According to this relatively short article on the Chabad.org website, it seems that "above-ground mausoleums" are forbidden for burying the dead, but what about underground mausoleums or underground tombs? Would that be tolerated, particularly if other laws are followed like the dead being placed in a centre of such a tomb that is connected to the Earth and then have half a coffin (top half) placed on top, etc.? I'm curious if there's a way to make it work.
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That was a standard way of burying people, e.g. see biblewalks.com/tibneh.– The GRAPKEMay 1 at 5:41
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@TheGRAPKE Thanks for sharing that, though correct me if I'm wrong, but on the website you linked, it seems that this is an incision in a cave and in a wall going into depth, as opposed to digging straight down, and say building a staircase to the underground tomb, etc. This isn't exactly what I had in mind when I thought about underground tombs, I meant a larger complex with more features but nevertheless, this provides a valuable resource as it was apparently the standard way of doing things. Thanks again!– setszuMay 1 at 5:47
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sefaria.org.il/… There is the case of one who sells a plot of land to another in order for him to construct for himself an underground catacomb, and similarly the case of a contractor who receives a plot of land from another under a commission to construct for him a catacomb. If the size of the catacomb was not specified, then he should make the inside of each burial chamber four cubits wide by six cubits long and open up into the chamber, by digging into its walls, eight burial niches...– The GRAPKEMay 1 at 15:01
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