CHAP. XVI. THE MOURNING. 425 



for the memory of their departed friend. They 

 abstained from all amusements ; the indulgence in 

 every kind of luxury, as " the bath, wine, deli- 

 cacies of the table, or rich clothing* ;" " they 

 suffered their beard and hair to growt;" and en- 

 deavoured to prove, by this marked neglect of their 

 personal comfort and appearance, how entirely 

 their thoughts were absorbed by the melancholy 

 event that had befallen them. But they did not 

 cut themselves in token of grief; and the com- 

 mand given to the Israelites t, *' Ye shall not cut 

 yourselves, nor make any baldness between your 

 eyes for the dead," does not refer to a custom of 

 the Egyptians, but of those people among whom 

 they were about to establish themselves in Syria; 

 as IS distinctly stated of the votaries of Baal.§ 



The body, having been embalmed, was restored 

 to the family, either already placed in the mummy 

 case, or merely wrapped in bandages, if we may 

 believe Herodotus, who says the friends of the 

 deceased made the coffin 1|; though, from the 

 paintings in the tombs, it would appear that the 

 body was frequently enveloped and put into the 

 case by the undertakers, previous to its being re- 

 turned to the family. % After it had been deposited 

 in its case, which was generally inclosed in two or 

 three others, all richly painted, according to the 



* Diodor. i. 91. f Herodot. ii. 36. 



X Deut. xiv. 1. Vide stiprd, p. 402. ; and Vol. I. C'2d Series.) p. 380. 



§ 1 Kings, xviii. 28. " Cut themselves after their manner with 

 knives." 



II The similarity of our word coffin and the Arabic ciiffen, " a winding 

 sheet," is remarkable. 



H Vide Vol. III. p. 183. ; and infra, on the embalmers. 



