Literature. — Hausrath, Hist, of NT Times, §5 5, 10, 11; articles ' Baukunst' in PRE'^ and ' Architecture' in Hastings' DB ; Josephua, Ant. xv. viii. 1, ix. 4-6, x. 3, xvi. v. 2, BJ i. xiii. 8, xxi. 1-11, VII. viii. 3; Schiirer, GJV^ ii. 170, 430, 44G, etc.; O. Holtzmann, Life of Jesus, p. 100 1. etc.
J. Ross Murray. BORDEN.— Both in Christ's discourse against the Pharisees (Mt 23', Lk 11'") and in His saying, 'Come unto me,' etc. (Mt 11=*-*'), the 'burden' {<popTLov) is that of the legal and Pharisaic ordi- nances of such a minute and exacting kind that they became intolerable and crushed out real heart-religion. ' My burden,' Christ says, ' is light ' in comparison with these ; for I put men under the law of love, which is a law of liberty. With loving, ^;racious hearts. My disciples become a law unto themselves. The new law is written on the fleshy tables of the heart. St. Peter, in Ac 15'", speaks
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of the traditional legal observances as a yoke which 'neither ye nor your fatliers were able to bear,' while faith in Clnist can purify the heart and make strict rules for outward conduct un- necessary. In Mt IP" Jesus gives utterance to the germ at least of the Pauline idea of a new spirit of life in Christ Jesus, setting free from condemnation. While, in the tirst instance, Christ meant by ' burden ' the Pharisaic ordinances, the truth would become ever deeper to His disciples, till they understood the full contrast between the fulfilment of legal precepts through painful ellbrt, and the joyous service of a li\ing Cotl and Father, growing into pervading holines.s of character.
The ' burden (/3dpos) * of tlie day ami the heat,' in the parable of the Labourers (Alt 20'-) is a de- scription of toil which strains and wearies. In the interpretation of tlie parable, if any stress were laid on this detail, it might be the long and con- scientious fulfilment of duty in the Christian life, which, thougli it must receive recognition in the cml, _i;i\es no claim on God as one who rewards of delit, nor allows the worker to glory over another who has been less richly furnished with oppor- tunity.
IjITERATUEB.— On the ' burden ' of Mt 1128-30 ref. may be made to Expos. Times, iii. [1892) 612 ff. ; Expositor, Istser. vii. [187s] p. 348 ff., xi. [ISSOJp. 101 «E.
David M. W. Laird.
BURIAL.— In contrast to the Greek and the later Roman custom of cremation, the rites of burial were observed amon,t;st tlie Jews with great reverence, and an account of their ordinary prac- tice will help to illustrate several passages in the NT. Immediately after death the body was washed (Ac 9^'), and wrapped in linen cloths in the folds of which sijices and ointments were laid (Jn 193'-'-*'). The face was bound about with a napkin, and the hands and feet with grave-bands (Jn n** 20'). Meanwhile the house had been given over to the hired mourners (Mt 9-' || ; of. 2 Ch. 35-=, Jer 9"), who lamented for the dead in some such strains as are preserved in Jer 22'', and skilfully improvised verses in praise of his virtues. Tlie actual interment took place as quickly as pos- sible, mainly on sanitary grounds ; very frequently, indeed, on the same day as the death (Ac .")' • '" 8-'), though it might be delayed tor special reasons (Ac 9^"-). In its passage to the grave the body was generally laid on a bier, or open bed of wicker work (Lk 7" ; cf. 2 S S^', 2 K IS-')— lience at Jesus' command the widow of Nain's son was able to sit up at once (Lk 7'°). The bier was, as a rule, borne to the tomb by the immediate friends of the deceased, though we have also traces of a company of public ' buriers ' (Ac 5«- '« ; cf. Ezk 39'--'«). In front of the bier came the women, and in Jndiea the hired mourners, and immediately after it the relatives and friends, and 'much people of the city.' Attendance at funerals was, indeed, re- garded as a pious act, and was consequently not al\yays wholly disinterested. Amon^ modern Orientals it is called ' attending the merit,' an act that will secure a reward from God (G. M. Mackie, Bible Manners and Customs, p. 127).
The place of burial in NT times was always outside the city (Lk 7'=, Jn ll^", Mt 21^"^^), and frequently consisted of a natural cave, or an opening made in imitation of one. These rock- sepulchres were often of considerable size, and sometimes permitted of the interment of as many as thirteen bodies. Eight, however, was the usual number, three on each side of the entrance and two opposite. The doorway to the tomb was an aperture about 2 ft. broad and 4 ft. high, and was
• In Gal 62- 6 Lighttoot contends that l!ipa: and c»/"-.'o» mean, respectively, a burden that may and ought to be got rid of, and
closed either by a door, or by a great stone— the ffolel — that was rolled against it (Mt 27'''*, Mk 15-'«, Jn 11»™). It is sometimes thought that it was in some such rock-tomb that the demoniac of Gadara had taken up his abode ; but more prob- ably it was in one of the tombs 'built above ground,' which were ' mucli more common in Galilee than has been supposed' (Wilson, Recovery of Jerusalem, p. 369, ap. Swete, St. Mark, p. 88).