ANTHROPO-ARCHAEOLOGICAL COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TRADITIONAL YORUBA AND JEWISH FUNERAL RITES

Abstract

Obsequies form the summit of rites of passage for human beings. It is in that light that proper disposition of human corpse is a hallowed tradition of all cultures. This paper examines traditional Yoruba and Jewish funeral rites and offers a comparative analysis. The rites of passage are well enunciated among the two cultures, in which birth and death form the hinges of human existence. The Jews and the Yoruba have elaborate funeral rites and they both consider burials as sacred duties which the community owes the dead. Methodologically, the study employs anthropological and archaeological data for analysis and they also form the basis for the conclusions drawn from the study. The data for the study were retrieved from the researcher's firsthand archaeological fieldwork experience in Israel and among the Yoruba. Findings indicate that both the Yoruba and the Jews place premium relevance on funerals. Obsequies among the Yoruba and the Jews portend sociological significance because they are considered as dutiful services to the dead and the community. The paper concludes by drawing attention to the anthropological relevance of funeral rites among the Yoruba and Jewish people.