BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Burial in Biblical Judah

How did biblical people bury their dead?

While not as monumental as the pyramids of ancient Egypt, tombs and burials are often among the most visible archaeological features of an ancient society. That is no less true for biblical Judah, a society whose burial practices are seen in both the archaeological record and the Hebrew Bible. Writing for the Fall 2025 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, Aaron Brody takes readers on a journey through Judahite burial practices in his article “Ancient Judah’s Grateful Dead.”

The Burial Journey

Many of the most notable ancient burials in the Holy Land—such as the Tomb of the Kings, the Cave of Salome, and the Herodium—date to the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine periods. Although less well known, many Iron Age tombs (c. 1200–586 BCE) have a lot to tell us about burial practices in biblical Judah. Mostly carved into the bedrock or found in natural caves, these tombs typically included a stairwell descending into a main chamber that then connected to side chambers.

This main chamber contained several stone benches for laying out the deceased. Once the body had decayed, the bones would then be placed into a communal repository, typically in a secondary chamber. To mourners, these tombs may have even resembled the four-room house, which was a typical architectural style for Judahite homes during the Iron Age.

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Beyond tomb architecture, considerable information can be gleaned about burial practices in biblical Judah by utilizing the biblical text, ancient Near Eastern sources, and the many artifacts left behind in tombs. The Iron Age tombs of biblical Judah were typically family tombs that housed several generations. Burial processions would begin on the edge of town and lead to the unblocked tomb. Once at the tomb, the family would likely remain for seven days, fasting during the day and feasting during the night. During the mourning period, the family slept, dined, and even entertained within the confines of the tomb as a way of easing the spirit of the deceased into the afterlife, surrounded by loved ones.

Within many ancient tombs can be found perfume juglets, pottery for serving and consuming food and drink, and many oil lamps. Often, these materials would remain in the tomb after the burial period, as they were deemed polluted by the dead.

To learn more about burial practices and beliefs of biblical Judah, read Aaron Brody’s article “Ancient Judah’s Grateful Dead,” published in the Fall 2025 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.

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Subscribers: Read the full article, “Ancient Judah’s Grateful Dead,” by Aaron Brody, in the Fall 2025 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.

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Related reading in Bible History Daily

The Tomb of the Kings in Jerusalem

Was the Cave of Salome for Jesus’s Disciple or a Herodian Princess?

OnSite: Herodium

The Four-Room House: Typically Israelite?

Canaanite Burial Customs—Pour One Out for the Departed