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Pyre

Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature

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Pyrker, Johann Ladislav of Felso-Eor

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• מְדורָּה

(πυρά, from πῦρ,fire), the funeral pile of wood on which the ancient Greeks often burned the bodies of their dead. The body was placed upon the top with oils and perfumes, and in the heroic age it was customary to burn animals and even slaves along with the corpse. When the body was consumed and the pyre burned down, the fire was extinguished by throwing wine upon it, and the bones were collected, washed with wine and oil, and placed in urns.