# Nefesh > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nefesh > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nefesh.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nefesh > Source revision: 1316450747 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Semitic burial monument}} {{Other uses|Nefesh (disambiguation)}} A '''nefesh''' (from {{langx|he|נֶפֶשׁ|4=soul}}; {{plural form|נֶפָשׁוֹת}}, ''nefashot'') is a [Semitic](/source/Semitic_people) funerary monument typically placed near a grave, intended to be seen from a distance as a visible marker of the deceased. ==Judea== === Jerusalem === Some examples of monumental funerary sculpture near Jerusalem bear inscriptions that include the term ''nephesh'', and the word is generally accepted as a reference to the pyramid structure above or beside the tomb.Joe Zias and Emile Puech, "The Tomb of Absalom Reconsidered," ''Near Eastern Archeology'', Wol. c68, No. 4 (Dec. 2005), p. 157. ==== Tomb of Absalom ==== [[File:Tomb of Avshalom in the Kidron Valley;.jpg|thumb|[Yad Avshalom](/source/Yad_Avshalom) in Kidron Valley|253x253px]] Standing among a group of tombs in [Jerusalem](/source/Jerusalem), the [tomb of Absalom](/source/tomb_of_Absalom) is an important example of [Late Second Temple](/source/Second_Temple_period) funerary architecture. To the lower left of the entrance to the tomb, the word ''nephesh'' is inscribed in Greek. In this context, the Greek ''nephesh'' is translated as two Hebrew-Aramaic words as ''nephesh'' and {{Transliteration|arc|qubr}}, now interpreted as an amalgam of "tomb" and "stele." The carved rock is thus a memorial that evokes the essence or spirit of the deceased.Joe Zias and Emile Puech, "The Tomb of Absalom Reconsidered," ''Near Eastern Archeology'', Wol. c68, No. 4 (Dec. 2005), p. 157. ==== Jason's Tomb ==== Dated to the first century BCE, [Jason's Tomb](/source/Jason's_Tomb) bears an Aramaic inscription that states: "because I built for you a tomb (''nephesh'') and a memorial ({{Transliteration|arc|qubr}}), be in peace in Jer[u]sa[le]m."Emile Puech,"Inscriptions funeraires pelestiniennes:tombeau de Jason et ossuaires.''Revue biblique'' 1983. 90:481-533 ==== Tomb of Benei Hezir ==== The [Tomb of Benei Hezir](/source/Tomb_of_Benei_Hezir) also bears an epithet in Hebrew that states: "This is the tomb and the stele/memorial (''nephesh'') of [Eleazar](/source/Eleazar)...".N. Avigad. ''Ancient Monuments in the Kidron Valley.'' Jerusalem:Israel Exploration Society. 1954. === Horvat Midras === [[File:Hurvat-Midras-2-410.jpg|thumb|Remains of the ''nefesh'' at [Horvat Midras](/source/Horvat_Midras)]] A rural example of a ''nefesh'' outside Jerusalem is found at [Horvat Midras](/source/Horvat_Midras), an archaeological site containing the remains of a once-prosperous rural settlement in the [Judean Foothills](/source/Shephelah).{{Cite journal |last=Gardner |first=Gregg E. |last2=Peleg-Barkat |first2=Orit |date=2024-05-01 |title=Conspicuous Construction: New Light on Funerary Monuments in Rural Early Roman Judea from Horvat Midras |url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/728460 |journal=Bulletin of the American Society of Overseas Research |language=en |volume=391 |pages=1–23 |doi=10.1086/728460 |issn=2769-3600|url-access=subscription }} This monument consists of a [stepped pyramid](/source/Step_pyramid) built atop a 10-by-10-metre podium, reaching a total height of about seven metres and prominently positioned on a hilltop for maximum visibility. It was likely built by a wealthy family, possibly one whose influence rose through connections with the [Herodian dynasty](/source/Herodian_dynasty). ==Nabataea== [[File:Obelisk Tomb and Triclinium.jpg|thumb|alt=Several nepheshes can be seen on this tomb.|Obelisk tomb and Bab el-Siq Triclinium, [Petra](/source/Petra), [Jordan](/source/Jordan).]] thumb|Carving of a nefesh on the rock face near Tomb 70, Petra In a Nabataean [votive](/source/votive) [inscription](/source/inscription) from [Salkhad](/source/Salkhad), an [Aramaic](/source/Aramaic) heap of stones set up in memorial is described as "for [Allat](/source/Allat) and her ''wgr''", a term equated to the [Hasaitic](/source/Hasaitic) ''nephesh''. In [Sabaean](/source/Sabaean_language), this term could mean a [tumulus](/source/tumulus) above a tomb, while in [Arabic](/source/Arabic) this term could indicate a grotto or a tomb.Robert Wenning, “The Betyls of Petra, ”Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, No. 324. Nabataean Petra (Nov. 2001), p. 83. The term ''nephesh'' is also linked to the [Greek](/source/Greek_language) ''[stele](/source/stele)''.Bert de Vries, "'Be of good cheer!No one on earth is immortal':Religious Symbolism in Tomb Architecture and Epitaphs at the Umm el-Jimal and Tall Hisban Cemeteries,"in Douglas R. Clark et al, ed. ''The Madaba Plains Project: Forty Years of Archaeological Research in Jordan's Past.'' Equinox, 2011, pp. 803-805 An [aniconic](/source/Aniconism) culture, the Nabataean representation of deities lacked figural imagery. Related to betyls, ''nepheshes'' served as aniconic [memorial](/source/memorial) markers for the dead. Unlike the [Israelite](/source/Israelites) prohibition of the graven image, Nabataean aniconism allows [anthropomorphic](/source/Anthropomorphism) representation of deities but demonstrates a preference for non- figural imagery. [Betyls](/source/Baetylus) are one form of Nabataean aniconic sculpture. Often explained as representations of [Dushara](/source/Dushara), the central Nabataean deity, betyls occur in a wide variety of shapes, groupings, and niches. This variety suggests that betyls may be representative of other deities as well.Robert Wenning, “The Betyls of Petra, ”Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, No. 324. Nabataean Petra (Nov. 2001), p. 79. The Nabataean ''nephesh'' is a standing stone, [obelisk](/source/obelisk)oid in shape, often featuring a blossom/pinecone or stylized crown on the top. Roughly carved or engraved in [bas-relief](/source/bas-relief), these structures are often set upon a base that bears the name of the deceased. Occurring outside and inside tombs, some are engraved near or in votive niches. However, many ''nepheshes'' can be found unconnected from tombs, and many line the paths to [Petra](/source/Petra) or along other protruding rock faces such as those of the [Siq](/source/Siq).Robert Wenning, “The Betyls of Petra, ”Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, No. 324. Nabataean Petra (Nov. 2001), pp. 87–88. An example of this type of funerary marker can be found in the Obelisk Tomb and Bab el-Siq Triclinium, [Petra](/source/Petra), [Jordan](/source/Jordan). ==References== {{reflist}} ==Further reading== * {{Cite book|last=Kropp|first=Andreas|editor1-last=Kaizer|editor1-first=Ted|editor2-last=Facella|editor2-first=Margherita|chapter=Earrings, ''Nefesh'' and ''Opus Reticulatum'': Self-Representation of the Royal House of Emesa in the First Century AD|title=Kingdoms and Principalities in the Roman Near East|year=2010|publisher=Franz Steiner Verlag Stuttgart|url=https://www.academia.edu/1850846}} Category:Burial monuments and structures Category:Ancient Semitic religions --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Nefesh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nefesh) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nefesh?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). 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