Jeff A. Benner | Heaven and Hell: Funerary Customs (Part 3 of ?) @ancienthebreworg | Uploaded April 2011 | Updated October 2024, 4 hours ago.
Throughout the Ancient Near East it was common practice to place household items belonging to the deceased inside his tomb for his journey to the afterlife. At a minimum, these items included everyday objects such as bowls, combs, amulets, weapons or other trinkets, along with food.
Thousands of graves near Aswan Egypt, dating to about 3,000 BC, were excavated and inside the graves were pottery, mirrors, incense burners, ornaments and weapons. Graves near the great Pyramid at Giza, dating to about 2500 BC, were discovered containing pots and other goods. As is found in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, the wealthier Egyptians were buried with jewelry, furniture, and other valuables such as were found in King Tutankhamen's tomb. His tomb also included pottery and other everyday goods, but also a treasure of other valuable objects.
The Cemetery of the Ancient Sumerian city of Eridu, dating to about 3,000 BC revealed that many goods were left in the graves including; pottery vessels, beads, cuts of meat, figurines and stone tools. The Royal Cemetery in Ur included the graves of Sumeria's Kings and Queens with their valuable grave goods.
At Tell es-Sa'idiyeh (Located at Jabbock and Jordan, near Tafas City)These Canaanite bronze and iron weapons were found in graves during the excavation of a cemetery dated to about 1,000 BC. Inside ancient Ugarit tombs, dating to about 2,000 BC, many artifacts were discovered buried with the dead.
The practice of leaving pottery, trinkets and weapons inside tombs for the dead was also practiced by the Ancient Israelites. Ketef Hinnom, outside of Jerusalem Israel, is a series of burial chambers dating to about 700 BC. Inside one of the tombs two silver scrolls, used as amulets, were discovered. On these scrolls are the words of the Aaronic blessing that begin, "May Yahweh bless you and keep you." In Gezer, a clay vessel of a bull was found in a grave and dates to about 1300 BC.
The practice of leaving earthly goods inside the tombs of the dead suggests that the Ancient peoples of the Near East, including the Israelites, believed in an afterlife that was similar to life here on earth. Many oil lamps have been found in Israelite tombs and is believed to have been left for the dead by their family so that they may find there way in the darkness of the afterlife.
Throughout the Ancient Near East it was common practice to place household items belonging to the deceased inside his tomb for his journey to the afterlife. At a minimum, these items included everyday objects such as bowls, combs, amulets, weapons or other trinkets, along with food.
Thousands of graves near Aswan Egypt, dating to about 3,000 BC, were excavated and inside the graves were pottery, mirrors, incense burners, ornaments and weapons. Graves near the great Pyramid at Giza, dating to about 2500 BC, were discovered containing pots and other goods. As is found in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, the wealthier Egyptians were buried with jewelry, furniture, and other valuables such as were found in King Tutankhamen's tomb. His tomb also included pottery and other everyday goods, but also a treasure of other valuable objects.
The Cemetery of the Ancient Sumerian city of Eridu, dating to about 3,000 BC revealed that many goods were left in the graves including; pottery vessels, beads, cuts of meat, figurines and stone tools. The Royal Cemetery in Ur included the graves of Sumeria's Kings and Queens with their valuable grave goods.
At Tell es-Sa'idiyeh (Located at Jabbock and Jordan, near Tafas City)These Canaanite bronze and iron weapons were found in graves during the excavation of a cemetery dated to about 1,000 BC. Inside ancient Ugarit tombs, dating to about 2,000 BC, many artifacts were discovered buried with the dead.
The practice of leaving pottery, trinkets and weapons inside tombs for the dead was also practiced by the Ancient Israelites. Ketef Hinnom, outside of Jerusalem Israel, is a series of burial chambers dating to about 700 BC. Inside one of the tombs two silver scrolls, used as amulets, were discovered. On these scrolls are the words of the Aaronic blessing that begin, "May Yahweh bless you and keep you." In Gezer, a clay vessel of a bull was found in a grave and dates to about 1300 BC.
The practice of leaving earthly goods inside the tombs of the dead suggests that the Ancient peoples of the Near East, including the Israelites, believed in an afterlife that was similar to life here on earth. Many oil lamps have been found in Israelite tombs and is believed to have been left for the dead by their family so that they may find there way in the darkness of the afterlife.
