the wooden tablets employed by the Japanese, containing inscriptions commemorative of the dead, mentioning the date of his decease, and the name given to him since that event. The ifays are carried in the funeral procession, along with the body, to the grave, and one of them is placed over it, remaining there seven weeks, when it is removed to make way for the gravestone. Another is set up in the best apartment of the house during the period of mourning. Sweetmeats, fruits, and tea are placed before it; and morning, noon, and night food is prepared for it as for a living person. The whole household pray before it morning and evening during seven weeks, and other religious ceremonies are observed.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More