The field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth: there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
Yet the bodies of the dead, especially of the just and faithful, are not to be despised or cast aside. The soul has used them as organs and vessels for all good work in a holy manner. If a paternal garment or a ring or anything else of this kind is as dear to children as is their love for their parents, in no way are their very bodies to be spurned, since they are much more familiar and intimate than any garment we put on. Bodies are not for ornament or for aid, as something that is applied externally, but pertain to the very nature of the man. Hence the funerals of the just men of old were cared for with dutiful devotion, the processions solemnized and a fitting burial provided. Oftentimes they themselves, while they were yet alive, gave directions to their sons concerning everything pertaining to their burial.
