Luke Chapter 7, Verse 12
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12: ως δε ηγγισεν τη πυλη της πολεως και ιδου εξεκομιζετο τεθνηκως υιος μονογενης τη μητρι αυτου και αυτη ην χηρα και οχλος της πολεως ικανος ην συν αυτη
12: Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there
was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and
she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
12: And when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold a dead man
was carried out, the only son of his mother: and she was a widow. And a
great multitude of the city was with her.
The gate of the city. Cities were surrounded by walls, to defend them
from their enemies. They were entered through gates placed at convenient
distances from each other. In most cities it was not allowed to bury
the dead within the walls; hence they were borne to some convenient
burial-place in the vicinity of the city.
A dead man carried out. A funeral procession. Anciently no Jews were buried within the walls of the city, except the kings and distinguished persons, 1Sam 28:3, 2Kg 21:18. The custom of burying within cities, and especially within the walls of churches or in their vicinity, had its origin among Christians very early; yet perhaps few customs are more deleterious to health than burials within large cities, especially within the walls of frequented buildings. The effluvia from dead bodies is excessively unwholesome. Burial places should be in situations of retirement, far from the tread of the gay and busy world, where all the feelings may be still and calm, and where there can be no injury to health from the mouldering bodies of the dead.
