Embalming
“To spice, to embalm”
Summary
The Egyptian process of preserving bodies from decay, practiced on Jacob and Joseph, involving removal of organs, treatment with natron, and wrapping in linen.
☩Biblical Instances
Embalming is mentioned in Scripture only in the cases of Jacob and Joseph, both of whom died in Egypt. When Jacob died, Joseph commanded his physicians to embalm his father, a process that took forty days, with seventy days of mourning total. When Joseph died, he too was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt, later to be carried with the Israelites at the Exodus.
☩The Process
Egyptian embalming involved several steps: the brain was partially removed through the nostrils, an incision was made in the side and the internal organs removed, the cavity was rinsed with palm wine and filled with myrrh, cassia, and other aromatics. The body was then placed in natron (a salt compound) for about seventy days to dry it. Finally, the body was wrapped in linen bandages and placed in a wooden case shaped like the person. This extensive process contrasted with Jewish burial customs, which simply wrapped the body in linen with spices.
Related Verses6 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.James Orr (ed.), "Embalming," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 2.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Embalming," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).