In the Bible we are told that when the prophet Jonah pronounced God’s wrath on the city of Nineveh for its “wickedness ... in an act of sincere penitence, put on sackcloth and sat in ashes. God was ...

The purpose of ashes dates back to early Roman practices, according to britannica.com. Serious sinners and penitents began a public penance on the first day of Lent. These people wore sackcloth ...