BURIAL and FUNERARY PRACTICES the Funerary Finds Discussed Here Are Those That Were Either Found in a Recognized Jewish Burial C

CHAPTER SIX

BURIAL AND FUNERARY PRACTICES

The funerary finds discussed here are those that were either found in a recognized Jewish burial context, or that show Jewish symbols or inscriptions.

A FUNERARY ARCHITECTURE

The Jews of the ancient world were buried mainly in two types of graves: in loculi tombs and in catacombs (the only exception is Malta). Loculi tombs are rock-cut tombs consisting of a shaft with steps leading down to achamber with loculi hewn into each of the walls. The loculi are usually sealed by stone slabs or stelae, and they are sometimes decorated in relief and painted. Tombs are occasionally decorated, and they sometimes contain inscriptions and lamps decorated with menoroth. Loculi tombs are typical of Egyptian burial customs and have been found in the Jewish cemetery at Leontopolis and Alexandria dated from the second century BCE to the first century CE. These tombs are similar to contemporary tombs in Judea, in Jerusalem and Jericho. Another type of loculi tomb was found at Gammarath Hill, Carthage. These also have a stairway and chamber, but many more loculi, about 15 to 17, surround the chamber. They are dated to a later period, possibly the second to third centuries.

Loculi Tomb Burials

The Necropolis 01 Leontopolis Leontopolis (Tell el-Yehudieh, about 35km north of Cairo, also called the city of Onias), was a Jewish colony inhabited during the second century BCE to the first century CE (Josephus, War 1:31-33; VII:420-432; Ant XII:387; XIII:62-73; XIV:99, 131- 133). The Jewish necropolis consists of rock-cut loculi tombs. Three or four steps lead down to the entrance of a central, square chamber, with one to three loculi hewn into each of the walls (Figure VI-I). Several bodies were found in situ, aburnt 264 CHAPTER SIX

Figure VI-I. Leontopolis loculi tomb. brick under their heads. The tomb was usually sealed by a limestone slab. Inscribed, pediment-topped stelae were discovered in the tombs (Chapter IX; Naville 1890:13, PI. XVI; Griffiths 1890:52-53; Horbury & Noy 1992:XVI-XIX, stelae with epitaphs nos. 29-105). These tombs are similar to those of the Second Temple period in Judea, Jerusa lern and Jericho, suggesting that the gravediggers knew of each other's existence. This connection may go back at least to Hasmonean times. Scholars (Hachlili & Killebrew 1983: 11 0-112) maintain that the origins of the loculi tomb in the Hellen istic and Semitic world should be sought in Phoenicia.

The Necropoleis at Alexandria Jewish graves were discovered in the eastern necropoleis of Alexandria, at Chatby, EI-Ibrahimiya, Hadra and Mustafa Pasha. Most of the burials were in hypogea and loculi tombs. According to the inscriptions, the Jews were buried among non:Jews. Lamps decorated with Jewish symbols and decorated ossuaries were found at Chatby. Some dedication inscriptions found in these cemeteries were discovered in layers of rubbish heaped on the surface. Burials are dated mostly to the Ptolemaic period, third to first century BCE (Horbury & Noy 1992:XIII-XVI and inscriptions nos. 1-28, 115-133). Tombs were also found in the western suburb of Necropolis at the Ptolemaic and Roman site of Gabbary and at the Roman cemetery of Kom el-Shukafa, south-west of ancient Serapeum.