The Valley Of Humiliation And Death.

When thinking of these tombs in gardens, [4820] we so naturally revert to that which for three days held the Lord of Life, that all details become deeply interesting. And it is, perhaps, better to give them here rather than afterwards to interrupt, by such inquiries, our solemn thoughts in presence of the Crucified Christ. Not only the rich, but even those moderately well-to-do, had tombs of their own, which probably were acquired and prepared long before they were needed, and treated and inherited as private and personal property. [4821] In such caves, or rock-hewn tombs, the bodies were laid, having been anointed with many spices, [4822] with myrtle, [4823] aloes, and, at a later period, also with hyssop, rose-oil, and rose-water. The body was dressed and, at a later period, wrapped, if possible, in the worn cloths in which originally a Roll of the Law had been held. [4824] The tombs' were either rock-hewn' or natural caves' [4825] or else large walled vaults, with niches along the sides. Such a cave' or vault' of 4 cubits' (6 feet) width, 6 cubits' (9 feet) length, and 4 cubits' (6 feet) height, contained niches' for eight bodies - three on each of the longitudinal sides, and two at the end opposite the entrance. Each niche' was 4 cubits (6 feet) long, and had a height of seven and a width of six handbreadths. As these burying niches' were hollowed out in the walls they were called Kukhin. [4826] The larger caves or vaults were 6 cubits (9 feet) wide, and 8 cubits (12 feet) long, and held thirteen bodies - four along each side-wall, three opposite to, and one on either side of the entrance. [4827] These figures apply, of course, only to what the Law required, when a vault had been contracted for. When a person constructed one for himself, the dimensions of the walls and the number of Kukhin might, of course, vary. At the entrance to the vault was a court' 6 cubits (9 feet) square, to hold the bier and its bearers. Sometimes two caves' opened on this court.' But it is difficult to decide whether the second cave,' spoken of, was intended as an ossary [4828] (ossarium). Certain it is, that after a time the bones were collected and put into a box or coffin, having first been anointed with wine and oil, and being held together by wrappings of cloths. [4829] This circumstance explains the existence of the mortuary chests, or osteophagi, so frequently found in the tombs of Palestine by late explorers, who have been unable to explain their meaning. [4830] This unclearness [4831] is much to be regretted, when we read, for example, of such a chest' as found in a cave near Bethany. [4832] One of the explorers [4833] has discovered on them fragments of Hebrew inscriptions. Up to the present, only few Hebrew memorial inscriptions have been discovered in Palestine. The most interesting are those in or near Jerusalem, dating from the first century b.c. to the first a.d. [4834] There are, also, many inscriptions found on Jewish tombs out of Palestine (in Rome, and other places), written in bad Greek or Latin, containing, perhaps, a Hebrew word, and generally ending with shalom, peace,' and adorned with Jewish symbols, such as the Seven-branched Candlestick, the Ark, the festive emblems of the Feast of Tabernacles, and others. [4835] In general, the advice not to read such inscriptions, [4836] as it would affect the sight, seems to imply the common practice of having memorial inscriptions in Hebrew. They appear to have been graven either on the lid of the mortuary chest, or on the Golel, or great stone rolled' at the entrance to the vault, or to the court' leading into it, or else on the inside walls of yet another erection, made over the vaults of the wealthy, [4837] and which was supposed to complete the burying-place, or Qebher.