuments. Rather, it enjoined that the funeral arrangements be performed by the nearest relative, and it regulated that all who pass by when a person is being buried should accompany the funeral and join in the lamentation. It further ordains that the house and its residents be purified following the funeral rites, in order that anyone who has committed murder might be kept at a great distance from the appearance of being pure.

Translated by William Whiston, adapted by Aaron Samuels.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.

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Josephus describes the proper proceedings for a funeral ceremony, which includes burial, a mourning procession, and subsequent purification. Shortly after these instructions, he mentions the general practice of never leaving a corpse unburied even if found on the road or in the company of one’s foes.

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Creator Bio

Josephus

37–100

Flavius Josephus was born into a prominent Jewish priestly family and served as a general stationed in the Galilee during the First Jewish Revolt (66–73 CE). He was captured by the Romans and eventually integrated into the Flavian imperial aristocracy, who commissioned him to compose chronicles of the Jewish–Roman war and the history of the Jews. Josephus’ works, all written in Greek, include The Jewish War, Jewish Antiquities, Against Apion, and his autobiography, Life of Josephus. These writings provide important insights into the Judaisms of the Second Temple period and include one of the few surviving accounts of the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE.

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