(Genesis 37:34–35) Do the customs of mourning described align with verifiable ancient practices, or do they hint at anachronistic traditions introduced later?

Background of the Passage

Genesis 37:34–35 records: “Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. ‘No,’ he said, ‘I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.’ So his father wept for him.” These verses describe Jacob’s intense grief over Joseph, whom he believes to be dead. The specific actions reported—tearing one’s garments, wearing sackcloth, and continued lamentation—serve as an instructive example of mourning customs in the ancestral Hebrew context.

Tearing of Garments and Sackcloth

Tearing one’s clothing as an outward sign of grief appears throughout the Hebrew Scriptures (e.g., 2 Samuel 13:31; Job 1:20). Ancient Near Eastern communities commonly expressed mourning with visible demonstrations that indicated sorrow and humility.

Sackcloth (Hebrew שַׂק, “saq”) was typically a coarse material fashioned from goat’s or camel’s hair. Its texture and appearance signified distress and sorrow. Attestations of wearing sackcloth for mourning exist in Mesopotamian texts and later Phoenician practices, substantiating that such customs were well-known and widely observed in antiquity (cf. W. G. Lambert, Babylonian Wisdom Literature). There is nothing in the Genesis text to suggest a later cultural intrusion; rather, it aligns with other second-millennium BC accounts of how people in this region grieved their dead.

Duration and Depth of Mourning

Jacob mourns “many days,” and his sons and daughters attempt to console him. Ancient extrabiblical documents (e.g., certain Mari letters from the 18th century BC) speak of prolonged mourning rituals. This included communal participation, as family members and friends would gather to comfort the bereaved. Thus, the extended nature of Jacob’s mourning fits well within a historically verifiable pattern rather than reflecting a later editorial addition.

Reference to Sheol

Jacob’s statement, “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son,” indicates his readiness to carry grief into death. The term “Sheol” reflects an ancient Hebrew conception of the afterlife—an underworld or place of the dead known throughout the Old Testament (e.g., Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 38:10). References to Sheol appear in texts traditionally dated to the earlier periods of Israel’s history, and there is no compelling reason to interpret this mention as anachronistic. It aligns with other patriarchal-era references and does not appear to be a late or post-exilic term.

Archaeological and Cultural Data

1. Ugaritic Texts: Finds at Ras Shamra (14th century BC) mention ritual mourning practices such as cutting oneself, shaving the head, or wearing simple garments. While not identical across every region, the broader cultural milieu of the Ancient Near East included similar outward signs of grief (J. C. L. Gibson, Textbook of Syrian Semitic Inscriptions).

2. Egyptian Context: Although Egypt’s customs could differ (e.g., shaving the head, professional mourners), Middle Kingdom tomb paintings from Beni Hasan depict relatives exhibiting emotional signs of grief. This demonstrates that ceremonious, sometimes extended public mourning was not exclusive to Israel but consistent across ancient cultures.

3. Mari and Nuzi Tablets: Documents from these sites, dated to the second millennium BC, highlight familial gatherings during times of loss and note distinctive garments worn during mourning periods. This cultural resonance parallels the biblical portrayal of Jacob’s family uniting in grief.

No archaeological evidence suggests that the biblical writers merely retrojected later practices into the patriarchal period. On the contrary, the parallels in these ancient texts support genuine antiquity for the Genesis 37 description.

Consistency with Other Patriarchal Accounts

Other patriarchal narratives, such as Abraham grieving for Sarah in Genesis 23 or the mourning for Rachel’s death in Genesis 35, display no contradictions in how sorrow is expressed. In each instance, the biblical record preserves mourning traditions consistent with the greater cultural context of the early second millennium BC.

Additionally, the biblical timeline, which places the patriarchs within the Middle Bronze Age, aligns with historically verifiable practices from that epoch. Emotional expressions of grief, family involvement, and references to Sheol appear consistently in texts acknowledged as ancient.

Assessment of Anachronism Claims

Critics sometimes suspect anachronisms when a biblical passage includes a custom whose distinct details also appear in later centuries. However, in this instance, the act of tearing clothes, wearing sackcloth, extended mourning, and references to Sheol have been solidly documented in sources that predate or are contemporaneous with the biblical patriarchal era.

No evidence points to these verses being a product of substantially later editorial development. Rather, the parallels in extrabiblical traditions verify that such mourning customs were commonly practiced in many ancient Near Eastern societies well before the post-exilic period.

Conclusion

The mourning customs Jacob exhibits—tearing his garments, donning sackcloth, lamenting for a prolonged period, and speaking of going to Sheol—coincide with verifiable ancient practices known from second-millennium BC sources. There is no indication of anachronistic or later-tradition influences in Genesis 37:34–35. Instead, the text reflects consistent and historically credible behaviors for that cultural and chronological setting.