Delaware State journal and statesman., 1869-05-25
NO. %
The First Recorded Burial.


lne lrst mention, in the Hebrew Scrip
lures, oil BURIAL is that of Sarah, the wife
Vi Aoraham. OF each of the patriarcha
WIN one exception, whose names are re-
corded in the 9Th chapter Of Genesis, II ia
oorleny SAID, and he died." It is not added
~ ana q was buried From the death OF Abel.
.ne hfst to die, to that of Sarah, a period Of
,o,5 .M9 thousand years, in no instance are we
.oiu Whal disposition was made of the mor-
tal remains. "All the days that Adam lived
His1 mere !, nine hundred and thirty years; and he
uieu' WHAT was "the order for the burial
VI she ueau, at the funeral of the first mani
ana Where dld they lay the dead body
Inc hrht burial place described IN The ga
sIee y. efGdsis the cave which was selected
az as ,he erial place OF Sarah. or this sepul-
cure We have, in the book of Genesis. bis.
tory OF affecting simplicity and beauty
Whlle Abraham was a stranger and n 40.
!oulner ", ht Hebron, his wife died, and he
ma Nus opilsed 10 seek for her burial plaee.
~ people oil the land honored him as
mlshly prince among them, and offered rim
ms choice OF their sepulchres.
~ must nave appreciated the kindness of
m.,oi .ns oiel, out ne naturally preferred family
,'"iaa "i.a' P'aee VI his own, and he had set his
heaIl on cave In the field of Macbnelab
Which seemed fitted for The sad nlrnoss
The neld aud cave therein belonged IN Enh.
ron the Hittite. For some reason vgbieb
aoes NOT appear, Abraham did moi first on
ply to this man for the purchase Of The cave
put ne asked his friends and his neiobbors
10 apply for him. Ephron offered a hTahsm
polh lhe neld and the cave as gift The
peIeaVeu patriarch was unwilling thus 10
N leIeitc 1N .heln. lie would not be dependent.
SO long as no necessity required #. an The
generosity OF others, nor would he hurry his
beloved dead in sepulchre which had coat
MN nothing. II will give the money for
the neld, he said to Ephron. 0take n n me
anu VIII bury my dead there.,i Enhron
IN reply named four hundred sheckles Of sill
yer US tue worth of the field. This ann
Apfaham paid by weight to Ephron, in the
presence oil the people OF the land. The con-
',osS ,,ae. Snu payment having been publicly wit
messed, The field, with the cave tberein
'and all the trees that were in the tiaId ),
heirs. """in anu MS
MS IS the first recorded instance of n le-
sai conveyance OF real estate, and it is re-
nalAapie lhal is The conveyance of a burial
pace All men cannot be landholders but
very man may reasonably expect TO have.
@ SUM ua y, as much land as may serve for
sIafe; IN the cave Of Maehpeiah Abraham
oaaieu at,,as ms wlfe. Thirty eight years passed
anu nls sons buried him in the cave.
one hundred and thirty-two years later
jacob, dying in Egypt, remembered that
amlly sepulchre, aud charged his sons 10
oury MN therein. Having described IL "a
the cave that is In the field of Machnelab
,eiore Mamre, in the land OF Canaan, which
a ADraham bought with the field of Ephron
he ilitlile, he added the words SO tenderly
expressive of the natural wish TO rest among
'hes kindred-"There they buried Abra.
nam aud Sarah his wife; there thew buried
Isaac,, and Rebekah his wife; and there /
buried Leah.n After these specific dIree.
IONS lhere could be no mistake as to the 10.
'ailty OF the sepulchre TO which Jacobs last
thoughts and wishes were turned, and his
sons accordingly carried him into Cauasn
ma laid him with his fathers, Abraham and
IL. ;. IaAsass.s'--.- IT, sHe frCOtu ut
5ufiaIs m the cave OF Machpeah closes
me cave is now in the possession OF its
rlghtiul owners, the heirs OF Abraham. Lit.
nc ala the honored patriarch imagine when
ne purchased it as a burial place. that In
Instant ages II would be within the walls of
mosque, while his descendants. whose
presence in the land should be its protection.
would be scattered among The naiions-"an
proverb, and by word''--
because they would NOT hearken unto the
loice of the Lord their God. And vet II ia
gratifying to know that the tomb Of the pa-
rlarchs has been protected, though by the
lands OF Turks, infidels and hereIics.n
what countless multitudes OF the wise and
sood have passed away OF whose graves we
NOW nothing.
Dust long outass the storied stone
But they'-'their' very dust is gomez