Topical Bible: Rocks: Tombs often Hewn out of

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In biblical times, the practice of hewing tombs out of rock was a common burial custom, particularly among the Jewish people. This method of burial is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures and holds significant cultural and theological implications.

Biblical References

The practice of using rock-hewn tombs is notably referenced in the Gospels, particularly in the account of Jesus' burial. In Matthew 27:60 , it is recorded that Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy disciple of Jesus, "placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance of the tomb and went away." This passage highlights the use of rock-hewn tombs as a burial place for the deceased, emphasizing the care and respect given to the body.

Similarly, in Mark 15:46 , it is stated, "So Joseph bought a linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb that had been cut out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb." The Gospel of Luke also corroborates this account, noting in Luke 23:53 that Jesus' body was "placed in a tomb cut into the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid."

Cultural and Historical Context

The use of rock-hewn tombs was a practical and honorable method of burial in ancient Israel. The rocky terrain of the region made it feasible to carve tombs directly into the hillsides. These tombs were often sealed with a large stone, which served both to protect the body from animals and grave robbers and to mark the tomb's entrance.

Rock-hewn tombs were typically used by wealthier individuals or families, as the labor and skill required to carve a tomb from rock were considerable. The tombs often included multiple chambers, allowing for the burial of several family members over time. This practice reflects the Jewish emphasis on family and the continuation of the family line, even in death.

Theological Significance

Theologically, the use of rock-hewn tombs in the burial of Jesus holds profound significance. The new, unused tomb signifies purity and honor, befitting the burial of the sinless Son of God. The sealing of the tomb with a stone, as described in the Gospels, sets the stage for the miraculous event of the resurrection, where the stone is found rolled away, and the tomb is empty (Matthew 28:2).

The rock-hewn tomb thus becomes a symbol of both death and resurrection, encapsulating the Christian hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ. The empty tomb is a testament to the victory over death and the promise of new life for believers, as articulated in 1 Corinthians 15:55 : "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

In summary, the practice of hewing tombs out of rock in biblical times reflects both cultural customs and deep theological truths, particularly as seen in the burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Isaiah 22:16
What have you here? and whom have you here, that you have hewed you out a sepulcher here, as he that hews him out a sepulcher on high, and that engraves an habitation for himself in a rock?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 27:60
And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher, and departed.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Letter Xlvi. Paula and Eustochium to Marcella.
... As often as we enter it we see the Saviour in ... Lord, the evangelist Matthew tells
us: "The rocks rent, and ... Everywhere we venerate the tombs of the martyrs; we ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter xlvi paula and eustochium.htm

The Tomb of the Pharaoh
... I watched him often at the work.". ... Somewhere among the rocks up the moonlit hollow
an owl hooted ... But the tombs he sought were in the upper end of the main ravine ...
//christianbookshelf.org/miller/the yoke/chapter xxiii the tomb of.htm

The Nile and Egypt
... But time has often dismantled their summits and loosened ... to cut his quarries and
his tombs; while the ... During the inundation, the rocks and sandbanks of the ...
/.../chapter i the nile and egypt.htm

The Memphite Empire
... incise the scenes which cover the surfaces of the rocks. ... the sovereign who had ordered
it and often the year ... texts, is elsewhere applied to the tombs of nobles ...
/.../chapter iithe memphite empire.htm

The Political Constitution of Egypt
... to south, leaving in every possible place marked traces of his visits"on the rocks
of Elephantine and ... They are often represented on the tombs beside their ...
/.../chapter ithe political constitution of.htm

Crucified, Dead, and Buried. '
... In the earthquake the rocks were rent, and their tombs opened. ... the sufferings of
those on the Cross, since the punishment of crucifixion often lasted not ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xv crucified dead and.htm

The First Theban Empire
... On one of the rocks of the island of Konosso ... Often also it was constructed partly
in the base, and ... not always an external chapel attached to these tombs, but a ...
/.../chapter iiithe first theban empire.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... Religion, human sacrifices, festivals; sacred stones"Tombs and the ... blocked with gravel
and fallen rocks, winds its ... to which the country was often exposed, or ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm

The Eighteenth Theban Dynasty --(Continued)
... Building and ornamental woods are often mentioned in ... than one of the officers of
the crown whose tombs we see ... is that of the year VII., on the rocks of Konosso ...
/.../chapter ithe eighteenth theban dynastycontinued.htm

The Rise of the Assyrian Empire
... as the Kabr-Hiram and other similar tombs correspond with ... not absorb all their resources,
and often left them ... banini, had engraved on the rocks overhanging the ...
/.../chapter iithe rise of the.htm