The opening verse of Leviticus 21:1–24 deals with the issue of dead human bodies. In Leviticus 11:1–47, dead bodies were regarded as a source of uncleanness. In Israel, death was connected with the curse that separated people from God (Genesis 3:19). The priests were not to have any dealings with dead bodies. One reason for this ban is so that the Hebrew priests do not get involved in the cult of the dead. The Canaanites were notorious for ancestral worship. This practice was forbidden in Israel.
1 L'Eternel dit à Moïse: Parle aux sacrificateurs, fils d'Aaron, et tu leur diras: Un sacrificateur ne se rendra point impur parmi son peuple pour un mort,