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THE SECOND TEMPLE PERIOD
Ossuaries
For a long time, cemeteries in Judea held family tombs. However,
in the 1st century BCE, second burials in ossuaries became the
common practice in Judea. In this custom, which originated in the
Jerusalem region, the remains were first placed in the tomb. Then,
after a year, the family would gather the deceased's bones and transfer
them to a stone coffin called an ossuary, and place it in a niche
carved into the stone wall of the burial cave.
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Ossuary of Joseph, son of Caiaphas
Collection of Israel Antiquities Authority, exhibited at The Israel Museum,
Jerusalem
Photo © Israel Museum, Jerusalem
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