Embalming is mentioned in the Bible as part of burial customs in ancient Egypt, but it is not prescribed or commanded by God for His people. The practice appears primarily in historical narrative, not as a theological directive.
The first mention of embalming occurs in Genesis 50:2–3:
“And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. Forty days were required for him, for such are the days required for those who are embalmed…”
This was Jacob, the patriarch of Israel, being embalmed in Egypt according to Egyptian custom. The process preserved the body for mourning and burial purposes, not for any spiritual reason.
Later in the same chapter, Joseph himself is embalmed:
“So Joseph died… and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.”
(Genesis 50:26)
These examples reflect Egyptian burial traditions rather than biblical instruction. The Israelites followed them while living in Egypt, but no law was given in the Mosaic covenant about embalming.
In fact, Jewish customs typically involved immediate burial, often within the same day of death (Deuteronomy 21:23). The body was washed, anointed with spices, and wrapped in cloth, as seen in the burial of Jesus (John 19:40).
Embalming is not condemned in Scripture, but it is not necessary from a biblical perspective. The emphasis in biblical burial practices is not preservation of the body, but the respect shown in death and the hope of resurrection.
Thus, while the Bible records embalming, it treats it as a cultural practice, not a religious mandate or theological necessity.