termed the “mountain of meeting” because at the sanctuary there all mature Israelite males were to appear before the face of Jehovah three times each year. (Ex. 23:17) Psalm 48:1, 2 further confirms this identification by giving Mount Zion a northerly location, harmonizing with the “mountain of meeting” being in “the remotest parts of the north.”

MOURNING

Among Oriental peoples mourning was customarily accompanied by much outward display of grief, and this is reflected in the Biblical accounts of periods of mourning. One entire book of the Bible, Lamentations, is an expression of mourning over the fate of Jerusalem.

CAUSES OF MOURNING

Persons mourned to express repentance (Neh. 9:1, 2; Jonah 3:5-9), or due to the imminence of calamity (Esther 4:3; Jer. 6:26; Amos 5:16, 17), or because of a disastrous condition already prevailing (Joel 1:5-14). The most common cause of mourning, undoubtedly, was death. The death of a member of the immediate family set in motion a period of mourning (Gen. 23:2; 27:41; 37:33-35), while the death of a parent or of an only son are set out as occasions of the deepest grief. (Ps. 35:14; Amos 8:10; Zech. 12:10) The death of a national leader occasioned periods of mourning lasting from seven up to thirty days. (Num. 20:29; Deut. 34:8; 1 Sam. 31:8, 12, 13) The Egyptians continued to shed tears over the death of Joseph’s father Jacob for seventy days, with an additional seven-day period of mourning rites in Canaan.—Gen. 50:3-11.

WAYS OF EXPRESSING SORROW

Mourning was given expression vocally and by weeping, as well as by disfigurement of the physical appearance and by fasting or otherwise abstaining from normal practices. Wailing or loud and bitter crying might accompany the weeping (2 Sam. 1:11, 12; Esther 4:1), the chest was beaten (Isa. 32:11, 12; Nah. 2:7; Luke 8:52), garments were often ripped apart (Judg. 11:35; 2 Ki. 22:11, 19), dust or ashes might be cast on the head and sackcloth be worn (2 Sam. 13:19; 2 Ki. 6:30; Job 2:11, 12), sandals might be removed and the head or face covered (2 Sam. 15:30; 19:4), the hair might be pulled or cut off, and the beard shaved (Job 1:20; Ezra 9:3; Jer. 41:5), while some persons, following pagan practices, made cuts in their body (Jer. 16:6; 47:5). In addition to fasting, the person might abstain from rubbing himself with oil or washing his garments (2 Sam. 14:2; 19:24; Dan. 10:2, 3), sometimes sitting on the ground or amid ashes.—2 Sam. 13:31; Job 2:8; Isa. 3:26.

Plaintive elegies at times were composed as songs of mourning. (2 Sam. 1:17-27; 3:33, 34; 2 Chron. 35:25) A particular type of song was the “Shiggaion,” a Hebrew term that occurs in the heading of Psalm 7 and in Habakkuk 3:1. This was a dirgelike composition and apparently indicates a wild, passionate song with rapid changes of rhythm. It will be noted in both of these references (Ps. 7; Hab. 3:1-19) that the elements of danger, strong outbursts of appeal or emotion, and subsequent rejoicing in Jehovah are present.

Occasionally professional mourners were employed at funerals, and musicians played mournful tunes (Jer. 9:17, 18; Matt. 9:23), imitated by little children playing in the marketplaces in the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry. (Matt. 11:16, 17) The pipe or flute was the preferred instrument for lamentation.—Jer. 48:36; Matt. 9:23; see Josephus’ Wars of the Jews, Book III, chap. IX, par. 5.

Following a burial the women customarily visited the grave, to weep and mourn. (John 11:31) A funeral meal seems to have been served sometime during the mourning period, and, in some instances, appears to have been made into a special feast.—Hos. 9:4; Jer. 16:5, 7.

PROHIBITIONS INVOLVING MOURNING

On occasion God’s people as a body or certain individuals were instructed not to mourn, as for condemned wrongdoers. (Lev. 10:1, 2, 6) The prophet Ezekiel was commanded to adopt none of the signs of mourning for his deceased wife, thereby serving as a portent for the Israelites with him in Babylon that they should not mourn the divine execution of judgment on Jerusalem for its unfaithfulness. (Ezek. 24:15-24) Jeremiah received somewhat similiar instructions.—Jer. 16:5-13.

Certain mourning practices were forbidden under the Mosaic law, including the inflicting of cuts in the flesh or causing of “baldness on your foreheads” (Lev. 19:28; Deut. 14:1), and the misuse of tithes in connection with the dead. (Deut. 26:12-14) For certain members of their immediate families the priests could mourn openly, but the high priest was restricted from doing so.—Lev. 21:1-6, 10-12.

A TIME TO MOURN

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 states that there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to wail and a time to skip about.” In view of all mankind’s dying condition, the heart of the wise ones is shown to be “in the house of mourning” rather than in the banquet house. (Eccl. 7:2, 4; compare Proverbs 14:13.) Thus, the wise person makes use of his opportunity to express sympathy and give comfort, rather than ignore such occasion in favor of pleasure-seeking. This helps him to keep in mind his own mortal state and to keep his heart in a right attitude toward his Creator.

Valid motives for mourning are set forth in the Scriptures. In addition to the death of loved ones (Gen. 42:38; 44:31), detestable and God-dishonoring practices of false religion are a cause for sighing and groaning (Ezek. 9:4; compare 1 Corinthians 5:2), and grief is rightly expressed due to one’s own errors. (Ps. 38:4, 6-10) Those who have drawn away from him Jehovah urges: “Come back to me with all your hearts, and with fasting and with weeping and with wailing. And rip apart your hearts, and not your garments.” (Joel 2:12, 13; compare James 4:8, 9.) Elsewhere, also, stress is laid, not on the external expressions of grief or mourning, but on the inner stirrings and pain of heart marking genuine sadness.—Ps. 31:9, 10; Prov. 14:10; 15:13; Mark 14:72; John 16:6.

Even Jehovah speaks of himself as being “hurt at his heart.” (Gen. 6:6; compare Isaiah 63:9.) God’s holy spirit can also be ‘grieved.’ (Eph. 4:30) Since that spirit works in God’s servants toward the producing of fruits of righteousness (Gal. 5:22-24), those who fail to appreciate this divine provision, who resist its working and who go contrary to its leading are, in effect, “grieving” it.—Compare Isaiah 63:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:19.

A BALANCED VIEW OF MOURNING

In the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry mourning was still frequently carried on by the people with much outward expression and accompanying noise and confusion. (Mark 5:38, 39) Though Jesus ‘groaned within himself’ and wept on a number of occasions (John 11:33-35, 38; Luke 19:41; Mark 14:33, 34; Heb. 5:7), there is no record of his employing the other more ostentatious expressions already described. (Compare Luke 23:27, 28.) His disciples likewise expressed grief and mourning. (Matt. 9:15; John 16:20-22; Acts 8:2; 9:39; 20:37, 38; Phil. 2:27) Paul expressed “great grief and unceasing pain in [his] heart” over his unbelieving relatives according to the flesh (Rom. 9:2, 3), feared that he might have to mourn over those in the congregation at Corinth who had sinned and had still not repented (2 Cor. 12:21), and mentioned “with weeping” those who had turned aside to walk “as the enemies of the torture stake of the Christ.” (Phil. 3:17-19) His deep and heartfelt concern for the Christian congregation (2 Cor. 2:1-4) qualified him to instruct others on the need for empathy and