The Prohibition Against Touching the Dead in the Old Testament
Touching a dead body made a person unclean (defiled). But relatives could touch their own deceased kin without being defiled:
“And the LORD said to Moses, ‘Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: “None shall defile himself for the dead among his people, except for his relatives who are nearest to him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, and his brother; also his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband, for her he may defile himself. Otherwise he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself”’” (Lev. 21:1-4)
“Now there were certain men who were defiled by a human corpse, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day” (Num. 9:6)
“Whoever touches the body of anyone who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of the LORD. That person shall be cut off from Israel. He shall be unclean, because the water of purification was not sprinkled on him; his uncleanness is still on him” (Num. 19:13)
“They shall not defile themselves by coming near a dead person. Only for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister may they defile themselves” (Ezek. 44:25)
“And Haggai said, ‘If one who is unclean because of a dead body touches any of these, will it be unclean?’ So the priests answered and said, ‘It shall be unclean’” (Hag. 2:13)
Touching the Remains of the Righteous
In Old Testament times a dead man came to life from touching the relics of the prophet Elisha:
“So it was, as they were burying a man, that suddenly they spied a band of raiders; and they put the man in the tomb of Elisha; and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet” (2 Kin. 13:21)
The Abolition of Jewish Ordinances
“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell” (Act. 15:28-29)
“But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality” (Act. 21:25)
More: the abolition of Jewish ordinances
Touching the Dead in the New Testament
The Lord Jesus Christ touched the dead daughter of Jairus:
“Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, ‘Talitha, cumi,’ which is translated, ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise’” (Mark. 5:41).
According to the Law, when Christ died on the Cross, He could not be touched, as one already dead. Only the Mother of God could do this, as a relative (Lev. 21:1-4). Yet we not only do not condemn John the Theologian, Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, but praise them for not being afraid of anything and for serving our Savior:
“When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed” (Matt. 27:59-60)
“When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb” (Mark. 6:29)
“So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb” (Mark. 15:45-46)
“Now when they had fulfilled all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a tomb” (Act. 13:29)
The apostle touches a dead young man:
“And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down, fell on him, and embracing him said, ‘Do not trouble yourselves, for his life is in him’” (Act. 20:9-10)