Carcase
Carcase [1]
( גְּוַיָּה, מִפֶּלֶת, נְּבֵלָה, פֶּגֶר, πτῶμα ) , the dead body of a man or beast ( Joshua 8:29; Isaiah 14:19; Hebrews 3:17, etc.). According to the Mosaic law, any Israelite became ceremonially unclean until the evening (and in turn rendered whatever he touched unclean, Haggai 2:14; comp. Numbers 19:22), by (unwitting) contact, under any circumstances, with a dead animal of the "unclean" class ( Leviticus 5:2; Leviticus 11:8 sq.; comp. Deuteronomy 14:8), or with any "clean" animal, in case it had not been regularly slain according to the prescribed mode ( Leviticus 11:39 sq.). The eating of any (clean) beast that had died an accidental or natural death was still more strictly forbidden ( Leviticus 22:8; comp. Ezekiel 4:14; Ezekiel 44:31); but it might be sold as food to a foreigner ( Deuteronomy 14:2). Carrion was doubtless buried or burned. On the sepulture of persons found dead, (See Homicide). An unburied carcass ( Jeremiah 36:30; Psalms 79:3) was considered by the ancients the height of indignity and misfortune (Virgil, AEn. 10:559). (See Burial). The Levitical enactments respecting all dead bodies evidently had their origin in sanitary reasons in a climate so liable to pestilence (Michaelis, Mos. Recht, 4:809 sq.). On the incident of the beehive in the skeleton ( Judges 14:8), (See Bee). On the allusion to the vulture's scent for putrid flesh, Matthew 24:28 (Loder, De cadavere Judaico, ab aquilis Romnanis discerpendo, Argent. 1715; Rechenberg, De adagio Christi, etc., Lips. 1696), (See Eagle).
