Topical Bible: Gardens: Often Used for Burial Places

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In biblical times, gardens held significant cultural and spiritual importance, often serving as places of beauty, sustenance, and reflection. Among their various uses, gardens were frequently chosen as burial places, providing a serene and respectful setting for the deceased.

Biblical References and Context

The use of gardens as burial sites is notably illustrated in the New Testament with the burial of Jesus Christ. After His crucifixion, Jesus was laid to rest in a tomb located in a garden. The Gospel of John provides a detailed account of this event: "At the place where Jesus was crucified, there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid" (John 19:41). This setting underscores the garden's role as a place of peace and new beginnings, symbolizing hope and resurrection.

The choice of a garden for Jesus' burial also reflects Jewish customs of the time, where tombs were often hewn out of rock in garden areas. These gardens were typically situated outside city walls, providing a quiet and undisturbed environment for mourning and remembrance.

Symbolism and Significance

Gardens in the Bible are rich with symbolism, often representing life, growth, and divine provision. The Garden of Eden, for instance, is depicted as a paradise where humanity first dwelt in harmony with God (Genesis 2:8-10). This association with life and divine presence makes gardens a fitting location for burials, as they evoke the hope of eternal life and the promise of resurrection.

The burial of Jesus in a garden tomb further enhances this symbolism. It signifies the transition from death to life, as the garden becomes the backdrop for the resurrection, a pivotal event in Christian theology. The garden setting emphasizes the victory over death and the new life offered through Christ.

Cultural Practices and Traditions

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, gardens were often associated with royalty and nobility, serving as private retreats and places of leisure. This cultural context may have influenced the practice of using gardens as burial sites, particularly for those of high status or significance.

The use of gardens for burials also reflects a desire to honor the deceased by placing them in a location that embodies beauty and tranquility. The natural surroundings of a garden provide a comforting environment for the living to visit and remember their loved ones.

Conclusion

While gardens served various purposes in biblical times, their role as burial places highlights their spiritual and cultural significance. The burial of Jesus in a garden tomb remains a profound testament to the themes of life, death, and resurrection that permeate the Christian faith.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Kings 21:18,26
And Manasseh slept with his fathers, and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza: and Amon his son reigned in his stead.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 19:41
Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulcher, wherein was never man yet laid.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The African Rome
... its squares, avenues and public gardens, looked like ... himself came from a turbulent
district often turned upside ... of the sacrificial victims, or used magic spells ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bertrand/saint augustin/ii the african rome.htm

The Census and the Journey of the Holy Family
... Its slopes were covered with bushes, trees, and gardens. ... 9. THE BURIAL CAVE OF MARAHA,
ABRAHAM'S NURSE, ALSO ... The shepherds often used the passage to shelter in ...
/.../emmerich/the life of the blessed virgin mary/x the census and the.htm

A Description of Some Parts of Ancient Jerusalem.
... and through which Jesus and his disciples often passed by ... south of Calvary, there
were also gardens, sepulchres, and ... against them; and the stone used for this ...
/.../the dolorous passion of our lord jesus christ/chapter xlix a description of.htm

Pagan Cemeteries.
... Tombstones often mention transactions of this kind, and state the ... marks the western
end of the gardens of Geta ... Pope Donnus, and its materials were used in the ...
/.../lanciani/pagan and christian rome/chapter vi pagan cemeteries.htm

The Call of Matthew - the Saviour's Welcome to Sinners - Rabbinic ...
... his townsmen all honour at his burial, while the ... the pious was seen walking in gardens
beside water ... the very Rabbinic formula, so often used when superficial ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xvii the call of.htm

In Death and after Death
... or of compounds, vegetables being far more used than minerals ... burying-places"the
latter chiefly in gardens and caves ... fields or in the open were often marked by ...
/.../edersheim/sketches of jewish social life/chapter 10 in death and.htm

Kumaon.
... Many thousands have been spent on tea-gardens"much more ... is lighter and will continue
to be largely used. ... a table, two chairs, and a bedstead, often in very ...
/.../kennedy/life and work in benares and kumaon 1839-1877/chapter xx kumaon.htm

The Wicked Man's Life, Funeral, and Epitaph
... at the Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens. ... We are not so often met by the array of
dead. ... for many a day, and we recollect, how as children, we used to cluster ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/the wicked mans life funeral.htm

Syria at the Beginning of the Egyptian Conquest
... As was often the case in similar circumstances, these names were used at first to ...
by cultivated fields and poverty-stricken gardens; but the bulk ...
/.../chapter iisyria at the beginning.htm

In Jericho and at Bethany - Jericho - a Guest with Zacch??us - the ...
... a solid wall of onlookers before their gardens was this ... too evident, that Zacch??us
had to the full used them for ... He calleth thee.' [5014] As so often, we are ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxiv in jericho and.htm