“For Dust Thou Art, and Unto Dust Shalt Thou Return”: Jewish Law, Forensic Investigation, and Archaeology in the Aftermath of the Holocaust

Jewish communities across Europe were irrevocably decimated during the Holocaust by systematic and ad hoc executions, forced labor, and various forms of ill-treatment (Rees 2017). The scope and scale of the killing, types of killing techniques deployed, and need to dispose of large quantities of corpses—as well as the total disregard for the human and religious rights of the victims—was an unprecedented violation of human life and dignity. This chapter considers (1) how the specific nature of genocidal actions defiled Jewish customs relating to death and burial during the Holocaust, (2) how and why Rabbinical, forensic and archaeological responses to the Holocaust have been at odds and (3) how recent developments in archaeological approaches offer the opportunity to respect Jewish law while deriving important new information about the crimes perpetrated and experiences of the victims.