Considered “one of humankind’s longest practiced arts,” the Egyptians originated embalming around 3200 B.C. because they believed religious resurrection could only occur for bodies preserved intact. Today, and principally in the United States and Canada, bodies of the deceased receive embalming for various reasons, including:
When a family desires a funeral service with the body present in an open casket To provide time for family members and loved ones to travel to the deceased’s funeral and/or interment When the body must travel a great distance for final disposition, such as when a death occurs overseas To temporarily preserve the corpse for medical research or anatomical study
Word Origin
The term embalming derives from the 14th-century word “embaumen,” meaning “to apply balm or ointment.” That word derives from an earlier Old French term, “embausmer,” which means to “preserve a corpse with spices.” Not surprisingly, the term “balm” (in its various historical linguistic forms) refers to an “aromatic substance made from resins and oils,” such as balsam, spices, cedar, perfumes, etc. – substances often used by the ancient Egyptians and other cultures during embalming.
Synonyms
Embalming can also be referred to as body preservation, temporary preservation, or thanatopraxy (French term).
