This hide is in a Jewish cemetery. Not being Jewish, I noticed something here that made me curious. I discovered that some tombstones have pebbles and stones placed on top of them. I was wondering about this custom so I asked my Jewish friend Robert who said he didn't know the origin. He only knew it was tradition, a way of letting the deceased know you were there. So off to the internet I went to find some more information and found these very interesting explanations.
The superstitious rationale for stones is that they keep the soul down. There is a belief, with roots in the Talmud, that souls continue to dwell for a while in the graves in which they are placed.
It is a sign to others who come to the grave that they are not the only ones who remember. The stones you see on the grave when you visit are a reminder that others have come to visit the grave. Your loved one is remembered by many others and his/her life continues to have an impact on others, even if you do not see them.
In ancient times, shepherds needed a system to keep track of their flocks. On some days, they would go out to pasture with a flock of thirty; on other days a flock of ten; the third day with fifty. As memory was an unreliable way of keeping tabs on the number of the flock that day, the shepherd would carry a sling over his shoulder, and in it keep the number of pebbles that corresponded to the number in his flock. That way he could have an accurate daily count. When we place stones on the grave, and inscribe the motto above on the stone, we are asking God to keep the departed's soul in God's sling. Among all the souls whom God has to watch over, we wish to add the name, the "pebble" of the soul of our departed.
If you have a moment, walk to the back of the cemetery. There you will find gravestones with pebbles on top of them. I have also listed a waypoint of a memorial marker placed as a remembrance of victims of the holocaust. Note the ages of some of the victims.
Please, no night caching here and be respectful of the area. You will need to bring your own writing instrument.