Table of Contents

Introduction - death as a fact of life; Jewish death ritual in early Roman Palestine; Q and death in early Roman Galilee; "Where No One Had Yet Been Laid" - the shame of Jesus' burial; is a corpse contagious?; relocating the dead in early Byzantine Palestine; rest in peace or roast in Hell - funerary versus apocalyptic portraits of paradise.

About the Author

Byron R. McCane is Professor of Religion and department chair at Wofford College, Spartanburg, South Carolina. He is Academic Director of the Sepphoris Excavations in Northern Israel.

Reviews

"Byron McCane weds theory, archaeology, and texts together in an appropriately wide-ranging study of death and burial. The theory focuses on social structure and especially kinship issues; the archaeology concentrates on early Roman Jewish burial techniques both in Jerusalem and Galilee; the texts include Q, the passion narratives in the gospels, and the Mishhah. McCane's nuanced analyses of ossuaries, grave rituals, and burials in shame support important conclusions, especially on the death and burial of Jesus." Peter Richardson, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto--Sanford Lakoff

"Byron McCane's study of death and burial in ancient Palestine in the Roman and Byzantine periods successfully bridges the gap between material culture and early Jewish and Christian literature. By drawing upon the ancillary fields of anthropology and sociology, McCane demonstrates how death rituals defined the social boundaries of each of those communities; and from their common burial practices in the Roman period he infers that it was only in the Byzantine period that important differences began to surface between early Judaism and Christianity. This Superbly written work offers a surprisingly intimate engagement with a variety of ancient sources that is sure to turn heads in a new and exciting direction." Eric M. Meyers Bernice and Morton Lerner Professor of Judaic Studies and Archaeology Duke University--Sanford Lakoff

"Here is a book that focuses on a very particular but still intriguing subject Jewish and early Christian burial customs. McCane notes that the rituals associated with death and burial carry important cultural values for a society, both ancient and modern." Donald Senior C.P., The Bible Today, July/August 2003--Sanford Lakoff

"In Roll Back the Stone, Byron R. McCane has made a significant contribution to our understanding of the place of death rituals in the lives of Jews and Christians in early Roman Palestine. Judiciously combining both textual and archaeological data, McCane has provided a highly nuanced and informative window through which a reader can see many clear images of the funeral practices of these ancient folks. Along the way, he has contributed to our understanding of the burial traditions about Jesus contained in the Gospels and, as a bonus, has made some sane suggestions for understanding the recent (sometimes sensational) discussions concerning the so-called "James Ossuary." A good subtitle for this volume could well be: "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Death Rituals of Jews and Christians During the Early Roman Period in Palestine but Didn't Know Who to Ask." Now you Know!" John Laughlin, Professor, Chair, Dept. of Religion, Averett University.--Sanford Lakoff

"McCane's analysis, rooted in sociological and anthropological theory, is informed and judicious. H.O. Forshey, Miami University, for CHOICE--Sanford Lakoff

McCane shares quite a bit of interesting funeral ritual information about what people did, how they felt, and what social significance final rites conveyed in early Roman Palestine. He writes in an engaging fashion, and his background as a teacher and archeologist serve him well in pulling together a lot of relevant data from a variety of sources. Eric Meyers, noted archaeologist from Duke University describes this as a superbly written work sure to turn heads in a new and exciting direction. I agree. Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, Vol. 55, No. 4, December 2003--Richard Ruble "Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith "