Burial was generally not postponed for days merely to allow distant relatives to gather. Jewish sources show a strong preference for burying the dead promptly.
The requirement was especially urgent when the Sabbath or a festival was approaching, since ordinary burial work could then become more difficult.
Deuteronomy required the body of an executed person not to remain hanging overnight. By the Second Temple period, prompt burial was a strongly established Jewish value extending beyond that original legal setting.
A death early in the day allowed more time for washing, wrapping, mourning, and transport. A death late in the day created pressure to complete arrangements quickly.
Archaeology cannot normally tell us the hour at which a person was buried. Tomb evidence instead shows the physical places in which prompt burial occurred.
Jewish literary evidence from the Second Temple period and afterward reflects concern for prompt burial. The Gospel passion narratives likewise emphasize the limited time available before the Sabbath.
Deuteronomy 21:22–23 prohibited leaving the body of an executed person exposed overnight. Respectful burial became an important Jewish obligation.
The timing of Jesus' death is crucial to the burial narratives. Joseph of Arimathea acted before the Sabbath began, and Jesus was placed in a nearby tomb because the available time was short.
Prompt burial was an important Jewish practice, and same-day burial is well attested. It is safer to speak of a strong norm than to claim that every death under every circumstance resulted in burial before sunset.
Families probably began preparations almost immediately after death whenever circumstances allowed.
This background explains the urgency surrounding Jesus' burial and why the Gospel writers repeatedly mention the approaching Sabbath.