Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Jewish tombs in Palestine initially consisted of rock-cut chambers. In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, the tomb was commonly one of a series of such chambers linked by doors or passages, in which bodies were placed in cists or sarcophagi on ledges, or in galleries; arched niches containing cists began to be used in the 3rd century. Large structures of this type are known as catacombs. Tombs or mausolea above ground also originated during the Hellenistic period. Later individual tombs became common; they were marked by upright or recumbent tombstones bearing inscriptions (often in Hebrew). ... log in or subscribe to read full text