The Mystery of Death is one of the mysteries I have called the Triune Mysteries; the other two being the Mystery of Creation and the Mystery of Life. The Mystery of Death has questions concerning why we die, when will we die, and is there an afterlife. For Peter Kreeft, “it is a mysterious country, an impenetrable jungle, a bottomless bit. The questions What is death? and, Why we die? are the deepest of all questions.” (1992) The concept of death is embedded in our collective human psyche. Anthony Peake maintained that, “knowing that you exist is what makes you human. However, within existence lies a mystery – we exist only to die.” (2006) Even prehumen Neanderthals buried their dead in an attempt to show some indication and respect for the dead. The oldest written tale we know of is the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh (18th Cent BC). The Epic of Gilgamesh is basically a story of bereavement and an attempt to discover immortality. Death is our big fear! Humans have a primal fear of death and a deep desire for immortality. And, whether accepted or not, religions are basically built around the fear of death.
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