Ossilegium (os, "a bone," and legere, "to gather"), the act of collecting the bones of the dead. It was customary among the ancient Greeks, when the funeral pyre was burned down, to quench the dying embers with wine, after which the relatives and friends collected the bones of the deceased. This last practice received the name of the Ossilegium. The bones, when collected, were washed with wine and oil, and deposited in urns, which were made of different materials, sometimes even of gold.
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