Why do we bury people in coffins?

Apart from the reasons already mentioned, for the origin of the custom, let me add one practical point;
If you're placing a body in the ground, handling a vessel containing the body is much more convenient, and comfortable, for everybody than handling the dead body directly.
That doesn't explain why the coffin would need to have a lid, which would be a different issue.

reply to post by DISRAELI


It could be worse man, you could be a public figure and be paraded around for a week or more in a clear box while people worship your rigor mortis afflicted corpse instead of remembering you when you were living.

Kind of disturbing to think about all the crazy things we do, but in any case, people still do them.

King

It has to do with the plague, in a way. but just to stop the spread of the disease. we still use coffins today for the same reason

a reply to: NoRegretsEver

NoRegrets,

I gave your thread a flag because it is a thought-provoking question. And a logical one, if you think about it. Where did the custom of burial of the dead, and in caskets come from?

The idea that it was to protect us from disease does not make sense. As human burial, even in caskets dates back centuries, long before people knew about the unsanitary conditions of having dead ones around. Of course, it did prevent the spread of disease.

In the Bible Abraham is shown as to have put great significance on his burial, and bought a plot of land in order to be buried with his family.

And later, Joseph, while in Egypt (the great-grandson of Abraham) asked to be returned to his homeland and buried with his forefathers in the plot of land Abraham had purchased. Thus the Egyptians had to mummify him, in order for them to take the longer journey back (otherwise his corpse would have rotted.

Their burial was a representation of their faith of God's promise of a future time when everyone in the memorial tombs will be resurrected, brought back to life on earth.

(Hebrews 11:13) 13 In faith all of these died, although they did not receive the fulfillment of the promises; but they saw them from a distance and welcomed them and publicly declared that they were strangers and temporary residents in the land.

Job, when he was going through his trials and was depressed to the point of wishing death, asked to be concealed in Sheol, or the grave, and thus rest peacefully in death until God would call him back to life:

(Job 14:13-15) . . .O that in the Grave you would conceal me, That you would hide me until your anger passes by, That you would set a time limit for me and remember me! If a man dies, can he live again...You will call, and I will answer you. You will long for the work of your hands.

I believe there is no doubt that this is the origination of burial. Those who were deemed unfit for a resurrection were refused a burial, and many times, in the Bible, their bodies were eaten by animals (such as the dogs that tore apart and ate Queen Jezebel's carcass).

Later on, there was a valley called Gehenna near Jerusalem where people went to burn their refuse. It's fire never went out, and people deemed unworthy of a resurrection were thrown into Gehenna where their bodies were burned up.

In Jesus' times, people were buried in memorial tombs. One of those men was Lazarus. Now when Jesus went to resurrect Lazarus back to life from death (giving us a glimpse of what he would do on a world-wide scale in the future when he rules over mankind), he told Lazarus' sisters that he was going to live again. They knew he was going to be brought back to life, for they themselves said:

(John 11:23, 24) . . .Jesus said to her: “Your brother will rise.” 24 Martha said to him: “I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.”

That was the true hope, and one Jesus did not deny. Although he did then resurrect Lazarus then and there, he made the promise that everyone putting faith in him would be resurrected on "the last day":

(John 6:40) . . .For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who recognizes the Son and exercises faith in him should have everlasting life, and I will resurrect him on the last day.”

Many Churches teach that when you die you either go to heaven or hell. But that teaching is never found in the Bible. In fact, it was written even to the saints and holy ones of the first century, even the apostles of Jesus, that they would all fall asleep in death, until the return of Christ:

(1 Thessalonians 4:13, 14) . . .Moreover, brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who are sleeping in death, so that you may not sorrow as the rest do who have no hope. For if we have faith that Jesus died and rose again, so too God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep in death through Jesus.

Death is a sleep-like state. In it you cannot feel, or think, or anything. It is like sleep in Jesus' eyes because he has power over death.

And it is all true. There is a time coming, when everyone who has ever died, who remains in God's memory, will be brought back to life in perfect conditions:

(John 5:28, 29) . . .Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out. . .

Certainly the practice of burial spread from servants of Jehovah (Noah and Shem) after the flood, to all the rest of humankind. And while their are many false religions that teach false doctrines about death and the condition of the dead, there is no doubt, their traditions of burying the dead came from faithful servants of Jehovah who had real faith in the future resurrection.

a reply to: NoRegretsEver

Why do we bury people in coffins?

I've never quite gotten that either... except under the concept that Christ someday will rise dead bodies from their graves upon His return. However, for those buried at sea and eaten by sharks or those lost in horrendous fires or those blown to bit in military conflict, there is that question mark.

My theory is that... what some call souls or spirits, contains the full DNA code for our body. It makes perfect sense and one doesn't have to be religious to grasp the concept that we are beings from another dimension spending our diaper days in these physical mechanisms.

But... each to their own.

originally posted by: redoubt
a reply to: NoRegretsEver

Why do we bury people in coffins?

I've never quite gotten that either... except under the concept that Christ someday will rise dead bodies from their graves upon His return. However, for those buried at sea and eaten by sharks or those lost in horrendous fires or those blown to bit in military conflict, there is that question mark.

My theory is that... what some call souls or spirits, contains the full DNA code for our body. It makes perfect sense and one doesn't have to be religious to grasp the concept that we are beings from another dimension spending our diaper days in these physical mechanisms.

But... each to their own.

That is good thinking. And those who are buried at sea are also remembered. Revelation even says it:

(Revelation 20:13) . . .And the sea gave up the dead in it, and death and the Grave gave up the dead in them, and they were judged individually according to their deeds.

So not just the grave, but also the sea will have to give up the dead in it, when the future resurrection comes.

Some people believe that burying a corpse may cause the person as a ghost to linger instead of moving on. The Hindus call it a "preta". The Yajur Veda seems to recommend cremation, as in the Isha Upanishad. One notable exception is the burial of Yogis or Sadhus who enter mahasamadhi and their tomb becomes a relic and pilgrimage site.

In Michigan all that's required is you be wrapped in canvas and the spot of your burial be reported to the county to be logged. I think it has to be on your too