Attitudes towards Burial and Cemeteries in Judaism
Avriel Bar-Levav, The Open University of Israel

The lecture will present the development of Jewish Traditional literature regarding burial and cemeteries, starting with the Bible, through the Sages, medieval Judaism, the early modern period, until modernity. I will discuss halakhic sources, liturgy, and customs, and demonstrate the gap between the actual practices of burial and the accompanying literature, emphasizing the evolving relationship between text and society in Jewish culture.

Jewish tombstone with sculptured relief beneath the inscription תנצבה. Netherlands, Ouderkerk aan de Amstel.