Commentary for Avodah Zarah 40:8
ממנה מסריח מסייע ליה לרבי חנינא בר כהנא דא"ר חנינא בר כהנא אמרי בי רב הרוצה שלא יסריח מתו יהפכנו על פניו:
“From it the corpse deteriorates.” This supports the view of R. Hanina b. Kahana. For R. Hanina b. Kahana stated: They say in the school of Rav that if one wants to keep a corpse from deteriorating, he should turn it on its face.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
To keep the drop of gall out of the body, one should turn the body on its side. Perhaps this was also a way of letting some of the liquid out so that it would deteriorate a bit slower.
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