Whitewashed Tombs

"Rachel's Tomb"
Photo 1890-1900
Library of Congress

​Mat 23:27-29:   Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous.
 
The whitewashing of tombs or gravestones is an old custom that was practiced commonly by a number of ancient cultures.  Not only did these early people paint gravestones or the sepulcher walls, but they also took great care in keeping the burial sites in good repair, especially if the final resting place was that of an important person.   Some sepulchers were so well-tended and stood in such sharp contrast to the brown and barren landscape they evolved into landmarks for travelers.

 From Rev. John Kitto:  "There are three kinds of calcareous earth, found abundantly in the desert west of the Euphrates  The first called noora is in present use, mixed with ashes, and employed as a coating for the lower parts of walls in baths.  Another called by the Turks karej, and by the Arabs jus, is also found in powder mixed with indurated pieces of the same substance, and round pebbles.  This forms even now the common cement of the country, and constitutes the mortar generally found in the burnt brickwork of the most ancient remains.  The third sort, called borak, is a substance resembling gypsum, and is found in large lumps of an earthy appearance, which, when burned, form an excellent plaster or whitewash."  ("A Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature",  Vol. 3,  Article: Mortar,  p. 218.  Published 1874, London.)
 
From Georges Montbard:  "Tangier, Morocco - Half-way up the hill there is a saint's tomb, four whitewashed walls.   At the top stands a cemetery, strewn with stones, graves, and clusters of cactuses and aloes of a dusty grey-green colour."  ("Among the Moors ", p. 8.  Published 1894, London.)
 
From William Libbey & Francis E. Hoskins:  "The people of Banias are all Moslems of a low type and have a deservedly evil reputation.  They keep the shrine of Sheikh Khudr  (Saint George) whitewashed outside, and they cover branches of a huge tree near the bridge with thousands of filthy rags as votive offerings, but that seems to be the extent of their religious life." ("The Jordan Valley and Petra",  Vol 1,  p. 98.  Published 1905, New York.)
 
From Barbara Hofland: " From Acre they gladly departed for Tyre, passing in their way Zib (the Achzile of the Scriptures), and proceeding on the road said to have been made by Alexander the Great, over a stupendous rock, called the " white promontory," from whence they had the view of a wide extended and beautiful landscape.  They passed many tombs erected by the Arabs to persons denominated saints, all of which were white-washed."  ("Alfred Campbell, The Young Pilgrim", p. 180.  Published 1825, London.)
 
 From John Gadsby:  "The tombs of saints in Egypt are held in great veneration.  They are covered with a circular building in the form of a cupola, and are regularly whitewashed, repaired, rebuilt, and decorated, as was the case with the Jews.  (" My wanderings - Being Travels in the East", p. 276.  Published, London 1881.) 

Al-Majdal - Sea of Galilee
(L.)  Town of Magdala,  (Center)  Shrine of Muhammad Al-Ajami, (R.)  Sea of Galilee

Photo by Felix Bonfils (1835-1885)    Taken mid 1800.
National Photo Collection of Israel

​From Dr. John Kitto:  "Like other Orientals they (Jews) had a very proper objection to cemeteries in towns, and therefore (had) a strict regulation which required that (cemeteries) should be not less than two thousand cubits distant from a Levitical city, and  a considerable space from other cities.  The Jews had a stronger reason for this than most other nations because they considered that not only the touch of a dead body, but contact with a sepulcher, communicated defilement.  It was for this reason that the sepulchers of all kinds were whitewashed every year in the mouth of February that no one might be defiled unawares."  ("The Pictorial Bible", Vol. 2., Article:  2 Chronicles 34:4,  p. 517-518.  Published 1836, London.)
 
 
From Rev. Joseph Anderson: " The mnemeion, when a simple slab stone  as most of the monumental stones in the valley of Jehoshaphat are, lay flat on the grave, which when covered with weeds and grass did not appear, and men are not aware of it, walked over it, and so were ceremoniously defiled.  To prevent this, the monuments whether flat or erect, were generally white-washed once every year.  Hence the expression of "whited sepulchers".  Thought not for the same reason and not with the same frequency, the sepulchers of the East, the tall turban-headed tombstone, and the round Mosque-like monuments continue to be whitewashed and appear beautiful to the present day.  ("Bible Light from the Holy Land", p.335-336.  Published 1856, New York.)

"Tomb of a Moorish Lady" - Drawing by William Orme (1770-1819)
Based on a picture by Thomas Daniel (1749-1840)

​When it came to venerating the dead, some cultures went to great lengths to do so by embellishing the place of their burial.  Depending on the person's level of importance in life, dome-shaped buildings called welees might be  erected over their grave or tomb.  Many times these welees were furnished with a  shrine, alter, sacred fire,  holy water, or a religious relic.  Some of the more elaborate welees even provided comforts for those who came to pay their respects or worship. Oftentimes, welees were embellished with architectural ornamentation and gifted with decorations that ranged from the beautiful to the bizarre.
 
​From William C. Taylor:  "Among the novelties which engage the stranger's attention on his arriving in Egypt and Syria, is the frequent appearance of the welee, the name given to the tombs of those revered among the Mohammedans as great saints.  The term signifies properly" a favorite of Heaven," but by an extension of meaning denotes also the place where persons of this class are buried.  The welee consists usually of a stone or brick edifice, with a dome or cupola over it, varying in height from eight to ten feet, and containing often a mat and a jar of water, for the convenience of such as may choose to stop and perform their devotions.  The Mohammedans build these tombs in honor of those who are held in repute for the supposed sanctity of their lives, and often bestow much labor and expense on them, for the purpose of adorning them and keeping them in repair…being covered with stucco or whitewashed and occupying such conspicuous positions." ("Illustrations of the Bible from the Monuments of Egypt",  p.61.   Published 1838, London.)
 
From Colonel Wilson:  At length we attained the highest peak, where there was scarcely more space than sufficient to contain the small wely.  On entering we found near the door a common-looking tomb, over which was spread a pall of silk, striped in red, green, and white,  but much faded.  Against a pillar which supports the roof were hung rows of colored rags and threads of yarn, with snail-shells and sea-shells among them by way of further ornament. . The floor of the chamber has been handsomely paved with tessellated bits of colored marble, much of which still remains.  Over the tomb are suspended some ostrich eggs on a line, as is common in Oriental churches, and near it is a mihrab, or niche in the wall, to indicate the southerly direction for Mohammedan prayers."  ("Picturesque Palestine, Sinai, and Egypt",  Vol. 2, p. 223-234. Published 1881, New York.)
 
From Rev. Charles T. Wilson:  "The traveler in Palestine will often see a little clump of trees with the white dome of a low stone building peeping out of the dark-green foliage, and on inquiring what it is will be told that it is a wely, or saint—that is, his reputed tomb.  These buildings are usually, though not invariably, on the tops of hills, and can be seen for many miles round, some of them, indeed, forming landmarks for a great distance.  There is generally, but not always, a grove of trees round the wely.  The shrine itself' usually consists of a plain stone building, for the most part windowless, but having a prayer-niche.  It is kept in fair repair as a rule  and whitewashed from time to time both inside and out.  ." ("Peasant Life in the Holy Land", p. 25-26.  Published 1906, New York.)

Garden Tomb
Media Center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

​Another way of honoring the dead was to construct a garden around a burial area.  An early form of the cemetery,  these ancient burial gardens contained one or more  caves  or  graves.  Most often  a burial garden was privately owned and tended.

​From Dr. Thomas Shaw:  "If we except a few persons, who are buried within the precincts of the sanctuary of their marabbutts (shrines), the rest are carried out at small distance from their cities and villages, where a great extent of ground is allotted for that purpose.  Each family hath a particular portion of it, walled in like a garden where the bones of their ancestors have remained undisturbed for many generations.  For in these enclosures ' the graves are all different and separate : having each of them a stone, placed upright, both at the head and feet, inscribed with the name of the person who lieth there interred ; whilst the intermediate space is either planted with flowers, bordered round with stone or paved all over with tiles.  The graves of the principal citizens are further distinguished by having cupolas or vaulted chambers of three, four, or more yards square built over them: and as these very frequently lie open an occasionally shelter us form the inclemency of the weather…And as all these different sorts of tombs and sepulchers, with the very walls  likewise of their respective cupolas and  enclosures, are constantly kept clean, whitewashed and beautified, they continue, to this day, to be an excellent comment upon that expression of our Saviour's, where he mentions the garnishing of the sepulchers."  ("Travels or Observations Relating to Several Parts of Barbary and the Levant", p. 285.  Printed at the Oxford Theatre, 1738.)

Tombs of Absolem, Zechariah, and Benei Hezir in the Kebro (Kidron) Valley.
Shown in the photo: Jewish gathering at the base of the Mount of Olives.

Photograph circa 1890s.
Library of Congress - G. Eric and Edith Matson Photograph Collection

When the Jews first actively started whitewashing graves, grave markers, sepulchers, and tombs is unknown.  Originally, they may have  learned about the custom while slaves in Egypt since it is believed that at one time the pyramids were kept whitened.   The New Testament indicates that whitewashing graves by the Jews was well established by the first century A.D.
​
Historical literature also indicates that at some point the Jews  adopted the practice of venerating the burial sites of those persons deemed important to their people.  

From Horatio B. Hackett:  "It was a similar feeling, doubtless, which led the Jews to erect monuments in honor of their prophets and holy men, and to regard it, in like manner, as an act of merit both to build these monuments in the first instance, and afterward to garnish and preserve them from decay.  I may add that many of these welees or tombs in Palestine are still called after the names of the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament.  I either saw or heard of tombs of this description consecrated to Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Aaron, Ishmael, Joseph, Seth, Samuel, David, Jonah, Zechariah and others.  The Jews share with the Mohammedans in their veneration for many of these sepulchers and make pilgrimages to them as to holy places."  ("Illustrations of Scripture", p. 56-57.  Published 1857, Boston.) 
 
From Rev. J.J. Smith:  "About two hundred yards, or such a matter, from Jacob's well, (Shechem) directly north, is the tomb of Joseph, who was Prime Minister of Egypt.  In approaching the sepulcher, you enter a small square area enclosed by a whitewashed stone wall.  Across one end of this is a sort of Mohammedan Mosque, within which is the tomb where the bones of Joseph were deposited by the Israelites on their arrival from Egypt."  ("The Wonders of the East or the Record of a Journey Through Europe, Egypt and the Holy Land",  p. 301.  Published 1873,  New York. 
 
From Henry Van Dyke:  "(Mizpah) It was a stiff scramble up the conical hill to the little hamlet at the top, built out of and among ruins.  The mosque, evidently an old Christian church remodeled, was bare, but fairly clean, cool, and tranquil.  We peered through a grated window, tied with many-colored scraps of rags by the Mohammedan pilgrims, into a whitewashed room containing a huge sarcophagus said to be the tomb of Samuel." ("Out of Doors in the Holy Land", p. 69-70.  Published 1912, New York.)
 
From Thomas Weymss: "The Jews were in the habit of visiting the sepulchers of the dead. . .They even erected temples over the sepulchers and performed religious worship therein.  Mahomet is said to have execrated them on this account.  The prophet, in his last disease, from which he never arose, said, " May God curse the Jews, for they convert the sepulchers of their prophets into temples."  ("A Key to Symbolical Language of Scripture", p. 360.  Published 1840 , Edinburgh.)
 
In the introductory text, Jesus uses a common custom of the day as an object lesson in his condemnation of  the Scribes and Pharisees for their pompous outward show of righteousness  when in reality, on the inside. they are as corrupt and full of death as  the contents of the whitewashed tombs, which they zealously avoid to keep from being ceremonially  defiled.
 
"Garnishing the sepulchers of the righteousness" refers to the shrines that the Jews created at the tombs of the Old Testaments prophets where they adored and worshiped the same men whose prophecies of a coming Messiah they ardently refused to understand correctly or even accept.
 
 
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