2007-02-26 02:14:05 · 4 answers · asked by old ed 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
basically that they are more permanent than flowers.
2007-02-26 02:21:35 · answer #1 · answered by Gamla Joe 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
they are a more permanent reminder that somebody has visited the grave than flowers. flowers will die in a few days, but stones will stay for quite a while and are a sign that somebody who loved the dead person has been there to grieve.
i don't know exactly what the origin of leaving them on tombstones is, but the practice of using stones seems to be pretty old. in the book of joshua, the prophet joshua uses a stone to be as a "witness" of the covenant.
Josh 24:26 - "He (Joshua) took a great stone and set it up at the foot of the oak in the sacred precinct of the Lord; and Joshua said to all the people, 'See, this very stone shall be a witness against us, for it heard all the words that the Lord spoke to us; it shall be a witness against you, lest you break faith with your God."
stones are very long-lasting and enduring, so they are a good token of remembrance.
2007-02-28 14:57:01 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There's no real significance to it. It's just a ritual, like saying 'bless you' after someone sneezes. It does mean that Jewish cemeteries tend to look pretty bleak.
2007-02-26 10:21:38 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
To show the next grieving person that they are not alone in their grief, or in visiting the deceased. They last longer than flowers.
2007-02-26 15:44:47 · answer #4 · answered by Captain Al 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋