Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-04-28

opened there vas usually found nothing bu. q
skeleton. With little rounded heap Of dust. the
lamp standing near the head, black With the
Pickering fame which bad remained after the
stone was closed Deeper down Ia the rock
we're found The painted toubs IN which the mum
mied bodies fthe old Egyptians had lain. But
these we're tenantless, for the succeeding genera
tons bad robbed and occupied the tonbs OF the old
Egyptians. and the sinking of the hill towards
the water level OF the sea "a depression which
has gone on for centuries on that COAST had let
In the dampness and sometimes the water itself,
SO that nothing remained OF the ancient tenants
or their SUCCESSORS.
In the Holy Land The custom Of burial has al
WAYS remained the same since the days Of Abra
hans purchase. The dead were laid either in
hesn vaults or 10 the earth itself The bills are
full of open vaults, bat the dead OF that old land
have long since gone TO dust in the sacred dus.
That soil il rich indeed in the treasure OF such
earth. Its me- strange that the israeliies desire
so ardeniy 10 be buried lbere nor i Il strange
hat christian nations have, in some instances,
imported the earth Of Palestine TO form the soil
OF their cemeteries One can scarcely 20 amiss
there If he desires sleep in the earth with the
prophets and priests and kings Of bible days.
The soil OF Palestine must De thoroughly min
gled with the clay that once was the strength
and glory Of Israel. The flowers that bloom
on a thousand hills are nourished with the dust
of Rachels and Rulhs aud Msrys. The oak
trees that stand on the plains and crown the
mountains from Hebron to Lebanon. spring
from the clay that was once such men "a Joshua
o Gideon or David. Around Jerusalem the
Hebrew dead lie by millions, Of almost every
generation from the DAYS o! David TO this.
It is interesting to notice thar the desire OF the
Hebrews 10 be buried In the soil Of Holy Land
has its parallels among other nations The Mo
hammodans desire TO be buried at Medina, the
burial place Of their prophet. Many Of the Per
SLAMS seek to be buried nea- the tomb OF Ali, and
great caravans from all directions carry the
bodies OF the faithful to that spot. Christians.
while content TO rest in the soil of their own
countries, have nevertheless almost everywhere
adopted the custom of buryiug with the feet to Z
ward jerusalem. as il the dead were only resting
for little while. 10 pilgrimage yet to be ac-
complished. All over the world. In country
gravoyards this custom has been pursued.
Sometimes il is broken in on by the new custom
Of cemeteries and cemetery lots, the small sizes
Of the latter compelling economy Of room But
we believe that the custom prevails very gener-
ally In American villages of burying the dead
with the feet toward the east
There ia nothing new under the sun. La the
emotions which are evidenced by customs of
burial, we find proof that men and women are
much the same in all ages. It is the common
custom. in many modern nations, and a very
beautiful one. 10 lay flowers around the dead.
Whatever be the thought that leads to this prac-
tice il is not new and doubtless the same thought
Influenced the inhabitants OF the old world to the
same custom Among various relics OF ancient
Egypt in our possession there is none which is
more highly priced than wreath OF leaves and
flowers which We took from the coffin OF an
Egyptian who died quite three thousand years
ago. The blossoms perfectly preserved
and OH submitting them to 4 distinguished Amer
lean botanis,. he informed "a that they were the
same flowers now usei 90 commonly in France
and this country for funeral wresths. the anna
Fanth or inmorteile N Y Journal of Com