Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-12-11

The Manner Of Obsequies In the Days
Of Christ's Ministry.

The touching Gospel account of the funeral
procession that wound out of the gates of Main.
says Mrs. Pamer's Home Life in the Bible. ~
as our Lord and His disciples came nigh, gives
us probably the most familiar idea of the ordi-
nary mode of committing the dead to their "long
homes" in that day. First in order came tho
women. according to an ancient commentary of
the Jews. which explains that, as woman
brought death into our world, she it is who
ought to lead the way in funeral procession -
Among them, how easy for any one. much more
the Lord, her Maker, to recognize the widow,
about to hide away forever from her eyes an only
son. Behind the bier followed ''much people of
the city," and last of all the hired mourners and
the musicians, with their distractng and dis
cordant walng and piping. According to pre-
vailing custom. our Lord and His companions
should have joined the procession and went
with them who wept. or shared in bearing the
burden OF the open bier on which lay the young
man, the only son.Of his mother and she was
a wldow. 1t was contrary to the law that a
hl@h priest should attend the funeral or observe
any of the customary rites of mourning for any
relative. not even for his father or his mother:
the priest might be 'tlefiled' for his mother
father, son. daughter, brother, and unmarried
sister, but for no other relation in life (Levit
xxi. IA. 10. ID.
In the time of Christ it was the custom from
the moment the body was carried out of the
house. to reverse all chairs or cOuches or seats
OF whatever sort. The mourners sat on the
floor. except on the Sabbath and on one hour OF
the Friday. the day of preparation. and on some
feast-days in which mourning was prohibited
On the return of the family from the burial with
their friends. they were served by their neigh
bOrs with a symbOlical refreshment in earthen-
ware. consisting of bread. hard boiled eggs and
lentls. The friends and funeral guests. how
ever. partook of a generous meal. but at which
the supply of wine was limited to ten CUPS
THESE cups" may have been relic OF the an
Gent custom referred to in Jere.niah: Neither
shall men give them" the mOuEncrs) ''thc cup
OF consolation for their father or for
their mother" xvi 6, y. An allusion to
funeral banquets is supposed to be
found In the circumstance after Alb
ners death, as recorded in this text: :'When
all the people came to cause David to eat meat
While it was yet day, David sware. saying So
do God to me- and more also. if taste bread
ill:53); and Jeremy. in his epistie, speaks of the
priests in the temples OF idols. who :. roar and
cry before their gods as linen do at the feast
when one is dead O3ar. vi:32).
With the return from the grave began the
formal mourning. when the passionate express
sions OF grief, loud and denOnstratiye before the
burial, were. if possible. redoublcd and intensi-
fed. The prescribed season for deep mourning
was seven days, the first three of these being
those of ''weeping.' the others those of
fermentation" These being fulfilled there
followed lighter mourning of thirty days or
more. according to the nature of the bereave-
ment Under the rabbs. children mourned for
their parents whole year The anniversary OF
the death Ct relative was also to be kent;
dead " (nOt, however. microscopy in its charac-
ter was to be offered.