Reverse stone reads: "Sleep gently in your vault and in the wound of Jesus' side* till the trombone** calls you and the most trusted Friend of Souls takes you out of this world into the beautiful heavens." Notes: * The wounds, or in particular the side wound, of Jesus figured prominently in the teachings of the Moravians who had a large settlements at Bethlehem and Nazereth, towns not far from Emanuelsville. This points to the possibility that the author of the verse was Moravian, or influenced by Moravian belief. For a discussion of early Moravian teachings see: The Sifting Time as an Interpretive Fiction, an article by Craig D. Atwood
** Trombone may appear a strange choice of instrument for judgment day, but to the Moravians it was then, and is today, an important instrument. Their Trombone Choirs performed at both festivals and funerals. For history and information on this, visit the Moravian Trombone Choir site. I Corinthians 15 v52 says "...the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised..." in the English King James version, while the Luther Bible reads "...Denn es wird die Posaune erschallen, und die Toten werden auferstehen..." I am not sure whether a trombone or trumpet is referred to here but examples of stones showing instruments being blown by angels in areas outside Moravian influence show a long, straight, belled instrument. See: 1797 Trumpet Stone 1832 Trumpet Stone |