Not leaving the dead unattended is a custom followed by the Jewish people.
Do you know: The person who stays to guard the body of the dead is known as a shomerim.
The Jews consider leaving the body of a deceased person as disrespect. Hence, a person or persons must stay with the body. However, according to their religious laws, the person standing guard by the dead becomes ritually unclean and hence must wash his hands irrespective of whether he touches the deceased or not.
