Shroud
A shroud is usually made of cotton , linen or silk in which the deceased are wrapped for burial .
history
The use of shrouds is documented as early as ancient Egyptian times. In order to demonstrate the deceased's rank and occupation, he was sometimes buried in elaborate clothing; in addition, however, the custom of wrapping the deceased in simple cloths arose early on, not least because burial in expensive clothes was a financial burden for the bereaved.
In the Jewish religion, burial in simple, white shrouds ( tachrichim ) has been prescribed since the 2nd century and burial in linen cloth was also recommended in early Christianity and only bishops and monarchs were exempt from this. The Islamic religion also adopted this burial custom, with the fact that wooden coffins do not decompose well in dry and hot climates. Orthodox Christians use shrouds to this day, mostly decorated with a cross and a trisagion . The shrouds also include the epitaph , which is used in the Orthodox Church in the Good Friday liturgy.
Shrouds were widespread in Catholic Christianity until the Renaissance and then increasingly replaced by shrouds .
Design
Shrouds are usually kept quite simple in order to symbolize the equality of man before God, but there are also embroidery, which in the Islamic and Jewish tradition is always done by hand. In Islam, different individual towels are common, which cover the corresponding parts of the body according to the local regulations. In Judaism, there is also a kind of linen suit that covers the entire body, including hands, feet and head.
Shroud of Turin
One of the most famous shrouds is the Turin shroud , which is venerated by believers as the cloth with which Jesus of Nazareth is said to have been wrapped; However, the authenticity of this relic is more than questionable, as a radiocarbon measurement from 1988 dates it to the period between 1260 and 1390.
