In Jewish Halachic Law, corpses were seen as unclean and touching one or even being near one was the highest grade of defilement labeled as the "Father of fathers of all uncleanness" (Danby2012-ui),Numbers 5:2;Numbers 9:10;Numbers 31:19, Leviticus 21:1,Haggai 2:13), even going inside the building that housed a corpse was considered unclean (noauthor_2009-gs, Numbers 19:11-15, Rodkinson2018-qf). Only certain priests could go near the corpse without being considered unclean (Rabbi2022-ly).

In Jewish Halachic Law, corpses are considered a major source of ritual impurity, often referred to as the "Father of fathers of all uncleanness." Contact with a dead body, or even being in close proximity to one, results in the highest level of defilement. The regulations surrounding this form of defilement are detailed in various texts, including the Mishnah, the Babylonian Talmud, and biblical passages such as Numbers and Leviticus. This framework of purity laws significantly influenced Jewish practices and societal norms, particularly regarding burial practices and the handling of the dead.