CREMATION IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

A question came up in our home Bible study regarding the practice of cremation and whether it was appropriate for believers. The New Testament really has nothing to say on this matter, but there are a few pertinent passages in the Old Testament that may guide us.

The normal burial practice for Jews in biblical times was to first bury the body in the ground or in a crypt. The bones were then dug up a year or more later and placed in a pottery or stone container called an ossuary. The greatest sacrilege was to leave a dead body unburied.

Joshua 7:25: Achan disobeys God. They stone him and his family and burn the bodies. But the Anchor Bible and New Bible Commentary note that the “them” which were burned probably refers to their belongings instead of their bodies. Read verses 22-26. Also, the Greek Septuagint and Latin translations of these verses do not mention burning anyone.

I Samuel 31:12: Saul's dead body is desecrated by the Philistines. Valiant Israelite soldiers rescue his body and burn it before burial. It is felt that their actions were probably done to avoid any further desecration. The Philistines were still seeking vengeance on Saul's family many years later (II Samuel).

II Kings 23:16, 20: Josiah desecrates pagan altars by burning human bones on them. However, the reason for his actions was to defile the sanctuary, not to defile the corpses. It does say in verse 18 that Josiah forbade the burning of a prophet's bones that were buried nearby, but that is not the same as forbidding cremation. Note that although v. 20 says that he killed the pagan priests, it does not say that he burned their corpses to dishonor them.

Amos 2:1 condemns the practice of digging up buried bones and burning them.

Amos 6:9 probably alludes to the practice of burning the dead bodies of relatives in the time of plague to prevent the spread of disease.

If the first reference is discounted as dubious, then the remaining verses condemn burning bones that have already been buried, but have no objection to the practice of burning of bodies before burial (in other words, cremation).

The opposition of modern Jews to the practice of cremation is explained (in the website “Ask A Rabbi”) as being due to two reasons:

       1. They want to show honor for the body that housed the spirit and the breath of God.

       2.Too many Jews were burned to death over the centuries. Therefore it is inappropriate to willingly add to the cremation of their people.

And among some people there will always remain the illogical belief that God is somehow unable to resurrect a body that has been burned to ashes, but can resurrect one that has no flesh remaining on it. 

The bottom line is that there are no biblical injunctions against cremation that I am aware of. So it remains a matter of individual preference for a Christian.