DEACONESS. Such particular Widows and Virgins were called Deaconesses, who served the Church in those Offices, which the Deacons could not exercise themselves; such as, first, keeping the doors of that part of the Church where the women used to sit: for they were not seated promiscuously with the men, but had separate places in the Church assigned them. Secondly, the Deaconesses assisted the women to undress before Baptism, and dress again after this ceremony. Thirdly, They privately instructed those of their own sex, and visited others who were imprisoned for the faith. They were of mature and advanced age, when they were chosen, of good manners and reputation. They were in the primitive times appointed to Concil. Laodic. c. 11. Rom. xvi. 1.this office with ceremony, and with the imposition of hands. St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans, speaks of Phœbe, Deaconess of the Church belonging to the port of Cenchrea. The same Apostle requires, that 1 Tim. v. 9, 10.such only should be received as widows for the service of the Church, who were at least sixty years of age, had been married only to one husband, were well reported of for their good works, had brought up their children well, had exercised hospitality, had washed the saints feet, had relieved the afflicted, and had diligently followed all good works. The younger widows were excluded out of this number.
The DEAD. It is our opinion, that the Hebrews by this name sometimes understood the false god Adonis: and in this sense we explain the following words of Moses; Deut. xiv. 1.Ye are the children of the Lord your God, ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead. Which were circumstances practised in the time of Deut. xxvi. 14.mourning for Adonis. And in another place, the Israelites coming to present their first-fruits to the Lord, make this profession; I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for the dead, probably for Adonis. The offerings of the dead, which the Psalmist speaks Psal. cvi. 28.of, and whereof he says the Hebrews did partake in the abomination of Baal-peor, are likewise, in our judgment, sacrifices which were offered in honour of Baal-peor. See our Dissertation on Baal-peor, printed before our Comment upon Numbers.
The DEAD. It is not strange that the Hebrews should have a great deal of consideration Jerem. viii. 2. xxii. 14. Eccl. vi. 3. 2 Macc. v. 10. Tob. i. 20. ii. 10. vi. 18.for the Dead, since they believed the soul’s immortality, and a future resurrection. They esteemed it to be one of the greatest misfortunes that could happen to be deprived of burial, and the best men made it a point of duty to bury the dead, to perform their obsequies, to leave something on their graves to eat, that the poor might have the advantage of it. When an Israelite died in any house or tent, all who were in it, and the furniture belonging to it contracted Numb. xix. 14, 15, 16.a pollution, which continued for seven days. All likewise who touched the body of one who either died of himself, or was killed in the open fields; all who touched his bones or his grave, were impure for seven days; and the manner of expiating this pollution was as follows: They took the ashes of a red heifer sacrificed by the High-priest upon the day of solemn Expiation. Some of these ashes they Numb. xix. 3, 4, 5, 6.threw into a vessel full of water, and one who was free from all uncleanness dipt a bunch of hyssop in the water, and sprinkled the furniture with it, the chamber and persons that were polluted. This ceremony was performed upon the third and seventh day. But besides this, it was required that he who had contracted this pollution should bathe his whole body, and wash his clothes upon the seventh day; after which he was thought to be perfectly purified.
Joan. Nicolai de Sepulcris Hebr. l. 2. c 3.The Rabbins tell us, that no uncleanness was contracted at funerals, unless the dead person was an Israelite; for as to the Gentiles, say they, they pollute those who come near Basnage’s hist. of the Jews, l. 7. c. 25.them while they are living; but after death, their carcases are clean, and communicate no impurity. The Israelites, on the contrary, while they are living, exhale a pure smell, which sanctifies those who come near them; but after death, their Soul and the holy Spirit having forsaken them, they are then fit only to spread infection and pollution. The rules which we have related for the purification of those, who had touched a dead body, or been present at any funeral, are now no more observed since the destruction of the Temple, and the sacrifice of the red heifer has ceased. The Jews therefore no longer look upon themselves to be polluted by a dead body. See Leo of Modena concerning the ceremonies of the Jews, p. 1. c. 8.
All they who are present in the place where any sick person has just expired, tear their clothes, according to the most ancient custom of the Hebrews; but then they generally tear only the extremities of them, about the breadth of their hand, and this more out of ceremony, than to express a sense of great sorrow. It is an old custom with them to pour out all the water into the street, which is at that time in the house and neighbourhood. The Rabbins say, that the destroying Angel hath in this water washed the sword of execution with which he killed the sick person, whereby the water becomes mortal poison. After this they put the dead body upon a sheet spread upon the pavement, turn his thumb inward to his hand, and light a wax taper at his feet, or head. This done, they wash the body, put a shirt upon it, and over the shirt another garment of fine linnen, which he wore upon the day of solemn expiation; then his taled, which is a piece of square cloth with tufts. Lastly, they put a white cap upon his head, and in this condition he is shut up in his coffin.
It appears to have been a custom anciently in Palestine, to embalm the dead bodies of persons, who were of any distinction, and left a good fortune behind them: but this usage John xix. 39.was never general. St. John remarks, that our Saviour was wrapt up in linnen clothes, and rub’d with perfumes, according to the custom of the Jews; as the manner of the Jews is to bury. We read, that either with or near the bodies of some Kings 2 Chr. xxi. 19. xxvi. 14. Jer. xxxiv. 5. Matth. ix. 23. Vide Jer. ix. 17, 18. Joseph. de Bello, l. 2. c. 15. Misna tit. Chetuboth. c. 4.of Judah abundance of spices was burnt; but we cannot certainly affirm that there was any uniform custom in this particular. After the body has been for some time exposed, the Relations meet in order to carry it to the ground. They carry it out the feet foremost, according to the prescription of the Rabbins. Anciently they had women, who were hired to cry, and persons that play’d on doleful instruments, who walked in the funeral procession. The Rabbins say, that an Israelite was not allowed to have less than two of these Musicians at his wife’s obsequies, without reckoning the woman who was hired to cry, and was always to be present upon such occasions. They who met the funeral procession were in civility to join the company, Gemar. Babyl.and mingle their groans with those of the Relations to the deceased. To this our Saviour seems to allude in these words, We have ibidem. Joseph. l. 2. contra Appion. p. 1075. Luke vii. 32. Rom. xii. 15.mourned to you, and ye have not wept. And St. Paul requires us to weep with those that weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice.
When they come to the place of burial, the coffin is set down upon the ground; then if the deceased be of any consideration, some one of the company makes his Encomium: after which, they walk ten times about the grave, repeating a long prayer, which begins with these words, God is the rock, his way is Deut. xxxii. 4.perfect, &c. Then the dead body is let down into the grave, with its face turned towards heaven: the nearest Relations throw the earth first upon it, and then the grave is filled with a shovel. When they depart from the place where the corpse is buried, they walk backward, and pulling up some grass three several times, they throw it behind their backs, with these words, They shall flourish like the grass of the earth. They believe that all the dead bodies of the Jews are conveyed through subterraneous passages Rab. Salomon in Gen. xlvii. 29. Abarbanel, alii.to Palestine, and this they call the rolling of the dead, or the rolling of the caves. They hope to rise again and enjoy a state of bliss in this country. They do not believe the Soul of the dead person to be received into the place of rest, before the body is reduced to dust. They imagine that for a year after his decease, it often visits its body in the grave. See our Dissertation on the funerals of the Hebrews, prefixed to the Book of Numbers.
Prayers for the DEAD. See PURGATORY and PRAYERS.