a22:1-6
b19:47
c22:1
dExod 12:1-20
e23:15
f34:18
gDeut 16:1-8
h22:3
iJohn 13:2
jActs 5:3
kLuke 4:2
l4:13
m22:4
n22:5
oJohn 12:6
p22:6
q22:7-30
r22:7
sExod 12:6-8
t22:8
uExod 12:8
vNum 9:11-12
wDeut 16:3
x22:10
y22:11-12
z19:30-34
aa22:14
ab22:15
ac22:16
ad14:1-24
ae1 Cor 5:7
af22:17
ag22:19-20
ah1 Cor 11:24-25
ai22:20
ajGen 15:9-10
akExod 24:8
alJer 31:31-34
am22:21-22
anActs 2:23
ao22:22
apMatt 27:5
aqActs 1:18
ar22:24
asMark 9:33-37
at10:35-45
au22:25
av22:27
awMark 10:45
ax22:29-30
ay22:30
azEph 2:20
baRev 3:21
bb20:4
bc22:31
be10:18
bf11:15
bgJob 1:7
biIsa 30:28
bjAmos 9:9
bk22:32
bl22:33
bmActs 4:3
bn5:18
bo12:1-9
bp22:34
bqMark 14:30
br22:36
bt10:3-4
bu22:38
bv22:49-51
bwMatt 26:52
bxIsa 53:12
by22:39
bzMatt 26:36
caMark 14:32
cb22:42
ccPss 23:5
cd75:8
ce116:13
cfIsa 51:17
cg22:43
chHeb 1:14
ci1 Kgs 19:5-8
cjPs 91:11-12
ckDan 3:28
cl10:16-19
cm22:44
cn22:45-46
co22:47
cp22:51
cqJohn 18:10
crMatt 26:56
csMark 14:50
ct22:52
cu23:18-19
cv22:54
cwJohn 18:12-14
cx22:59
cyJudg 12:5-6
cz22:61
da22:34
db22:63
dc18:32
ddIsa 50:6
de53:3-5
df22:64
dg4:24
dh7:16
dj13:33
dk24:19
dl22:66
dmActs 5:17
dnActs 23:7
do22:67-68
dp22:69
dqPs 110:1
drLuke 20:42-43
dsActs 2:33-36
dtDan 7:13-14
du22:70
dv22:69
dw2 Sam 7:14
dxPss 2:7
dy89:26
dzLuke 22:71
ea22:71
ebLuke 5:33-35
ecLuke 14:15-24
edMatt 8:11-12
ee5:29-32
ef7:36-50
eg11:37-41
eh14:1-6
ei5:33-35
ej12:35-38
ek14:7-14
el15-24
em17:7-10
en22:28-30
eo9:10-17
epIsa 25:6
eqIsa 65:13-14
erLuke 22:30
esRev 19:7-9
etIsa 25:6
eu65:13-14
evLuke 5:29-35
ew6:21
ex7:36-50
ey9:10-17
ez11:37-41
fa12:35-40
fb13:24-30
fc14:1-24
fd17:8
fe22:30
ff23:1
fgJohn 18:31
fh23:2
fi23:3
fj22:70
fk23:4
fl23:5
fm23:6-7
fn23:8
fqMark 6:20
fr23:9
fsIsa 53:7
ft23:12
fu23:14-15
fv23:4
fx23:41
fzIsa 53:11
ga23:16-18
gbMatt 27:26
gcMark 15:15
gd23:19
geActs 5:36-37
gf23:24
ggJohn 19:12
gh23:26
gi23:28
gj23:29
gk23:30
gl23:31
gm23:33
gnMatt 27:33
goMark 15:22
gp23:34
gqJohn 19:23-24
gr23:35
gsPs 22:7-8
gtPsalm 22
guPs 22
gv23:36
gwPs 69:21
gx23:38
gyJohn 19:19-22
gz23:42
ha23:43
hb2:11
hc4:21
hd5:26
he19:9
hf2 Cor 12:4
hgRev 2:7
hhLuke 16:22-23
hi2 Cor 5:8
hj23:44
hkPs 23:4
hlIsa 8:22
hm9:1-2
hn23:45
hoHeb 10:19-20
hp23:46
hqPs 31:5
hrPs 31
hs23:47
htMark 15:39
huLuke 23:14-15
hvIsa 53:11
hw23:48
hx23:50-51
hy23:52
hz23:53
ia23:54
ib23:55-56

‏ Luke 22

Summary for Luke 22:1-6: 22:1-6  a The religious leaders who had been plotting against Jesus (see 19:47  b) found their opportunity when Judas Iscariot approached them with an offer to betray Jesus. 22:1  c The Passover meal was held on the 15th of Nisan (March~April) in the Jewish calendar and was immediately followed by the seven-day Festival of Unleavened Bread (Exod 12:1-20  d; 23:15  e; 34:18  f; Deut 16:1-8  g), sometimes also called Passover.
22:3  h Satan entered into Judas Iscariot: See John 13:2  i; Acts 5:3  j. Satan had previously tempted Jesus (Luke 4:2  k) and had been waiting for this opportunity (4:13  l).
22:4  m captains of the Temple guard: The Temple had its own police force.
22:5  n Judas wanted the money. John tells us that he was a thief who stole from the disciples’ common fund (John 12:6  o).
22:6  p when the crowds weren’t around: This was because of Jesus’ popularity among the people.
Summary for Luke 22:7-30: 22:7-30  q Jesus celebrated the traditional Jewish Passover but transformed it with reference to his own sacrificial death as the Passover lamb. He also prepared his disciples for his coming death and the leadership role they would assume over his church. 22:7  r The Passover lamb was sacrificed at twilight, and Passover was celebrated in the evening (see Exod 12:6-8  s).
22:8  t Go and prepare the Passover meal: The lamb was roasted and eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread at the Passover meal (Exod 12:8  u; Num 9:11-12  v; Deut 16:3  w). The bitter herbs represented the bitterness of the Israelites’ slavery in Egypt, and the unleavened bread recalled their haste in leaving Egypt.
22:10  x A man carrying a pitcher of water would have been an unusual sight, because women normally carried the water.
Summary for Luke 22:11-12: 22:11-12  y The text does not say whether Jesus exhibited supernatural foreknowledge or whether he had made arrangements for this room ahead of time (see also 19:30-34  z).
22:14  aa sat down together at the table (or reclined together): The Jewish people followed Hellenistic practice at banquets by reclining on couches (see study note on John 13:23).
22:15  ab Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples and followed the ritual order of the Passover celebration (see study note on Matt 26:26-29).
22:16  ac until its meaning is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God: This celebration had as its goal the messianic banquet (see 14:1-24  ad). Jesus’ death as the true Passover lamb (1 Cor 5:7  ae) inaugurated the Kingdom of God that will be completed at Jesus’ second coming.
22:17  af he took a cup of wine: The traditional Passover celebration used four cups of wine—at the opening benediction, after the Passover explanation, after the meal, and after a concluding psalm. This was probably the first cup that introduced the ceremony.
Summary for Luke 22:19-20: 22:19-20  ag Using the bread and cup as symbols of his body and blood, Jesus instituted the communion service that the disciples were to practice in remembrance of his death.

• This is my body, which is given for you: The unleavened bread of the Passover symbolized Jesus’ death as the Passover lamb. His death would pay for the sins of the world (cp. 1 Cor 11:24-25  ah).
22:20  ai God’s covenants in the Old Testament were confirmed with the blood of a sacrifice (Gen 15:9-10  aj; Exod 24:8  ak). Jesus’ death established the new covenant that God had promised his people (Jer 31:31-34  al).
Summary for Luke 22:21-22: 22:21-22  am it has been determined: Though wicked men betrayed and killed Jesus, it was part of God’s sovereign plan to accomplish salvation (see Acts 2:23  an).
22:22  ao what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him: Judas suffered guilt, condemnation, and a gruesome death for betraying Jesus (Matt 27:5  ap; Acts 1:18  aq).
22:24  ar who would be the greatest among them: See also Mark 9:33-37  as; 10:35-45  at.
22:25  au friends of the people: This translates a Greek word that refers to the practice of rulers bestowing gifts and favors on their subjects to gain loyalty and honor. Jesus contrasted the world’s leadership style—military power, coercion, and bribery—with his own servant leadership in sacrificing himself for others.
22:27  av For I am among you as one who serves: Jesus defined true leadership as service—meeting the needs of others and empowering them to be all that God has called them to be (see Mark 10:45  aw). This statement was striking in a culture for which status and power were central.
Summary for Luke 22:29-30: 22:29-30  ax I now grant you the right to eat and drink at my table: See thematic note for The Messianic Banquet at end of chapter.
22:30  ay you will sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel: This could be a figurative reference to the apostles’ leadership in the church, or it could indicate their special role in the future when the Kingdom would be consummated on earth (cp. Eph 2:20  az; Rev 3:21  ba; 20:4  bb).
22:31  bc Regarding Satan, see 4:2  bd; 10:18  be; 11:15  bf. Satan is the accuser of God’s people (see Job 1:7  bg; 2:2  bh); he would test Simon Peter and the rest of the apostles.

• asked to sift: Wheat was sifted through a sieve to separate the grain from the chaff. It is an image of extreme testing (see Isa 30:28  bi; Amos 9:9  bj).

• The NLT’s each of you is precise, because the Greek you is plural, referring to all the disciples. Jesus foresaw Peter’s denial and the trials of the other disciples.
22:32  bk So when you have repented: This you is singular; it refers to Peter’s restoration after his denial of Jesus.
22:33  bl See Acts 4:3  bm; 5:18  bn; 12:1-9  bo, where Peter suffered trials and was repeatedly jailed. Church tradition relates that Peter was crucified in Rome, but his declaration of loyalty here was premature.
22:34  bp On Thursday evening, Jesus said that Peter would deny him before the rooster crows tomorrow morning (literally before the rooster crows today): This does not contradict Mark’s “this very night, before the rooster crows twice” (Mark 14:30  bq); Luke and Matthew are simply more general, and in Jewish reckoning, sunset was the beginning of the next day.
22:36  br take your money and a traveler’s bag: For their missions to Israel’s villages, the apostles had traveled without provisions and depended on others’ support (9:3  bs; 10:3-4  bt). In the dangerous days to come, they would have to plan more carefully. Jesus prepared his disciples for his suffering and death, and also for the establishing of the church and the worldwide proclamation of the Good News.

• a sword: Jesus was probably not telling his followers to take up arms, but was speaking metaphorically—they must prepare themselves for a violent crisis.
22:38  bu That’s enough: The disciples’ two swords were probably not enough to defend the whole group, and Jesus elsewhere rejected violence (22:49-51  bv // Matt 26:52  bw). Jesus might have meant that two swords were sufficient to fulfill Isa 53:12  bx. Or perhaps he meant, “Enough of this foolish talk—you are misunderstanding me.”
22:39  by Mount of Olives: See study note on 19:29. This was the location of the Garden of Gethsemane (see Matt 26:36  bz; Mark 14:32  ca).
22:42  cb please take this cup of suffering away: A cup is a metaphor for experiencing either judgment or blessing (see, e.g., Pss 23:5  cc; 75:8  cd; 116:13  ce; Isa 51:17  cf). Jesus felt all the emotions of his humanity, including fear and anxiety.
22:43  cg an angel from heaven: Angels often help and encourage human beings (see Heb 1:14  ch; cp. 1 Kgs 19:5-8  ci; Ps 91:11-12  cj; Dan 3:28  ck; 10:16-19  cl).
22:44  cm his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood: The text does not say that Jesus sweated blood, as is often supposed, but that his sweat fell like blood pouring to the ground, which probably means that in his agony he sweated profusely.
Summary for Luke 22:45-46: 22:45-46  cn Jesus’ agonized prayer contrasted with the disciples’ failure to be vigilant against temptation.
22:47  co A kiss was a common greeting between friends. Judas’s kiss highlighted his treachery.
22:51  cp he touched the man’s ear and healed him: John tells us that the man’s name was Malchus and that Peter was the one who cut off his ear (John 18:10  cq). Peter probably thought that he was precipitating the final war and that the heavenly host was about to appear and destroy the Romans. When Jesus refused to fight, the terror-stricken disciples fled (Matt 26:56  cr // Mark 14:50  cs).
22:52  ct The Greek word translated revolutionary normally means “thief,” but the Romans used this term for violent revolutionaries who opposed Roman authority (such as Barabbas, 23:18-19  cu). To patriotic Jews, they were freedom fighters; to the Romans, they were common thugs.
22:54  cv The high priest’s home might have been the home of Caiaphas, the current high priest, or Annas, his father-in-law and a previous high priest (see study note on 3:2; John 18:12-14  cw).
22:59  cx because he is a Galilean: Peter’s Galilean accent gave him away (cp. Judg 12:5-6  cy).
22:61  cz the Lord turned and looked at Peter: Jesus was in the house being questioned and must have looked through a window or vestibule. When their eyes met and the rooster crowed, Peter remembered Jesus’ prediction (22:34  da).
22:63  db mocking and beating him: See 18:32  dc; Isa 50:6  dd; 53:3-5  de.
22:64  df Prophesy to us! Who hit you that time? Jesus had a reputation as a prophet (4:24  dg; 7:16  dh, 39  di; 13:33  dj; 24:19  dk), so the soldiers mocked this claim.
22:66  dl At daybreak: It was Friday morning (see study note on 22:34).

• all the elders of the people assembled: The Jewish high council (Greek Sanhedrin) was originally made up of the Jerusalem nobility, both civil leaders and priests, with the high priest as its head. In Jesus’ time, the Sadducees still controlled the Sanhedrin (Acts 5:17  dm), though leading Pharisees had also gained a prominent place on the council (Acts 23:7  dn).
Summary for Luke 22:67-68: 22:67-68  do If I tell you, you won’t believe me: Jesus pointed out the hypocrisy of the question. They had already made up their minds that he was not the Messiah, so it would do no good to answer.
22:69  dp Jesus referred to Ps 110:1  dq (cp. Luke 20:42-43  dr). Though he would be crucified, Jesus would be vindicated through his resurrection and exalted to God’s right hand (see Acts 2:33-36  ds; cp. Dan 7:13-14  dt). Furthermore, he would be seated in the place of power as Judge. Jesus would soon sit in judgment over those who were trying him.
22:70  du The significance of Jesus’ statement (22:69  dv) was not lost on the council members. The Messiah was expected to be the Son of God and have a special father–son relationship with God (see study notes on 1:32-33; 4:41; cp. 2 Sam 7:14  dw; Pss 2:7  dx; 89:26  dy). The Sanhedrin accused Jesus of claiming to be the Messiah (cp. study notes on Mark 14:62, 63-64).

• You say that I am: This is a qualified affirmation. Jesus probably meant, “What you say is true, but you do not understand what ‘Messiah’ means.” They understood it as a confirmation (Luke 22:71  dz).
22:71  ea Why do we need other witnesses? The high council regarded Jesus’ confirmation that he was both the Messiah and the Son of God as a blasphemous claim and thus as proof of his guilt.

Thematic note: The Messianic Banquet
Through his teaching and miracles, Jesus announced that the messianic banquet was about to be served. All may come and feast at the table of salvation in God’s Kingdom.
Jesus described his ministry as a wedding feast, with himself as the groom (Luke 5:33-35  eb) and the Kingdom of God as a great banquet. All were invited, but some refused to come (Luke 14:15-24  ec; see also Matt 8:11-12  ed). Jesus often ate with diverse people, from despised tax collectors to pious Pharisees (5:29-32  ee; 7:36-50  ef; 11:37-41  eg; 14:1-6  eh). Jesus also used imagery of feasting and banquets in his teaching and parables (5:33-35  ei; 12:35-38  ej; 14:7-14  ek, 15-24  el; 17:7-10  em; 22:28-30  en). And he fed vast multitudes with a few loaves and fishes (9:10-17  eo).
The Old Testament background to this feasting imagery is Isa 25:6  ep, where God’s final salvation is described as a great feast for all people: “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet, with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat” (see also Isa 65:13-14  eq).
Jesus’ public ministry marked the invitation to the banquet and its inauguration. Through his death and resurrection, he achieved salvation. All people can now come to God’s banquet table and receive the spiritual blessings of the Kingdom. At the same time, this banquet awaits its final consummation in the future Kingdom, when Jesus’ disciples will “eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom” and “sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:30  er; see also Rev 19:7-9  es).


Passages for Further Study
Isa 25:6  et; 65:13-14  eu; Luke 5:29-35  ev; 6:21  ew; 7:36-50  ex; 9:10-17  ey; 11:37-41  ez; 12:35-40  fa; 13:24-30  fb; 14:1-24  fc; 17:8  fd; 22:30  fe

‏ Luke 23

23:1  ff The council did not have the right to administer capital punishment (John 18:31  fg), so they had to take Jesus before the Roman governor, who was in Jerusalem to maintain order during the potentially turbulent Passover festival.
23:2  fh The religious charges against Jesus were now replaced by political ones in order to gain a Roman conviction. Pilate was only interested in what concerned Rome. The Jewish charge of blasphemy would not be sufficient, so the council had to show that Jesus was a danger to Rome. They accused Jesus of inciting insurrection against Roman taxation and claiming to be a king. All but the last charge were false.
23:3  fi You have said it: This is the same vague answer that Jesus gave to the high council (22:70  fj), emphasizing Jesus’ acceptance of the title “king of the Jews” but suggesting that Pilate’s understanding of the title was different from his own.
23:4  fk I find nothing wrong with this man! To Pilate, Jesus did not seem to be a political threat.
23:5  fl he is causing riots: This accusation was also false, but the religious leaders knew that Pilate feared civil unrest and revolt against Rome.
Summary for Luke 23:6-7: 23:6-7  fm Realizing that Jesus was a Galilean and thus under the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas, Pilate saw an opportunity to get out of this sticky situation without condemning an innocent man or angering the religious leaders.
23:8  fn Herod was delighted: He was curious about Jesus’ power as a miracle worker and religious teacher, just as he had been curious about John the Baptist (9:7  fo, 9  fp; Mark 6:20  fq).
23:9  fr Jesus refused to answer: See Isa 53:7  fs.
23:12  ft Herod and Pilate, who had been enemies before: There was a history of bad blood between Herod Antipas and Pilate. Herod and three of his brothers had previously brought charges against Pilate before Tiberius Caesar when Pilate set up idolatrous golden shields in Jerusalem, and Tiberius had ordered Pilate to remove the shields. Pilate was also governing Judea, which Antipas’s father, Herod the Great, had once ruled, and which Antipas hoped one day to claim as his own.
Summary for Luke 23:14-15: 23:14-15  fu Pilate and Herod repeatedly declared Jesus innocent (23:4  fv, 22  fw)—Jesus was the righteous and innocent suffering servant of the Lord (see also 23:41  fx, 47  fy; Isa 53:11  fz).
Summary for Luke 23:16-18: 23:16-18  ga I will have him flogged (or I will teach him a lesson!): The Greek word can mean “instruct,” “punish,” or “discipline”; it refers to a relatively mild whipping given for lesser offenses. It was different from the severe flogging that Romans gave in preparation for crucifixion (see Matt 27:26  gb; Mark 15:15  gc).
23:19  gd Palestine was a breeding ground for insurrection in the decades leading up to the Jewish revolt of AD 66–74. The Jewish historian Josephus describes a series of first-century revolutionaries, such as Judas of Galilee, who opposed Roman rule and taxation (see also Acts 5:36-37  ge).
23:24  gf So Pilate sentenced Jesus to die: Pilate, always the ruthless pragmatist, felt that it was worth a miscarriage of justice to avoid antagonizing the religious leaders and crowds and jeopardizing his political career (see John 19:12  gg and corresponding study note).
23:26  gh Simon might have been a Jewish pilgrim visiting Jerusalem for Passover.

• put the cross on him: Prisoners bound for crucifixion were normally forced to carry the crossbeam to the place of execution. It was fastened to the upright beam at the crucifixion site.
23:28  gi Jesus warned of the horrors that would come to Jerusalem during its siege and destruction in AD 70.
23:29  gj Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless: Childlessness was normally a cause of great shame (see study note on 1:7), but during this catastrophe, those who didn’t have to see their children starve to death would be the fortunate ones.
23:30  gk People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us’: Death would be better than the extended agony and suffering that Jerusalem would experience.
23:31  gl If the Romans crucified an innocent man when the tree was green (i.e., during a period of relative peace), what more horrible things would they do when it was dry (i.e., when the land had become a tinderbox of revolution)? During the siege of Jerusalem (AD 66–70), the Romans crucified thousands of Jews outside the city of Jerusalem.
23:33  gm The Skull: Greek kranion; the Aramaic term is Golgotha (Matt 27:33  gn; Mark 15:22  go). The location is uncertain, but it has traditionally been associated with the present Church of the Holy Sepulchre. A less likely location is Gordon’s Calvary, a rock outcrop near the Garden Tomb.

• they nailed him to the cross: Victims were often tied to the cross or nailed through the wrists and ankles to hasten death—here, the bodies had to be buried before sunset due to the approaching Sabbath.
23:34  gp by throwing dice (see John 19:23-24  gq): The prisoner’s possessions were treated as spoils of war and divided among the soldiers.
23:35  gr The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed (see Ps 22:7-8  gs): Psalm 22  gt speaks of David, a righteous sufferer, crying out to God for protection. Jesus, David’s descendant, was the ultimate righteous sufferer who fulfilled Ps 22  gu.
23:36  gv Sour wine (cp. Ps 69:21  gw) was a popular drink of the lower classes, especially among soldiers.
23:38  gx The sign confirmed that Jesus was crucified on the charge of claiming to be the King of the Jews (cp. John 19:19-22  gy).
23:42  gz remember me when you come into your Kingdom: The criminal was perhaps thinking of the resurrection at the end of time, when Jesus would be raised up and vindicated by God.
23:43  ha Jesus corrected the man by assuring him that today he would be vindicated in God’s presence (see also 2:11  hb; 4:21  hc; 5:26  hd; 19:9  he).

• The word translated paradise comes from a Persian word that means “garden”; it was used in Jewish literature for the Garden of Eden and also for heaven, the place of eternal bliss for God’s people (see 2 Cor 12:4  hf; Rev 2:7  hg; cp. Luke 16:22-23  hh; 2 Cor 5:8  hi).
23:44  hj Darkness symbolizes sorrow as well as God’s judgment (Ps 23:4  hk; Isa 8:22  hl; 9:1-2  hm).
23:45  hn the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple: One curtain separated the Temple courtyard from the Holy Place, and another separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Luke does not say which was torn down the middle, but it was probably the latter—Jesus’ death put an end to the sacrificial system of the Temple and opened a new and permanent way into the presence of God (see Heb 10:19-20  ho).
23:46  hp Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands! See Ps 31:5  hq; Ps 31  hr is another psalm about a righteous sufferer (see study note on Luke 23:35).
23:47  hs innocent (or righteous; cp. Mark 15:39  ht): Cp. Luke 23:14-15  hu. The innocent and righteous servant of the Lord died as a sacrifice for the sins of his people (Isa 53:11  hv).
23:48  hw went home in deep sorrow (literally went home beating their breasts): Beating the breast was a sign of sorrow and mourning.
Summary for Luke 23:50-51: 23:50-51  hx Not all the religious leaders opposed Jesus—Joseph had opposed the actions of the council.

• The location of Arimathea in Judea is uncertain; it might be Ramathaim (= Ramah), twenty miles (thirty-two kilometers) northwest of Jerusalem.
23:52  hy He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body: The Romans used crucifixion as a public warning against revolt, so they did not generally allow a victim to be buried. Instead, they left the body exposed or rotting on the cross. An exception was made in this case, probably because Pilate knew that Jesus was innocent and because of Joseph’s position of prestige on the Jewish high council.
23:53  hz The new tomb had probably been purchased by Joseph as a family tomb.
23:54  ia This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation: The Greek text does not explicitly refer to Friday, but simply to the day of preparation for the Sabbath of Passover week; the Sabbath began Friday evening.

• as the Sabbath was about to begin: The body had to be buried quickly, because the Jews could not work during the Sabbath, which began at sunset.
Summary for Luke 23:55-56: 23:55-56  ib The women took special note of the tomb’s location because they would return with spices and ointments to anoint his body. The spices were to mask the stench of a rotting corpse. A body would be placed on a stone bench in the side of the tomb until the flesh decomposed. The bones would then be collected and placed in a small ossuary, or bone box, and placed on a shelf in the tomb. In this way, a tomb could be used for many family members over an extended period of time.
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