Historicity of Jesus

[abaris]

Was it a practice only the wealthy could afford?

Honestly, I don't know about the traditions the jews followed at the time. My special field is contemporary history. The caskets I've seen are obviously to collect the bones after the bodies decomposed. They're rather small.

But it stands to reason that jews followed pretty much the same burial traditions they follow today. Their religion hasn't changed that much over the centuries. What seems to be important to them is quick decomposition and that blood stays with the body.