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◄ Bread: Served Round After Funerals►

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical times, bread held significant cultural and religious importance, often symbolizing sustenance, fellowship, and divine provision. The practice of serving bread after funerals, while not explicitly detailed in the Bible, can be inferred from the broader context of ancient Near Eastern customs and the scriptural emphasis on bread as a staple of life and community.

Cultural Context and Significance

Bread was a fundamental part of daily life in ancient Israel, representing God's provision and the sustenance of life. It was central to meals and communal gatherings, often serving as a symbol of hospitality and fellowship. In the context of mourning, bread would have been a natural element of the meals shared by family and friends as they gathered to support one another.

The act of sharing a meal, particularly bread, after a funeral would have served multiple purposes. It provided physical nourishment to those who had gathered, offered comfort in a time of grief, and reinforced communal bonds. This practice aligns with the biblical emphasis on community and mutual support, as seen in various passages that highlight the importance of coming together in times of need.

Biblical References and Symbolism

While the Bible does not specifically mention the serving of bread after funerals, it does provide numerous references to bread as a symbol of God's provision and presence. For instance, in the Old Testament, God provided manna, described as "bread from heaven," to sustain the Israelites in the wilderness (Exodus 16:4). This divine provision underscored God's care and faithfulness, themes that would resonate in the context of mourning and loss.

In the New Testament, Jesus refers to Himself as the "bread of life," emphasizing the spiritual sustenance He provides (John 6:35). This metaphorical use of bread highlights its significance beyond mere physical nourishment, pointing to the deeper spiritual truths and comfort found in Christ.

Communal Meals and Mourning

The practice of sharing meals, including bread, in times of mourning is consistent with the biblical portrayal of communal support. In the book of Job, we see friends and family gathering to comfort Job in his suffering, a scene that likely included shared meals (Job 2:11-13). Similarly, in the New Testament, the early Christian community is described as breaking bread together, a practice that would have extended to times of grief and loss (Acts 2:46).

The communal aspect of bread-sharing after funerals reflects the biblical call to "mourn with those who mourn" (Romans 12:15). It serves as a tangible expression of love, support, and solidarity, reinforcing the bonds of community and faith in the face of death.

Conclusion

While the specific practice of serving bread after funerals is not detailed in the Bible, the broader scriptural themes of bread as a symbol of God's provision, community, and comfort provide a rich backdrop for understanding its significance in the context of mourning. The sharing of bread after a funeral would have been a natural extension of the biblical values of hospitality, fellowship, and mutual support, offering both physical and spiritual nourishment to those in grief.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Ezekiel 24:17-22
Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of your head on you, and put on your shoes on your feet, and cover not your lips, and eat not the bread of men.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

In Death andafter Death
... a meal for the mourners, consisting ofbread, hard-boiled... and lentils"round and coarse
fare;round like life... This was brought in andserved up in earthenware....

And Disputes
... crowd it with lamps and candles, circleround him, overthrown... Potentates expecting
to eatbread with him were often... at all for the poorlyserved churches from...

The Wicked Man's Life, Funeral, and Epitaph
... of the Lord a deceiver; he eats thebread and drinks... to preach to the people again,
they clusteredround the beast... body of a saint, if he hasserved God with...

Hymns, Festival and Occasional.
... the stress of his Puritan sympathies, andserved under Cromwell... the love, is past
and gone; Thebread and wine... us anew our journey pursue, Rollround with the...

Confession of Sin --A Sermon with Seven Texts
... was said, "They feared the Lord, andserved other gods... that in my father's house
there isbread enough and... against it, and there are the stacksround which he...

Blessed are they that Mourn
... and turned away his face, and would eat nobread' (1 Kings... We haveserved Baalim'
(Judges 10:10... to Antiochus (Epiphanes) the king, made a circleround about the...

The Close of the Theban Empire --(Continued)
... in to a niche in the form of around-headed doorway... covered his remains, and his
figure in reliefserved as a... long as thou art on earth, and givebread to him...

Book ii.
... of incense], the table [of shew-bread], the censer... had this extraordinary privilege,
to have neverserved any of... dominion of the cities that lieround about us...

The Political Constitution of Egypt
... with his manners, his dress, his dailyround of occupation... The bakers who baked the
ordinarybread were not to be... of the palace, and had rationsserved out to...

The Reaction against Egypt
... all quarters of the world, they collectedround the tomb...After having dwelt within
it for a short time... completely obliterated, and which may haveserved as the...