Veneration and Ancestors

It is clear from grave offerings and several texts mentioning this practice that household worship included the veneration of its ancestors, who, at death, entered into the world of the rēpā’îm (shades) and were, in some sense, divine powers (’ělohîm). If possible, ancestors were buried in the family tomb on the household’s land. Funeral rituals included the singing of lamentations for the dead, lacerations, the shaving of the mourner’s hair, the wearing of sackcloth, and the placement of ashes on the forehead. In the funeral ceremony, the memory of the deceased was recalled and grief expressed at his or her passing (2 Sam. 1:17-27; 33-34). Mourning the deceased lasted normally seven days (Gen. 50:10; 1 Sam. 31:13; 1 Chron. 10:12). There may also have been a wake that included a feast; at least, this is suggested by the “house of morning” and the “house of feasting” (Jer. 16:5-9).

Offerings were given to the deceased, whose souls (nepeš) were through to remain in the tomb. Death did not totally separate the living from the dead; rather, the dead continued as members of the household. Their něpāšôt continued to dwell in the family tomb and their memories were recalled. In a way, perhaps, the dead continued to live through the generations of the household.